3 PULL UPS COMPLETED!!!

Go Zym, GO Zym, Go Zym :)

3 pull ups performed on the Garage Joist =D
They were all done with good form, and my chin went over the 'joist/bar' each time. I also managed to get half way up on the fourth one.

Then, about 1/2 hour later i managed to do another 2!!

Im pretty please with myself.

I have been averaging about 1 extra one a month, which i dont think is maximising my potential. Im going to make a massive effort now to get to 5 by 2007.

This morning i was 174lb - my weight isnt going down much at the moment - but i think the fat is reducing, and im building a bit of muscle.

The other day while looking at myself in the mirror i realised -"Oh My god, ive got 'Lats'" :)

EEEEP!!!

OH NO! THE BLOG HONEYMOON PERIOD IS OVER!!!! AND ZYMECK IS GETTING FAT AGAIN!!!!

Not true! Not true! – Ive just been really busy of late. Busy at home, Busy at work, etc etc..

SO – No news is good news - honest!!

Im still 175-176lb , Im still going the gym, and im still eating sensibly.

Im using the workout routine from the Mansized ‘Weight lose plan’ - and its going well. Im currently doing the following…

Leg Press
Cable Straight Armed Pushdown

Machine Chest Press
Seated Cable Row

Machine Shoulder Press
Barbell Curl

Weighted Abdominal Crunch
Machine Back Extension

Im doing 1 set, between 8-10 reps. When I get to 10, I up the weight. The idea is to do the exercises in pairs without any rest in between. After 4 weeks I’ll add another 2 exercises.

I didn’t go to the gym on Friday because we went up to the Dales for the weekend. We did an easy 6 miles on Saturday, and a quite difficult 9 miles on Sunday – so I guess this makes up for the Friday off!! ;)

I tried some pull ups in the garage the other day, and Im now getting very close to 3 pull ups. Without access to a bar its very difficult to stay motivated with them. I’m relying on my improving level of fitness & my reduced weight to pull myself up, rather than an improved ability to perform pull ups

Am afraid its a 'Short but sweet' post today. But at least its business as usual :)

All is well..

I had my ‘Wellness Check’ at the gym on Saturday – and apparently, i am well!!

The session measured my height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, resting pulse, % body fat etc. From what I remember, my stats are as follows

Height – 6ft (funny that, I always thought I was 6’1’’!!)

Weight – 177lb (im still stuck at around 177lb, and have been for a while now)

BMI – 24 (25 is over weight, so i manage to just sneak in to normal!!)

% body fat – 22% (this was measured with one of those electronic machines that send a pulse through your body. He warned me that they always show a higher than correct figure, and not to worry about it. So in a way im quite pleased that its only 22%)

Resting Pulse – Good (51 i think?)

Blood Pressure - Good (cant remember what this way, but the trainer was happy with it)

So on the whole, quite positive. It’s also given me a benchmark to measure my self against for the next couple of months. After a couple of weeks of being a bit slack, im going to try and put much more effort in again from now up until Christmas. Im also going to try and get to 4 pull ups by Christmas.

Speaking of which, I’ve started wearing an old pair of protective gloves when doing my pull ups on the garage beam. It makes it a bit more bearable on the old hands, and means that I can hold on/do more. I did 2 sets of 2 pull ups, although I must admit that my ‘Range of Movement’ at the top of the pull could do with improving. I feel like I need to be able to get 1 or 2 inches higher on the second one.

Im off to the gym tonight, I might book in a session to get a new routine worked out – I think that it might be good for me to move away from the machines and on to the free weights. I also think its good not to get bogged down with doing the same thing all the time.

2 PULL UPS COMPLETED!!!

2 PULL UPS COMPLETED!!

This marvellous feat of strength was performed on Tuesday on one of the garage joists

Yay!!! :)
MY hands absolutely KNACKED afterwards!!

I still had a little bit of energy left over after number 2, but not enough to lift myself up far for number 3 - But good progress i think. I just need to keep at it

Last week was pretty much a week off! Not that i feel bad about it. I tried to eat healthly, and not drink too much, but i didnt do any exercise at all (apart from a 5 1/2 mile walk on the 5th)

I joined the Gym in Hessle on Friday, and went on Monday and Today.
Mondays session was a bit strange and I felt very much like the new kid. I didnt do too much because i hadnt been for a week, and i wasnt used to the machines.
I still dont know my way round, but i was able to do a much better workout. Im also going introduced some more Leg exercises into my routine.

As mentioned, theres no Pull Up Bar at the gym, so I spoke to one of the instructors. (Orginally i asked if i was allowed to do pull ups on the Smith Machine - i wasnt:) ) She said that she had just started rock climbing and wanted to incorporate Pull ups into her own routine too. She also said that a few people had asked about one, and was going to speak to the boss about it.

I've booked in a 'Wellness Check'/Induction for Saturday, so im not sure if im going to go on Firday? - maybe a run instead?

No Gym, but some pull up progress...

I ended up eating and drinking loads all weekend, which meant that I put about 3 pounds back on :( 2lb has now gone, and im hoping to hit 177lb by the weekend again– AND THEN NOT PUT IT BACK ON!!

I got very close to doing 2 pull ups on the garage rafter yesterday. My form was good for both of them, I just couldn’t quite lift myself all of the way up on the second one (my forehead was up to the bar, but not my chin)
I also noticed that the rafter did bend a little bit, which is a bit worrying, and that my hands hurt A LOT!!

My gym membership at the Holiday Inn ran out last week, so I haven’t really done any exercise since my run on Friday night. I went to see the new Gym at The Village Hotel, Hessle yesterday. Its pretty much brand new and very swanky:) It definitely has more cardio, weight machines, and free weights than the Holiday Inn, BUT it doesn’t appear to have a pull up bar or Assisted Pull Up machine. If this is the case, I really need to get a pull up bar for the home. I did see a more sophisticated version of the powerbar that would work on angled door frames, im just not sure if I can get it in the UK

Oh, and i stopped taking the Creatine - theres no point if im not going to the gym!

Creatine...

Yay!! I have now officially lost 2 stone.
*does skinny man dance*

Quite a milestone – im very pleased with myself:)
This also means that at 177lb im very close to my ideal range of between 12 - 12½ stone.

Yesterday I went and bought some creatine from Holland And Barrett. (They have a sale on, so it was only £7 for 120 capsules) Basically, creatine its a supplement that increases the energy of your muscles. It does this by increasing the amount of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in your muscles. Muscle strength depends on ATP, so supplementing creatine gives your muscles more endurance. Or to put another way, creatine doesn’t make you stronger, but I helps you to make yourself stronger.

Its entirely natural and found it red meat. Since I don’t eat red meat I thought it would be a good idea. I’ve absolutely no idea how good its going to be, but research on the web seems to suggest that it does have merit, and isn’t just some snake oil.

The general consensus seems to be that you should 'Load' creatine with a daily dose of around 20g for 5 days, then drop to a maintenance dose of around 2-3g per day. That sounds fine in theory, but the capsules I’ve got only contain 0.7g – so for the next 5 days im going to be having 7 capsules 4 times a day. After the loading phase I only have to take 2, twice a day, which is a lot more manageable.

Im going to see how i get on with the loading idea, but apparently its not essential. Ive had 14 caps so far today, and im starting to feel a bit sick.

So, will it make any difference? Have I gone too far this time? – watch this space!!

No real Pull Up news to report - still chipping away on the Assisted Pull Up Machine. Ive been doing a mixture of 2 Pull Ups at 8Kg, some singles, and some negatives without any counter weight. Its still very difficult, and very humbling :(
Ive also found out that the 'powerbar' pull up bar wont work on older door frames we have in our house, which is a bit of a shitter! I'll have to find some kind or alternative

In other news, Im off for a run tonight. I’ll be doing the same route as last time but with maybe a little bit more added on.

…Then I might go the pub :)

Last week was a bit of an odd week...

Last week at the gym was a bit strange. I was pretty tired all week, which affected my performance. I also switched to 1 rep sets with the aim of reaching failure between 8-10, as suggested in the Mansized weight loss programme. This is good because its a lot quicker, but on the other hand I find working to failure rather depressing, and psychologically quite difficult to get my head round. I just makes me feel like, er.. a failure.

Ive been doing several single pull ups during the week on various objects, shelves, roof beams, etc. So Ive managed to convince my self that it wasn’t just a fluke and I can do a proper pulll up. I also did 10 negative Pull ups at the gym on Wednesday - which left my lats aching for about 2 days, and meant that I when to the gym on Saturday rather than Friday.

So, on Friday night I went for a run out on the mean streets of Hull!! (or rather, down Park Avenue, along Princes Ave, onto Newland Ave, up Goddard Ave, along Chants, and then back down Park) It took about 25 minutes, including a warm up/cool down. The brilliant thing was that I did it without stopping. Half way round it suddenly occurred to me –‘ Wow! Im running!!’ My Shins didnt hurt at the time, although they were a bit sore afterwards, so maybe running on the streets once a week is the way to go. Maybe i should also train for the the Beverley 10K in May?

I feel quite motivated with my weight loss/muscle building/gym work again this week, so its onward and upwards. Its also pay day this week so its time to get a powerbar :)

Business as Usual...

Not much to report since the last post, but this week will be repairing the 'damage' caused by a weekend away at a wedding!

Hitting the 1 pull up mark last week felt a bit of an anticlimax in some ways, and im now starting to worry that i wont be able to repeat it, or that i didnt do it properly! :(

Went to the gym last night, and managed 1x2, and 3x1 pull ups on 8kg. Ive decided that im going to stay at the 8kg for another week or so and concentrate on raising the number of reps. Even if it means doing lots of singles with a rest in between, Im going to try and do an extra one at each visit until i get to 10. At this point I'll then start increasing the reps and decreasing the sets.

Im starting to get quite bored to the Assisted Pull Up Machine, though. I feel that my arms are slightly wider apart than i would really like, and the fact that it has handles rather than a bar makes it very difficult to judge when im at the top of the pull. At the same time, I also think its becoming a psychological crutch - its stopping me from concentrating on 'proper pull ups'

On a more positive side, Ive really started to notice the muscle growth on my forearms recently. Hopefully i'll look like popeye by the time i can do 10 ;)

FIRST PULL UP COMPLETED!!!

Yay!!

Went round to see a friend on the way home from work. He has pull up bar in his doorway, so as i was leaving i decided to have a go! I started in a proper 'deadhang' and pulled! I wavered a bit at the top, but i definately got my chin up level with the bar :) The odd thing was, it seemed quite easy. In a weird kind of way i definitely think its harder on the Pull up machine!

Gary then proceeded to perform 4 pull ups! He admitted himself that its only because hes so skinny ;)

So there we are, its taken me just over 2 months, but the first one is done! I just hope am going to be able to repeat it the mighty feat? :)

On a side, i've also lost 24lbs in weight now, going from 205lb to 181lb.

I think as a treat, im going to buy a pull up bar on payday!

Patience needed...

The Road to 10 pull ups progresses onwards and (hopefully) upwards. I only went to get to the Gym twice last week because we went up to the Yorkshire Dales on Friday. We did a 9 mile walk through Cotterdale on Saturday, and 6 miles around Leyburn on Sunday, so despite the fish & chips on Saturday night i don’t feel guilty. :)

Yesterday at the gym i managed 4x1 pull ups at 8KG on the machine. This is classed as number '2' on the machine, and the least amount of weight you can add still using a 'pin'. (No weight whatsoever is actually 4KG!) Im going to stick with this for the time being, and try and build up to 10. To be honest, I found it very hard work on Monday, but im glad that I’ve added 1 on to my tally. After my progress over the past couple months i suppose i felt a bit frustrated that I couldn’t do more - which i know is stupid! but I really want to get the first proper pull up 'under my belt'!! Once I can do that, it really opens up the ways in which I can train.

Its now 2 months since I started this challenge, I think that the 'easy win' aspect of my new regime has now passed. Ive lost 21-24lbs pretty easily, but Im now I think im going to have to really put the effort in to shift the rest.

We're off to a wedding on Saturday in Northampton, so i wont be going to the gym again on Friday. I’ve therefore decided to try to go to the gym 4 times this week, and do a split routine based on an upper body/ lower body split. So...

Monday: Upper Body/weights
Tuesday: Legs/Running
Wednesday: Upper Body/weights
Thursday: Legs/Running

If all goes well, i may be able to fit comfortably into my Wedding Suit at the weekend :)

3 with very little support...

Yesterday, i managed 3 pull ups on the machine with only 8KG assistance!! It was actually three sets of one - but thats good enough for me :) At that weight (8kg = 17lb) it didnt feel like the machine was actually doing anything. When I start the movement the 'chair' stayed where it was, and throughout the exercise didnt offer any support at all. Obviously Im feeling pretty pleased with myself at the moment. Iknow that im getting very close to the first milestone - 1 unassisted deadhang pull up

I think going to have to get onto a proper Pull up bar soon. I either need to join a new gym soon, or purchase a bar for the home

A Good workout..

This evening I reduced the counter weight on the APUM from 28kg (62lbs) to 24kg (53lbs) and just about managed 3 sets of 4 pull ups. If you compare this to my post less than two weeks ago, I have reduced my bodyweight by 5 pounds, and at the same time increase the weight i can successfully lift by another 4 pounds. This means my 'pull up capacity' (ive just made this term up, but i quite like it!) a grand total of 131lbs (9 stone 5 pounds) w00t!!!

I think I am getting very close to being able to perform my first proper pull up, and this, just as much as the weightloss, is really driving me on now.

On the running front I managed to run/walk 3 miles in just over 30 minutes. I would have probably been able to do it in less, but i was trying not to over do it. Ive decided to give my legs a rest now for the rest of the week, as my shin and calf muscles were still hurting a bit.

Finally, ive decide that 'Fuck the Police' by Rage Against The Machine is a great workout track! - it definitly worked this evening :)

Legs...

Weighed myself this morning - 184 pounds!! :)

I did 3x4 pull ups with 28Kg of counterweight last night. Ive been at that weight for a week or so, and i can definitely feel them getting easier. I little tip I found somewhere, is to place your knees as far forward as possible on the 'seat' of the APUM before you start. This means that you are lifting with most of your body almost underneath the bar, which seems to make it a little easier.

When i move onto a proper pullup bar, i'll need to decide what my legs should be doing? My friend Gary, who i used to do Kung foo with, has one of those chinup/pullup bars that you screw to a door frame. He lifts & points his legs out in front slightly, not only for the reasons mentioned above, but also because he says it works his abs. All of the other advice ive seen says to bend the knees, or doesnt mention what to do with them at all.

I read a forum post a while ago that said something like..

If you want to learn how to do 10 pull ups, learn how to run 10 miles

On the face of it it seemed like a stupid thing to say, but actually it kind of makes sense to me now. The less you weigh - the easier it is to do pullups. So if you are able to run 10 miles, the chances are that you'll be lean enough to lift your own body weight.

I tried out my new trainers last night and did 3 miles on the treadmill (2.5 running and half a mile walking) My legs felt a lot better with the extra support and cushioning on my feet, but there was stil a bit of pain in my shins.

I found some more Exercises to help prevent Shin splints last night, so I am going to start incorporating them into my routine.
Im also thinking that i might have to reduce the amount of running im doing until my shins feel better, but I havent decided whether i should reduce my time, my speed, my distance or my frequency?

A new week...

Here we are again, a new Week. I am now 187 pounds and have lost a grand total of 18 pounds! Last Week was a bad week on the Eating/Drinking front, hopefully this week will be better. I know that the weight loss has slowed down a bit, but im hoping to still lose a pound or 2 a week.

I went to look round the Total Fitness gym in Willerby yesterday. Its Massive!! Its also quite expensive :(, (£38.50 a month) but it has a 200m indoor running track and several sets of pull up bars, including one that looks like a set of deer antlers. Theres very little else to do up at Willerby so I probably will join.

Im off to the gym after work today. My legs are feeling ok at the moment, but ive realised that the pain/soreness ive been suffering from is shinsplints:(
This has probably been caused by running too much to soon, not warming up enough, and probably more than everything else - running in trainers that are at least 10 years old and that werent designed to run in!!
So i went to the running shop across the road from where I work, and after trying a few different types/pairs under the guidance of the helpful chap there, bought a pair of Asics Gel Cumulus VIII for £70. I'll have to see how I get on with them, but after having a quick google it would appear that they have had some good reviews

The guy in the shop also recommended a few stretching exercises to help my shins, and said to spray them with cold water (as cold as you can get it) from the shower to ease any pain/soreness.

So, watch this space!!

Not a great deal to do with Pull ups today but the more i run the less i'll weight, and the easier i'll find it to lift up my mighty arse. :)

Feeling better about my self, but not my legs...

I found a link to a brilliant article called The Application and Creation of Pullup Power by John Allstadt. He lists three steps to improving and performing pull ups...

STEP NUMBER ONE: GET YOUR LATS INTO THE PULL!

STEP NUMBER TWO: COORDINATE THE INDIVIDUAL PULLING MUSCLES INTO ONE SMOOTH PULLING MOTION!

STEP NUMBER THREE: APPLY HIGH TENSION TECHNIQUES TO YOUR PULLUPS!

I tried these tips at the gym on Wednesday, - and they really did help! Especially Step 3. I shot straight up like a rocket on my first 'pull'!! Of couse, I was still using 28KG of counterweight, but it certainly felt good :)

Later on while i was on the treadmill, I saw a fit looking bloke have a go on the APUM, (Assisted Pull Up Machine - I cant be arse to type that any more) which is quite unusual as I HAVE NEVER seen anybody else use it. I guess he saw me on it and thought he'd have a go. He could only just do a couple with the counter weight on 11(44kg) - HAHAH LOSER!!!! Im on 28kg :) Its just nice not to be the fattest fuck there, and to know that im actually better than someone on something!

On the down side, my legs are still shagged. I couldnt handle the running and had to stop after a couple of minutes today. I suspect that the general pain ive been experiencing are due to not warming up properly, or perhaps cooling down while i do my weights. I'll do some research, and report back.

Walking around like ive shat myself...

Oh sweet baby jesus and the orphans, my legs have been soooo sore since i performed my 'squats' on Monday night.
The benefit of hindsight is an wonderful thing! I 'kind of' thought I would have been OK as i wasnt using weights, but i guess 3 sets of 10 was too much to start off with. They are obviously pretty powerful exercises!!

In other news, it seems that Rob has joined a new gym, and is working towards the 10 pull up challenge again. Ive had a couple of emails from him on the subject...

..I have forearm muscles! I know this because I can't feel them today and I'm typing like a spaz...

..I've been putting in a heavy amount of weight - So I can just about draw it down - and doing 3 sets of however many I can actually draw...

..Been doing that for a few weeks at work as well - and my forearms have really suffered - but I'm beginning to be able to pull a lot heavier weight now - so slowly I feel I'm beginning to get closer to doing one pull up...

Bring it on Rob!! I intend to supply photographic/video evidence once i start achieving - i hope you'll do the same?

I think the first Pull up is the hardest - after that its just a matter of practice. Time and time again i see advice on the internet that says

THE BEST WAY TO DO PULL UPS IS TO DO PULL UPS'

A bit fatter than i was...

(Probably)

Bit too much beer & curry for me this weekend, so its a good job im off to the gym tonight.
Ive decided that im going to start recording my routine here (including weights/set/reps) - because half the time i dont *actually* know how much im lifting. In fact, the only weights i am aware of is the 'counter' on the Assisted Pull Up Machine (28kg) With all the other machines I only know the 'numbers' of the weight/settings, as in Shoulder Pressing at level 7, or Chest Pressing at level 6.

While having a trawl of exercise website sites this weekend, I found a good page on Pull ups for women called 'Mistressing the Pull Up' - I see what you've done there ;)

Not as fat as I was...

I am now 13 and half stone (189 lb)- down from 14 stone 9 (205 lb) So I have lost a grand total of 16 pounds since the start of August. Not bad if you take into account a fortnight in France eating cheese, duck cooked in goose fat, and drinking loads of beer & wine!

At the gym last night i reduced the weight on the Assisted Pull-up machine from 32KG(70 lb) to 28KG (62 lb) and managed (without massive amounts of sweat and tears) to perform 3 sets of 3. What this means is that i am able to lift 127lb - which would be brilliant if i was 9 stone, but i dont think thats ever going to happen.

According to Stew Smith in an article entitled Achieving Fitness Goals,

"Too many people cannot do pull-ups mainly because they carry an extra 20-25 lbs"

I think to some extent is has been my problem. Working on the assumption that I lose a pound a week, and that I continue working hard at the gym, I think its realistic to get my first Pull-up licked in 6 weeks. Although it would be nice to think i could get one done in just a month!

On a side note, despite never being a massive fan of running, Ive been enjoying using the treadmill recently. Due to time contraints im sticking to about 20 minutes of running followed by 5 mins of warm down, and am hitting 2 miles in around 18-19 minutes. Im quite into the idea of setting my self targets, so im going to start by build up to completing 3 miles in under 30 mins.

First Day Back

The office move has been put back until the end of Oct, so i re-joined the gym in town today. 6 weeks membership for £40 (1 month + 2 weeks free)
I surprised myself by getting on pretty well; I managed to do all the weights/reps I was doing before I went on holiday, I ran 2 miles in about 18 minutes, AND I did 3 reps of 6 on the assisted pull up machine - yay, go me!!
Of course, im still using 32Kg of support, but Ive decided that 3x6 will be the cut off point of each weight for the time being. I'm going to reduce the counterweight by 4Kg the next time I go.

I listen to my ipod at the gym, but because its the full sized 30gb video ipod its a bit big and sometimes falls out of my pocket (if i remember to wear shorts that have pockets!) I have been thinking of getting a ipod Shuffle for a while because its smaller and lighter, but I was looking on the apple site this evening and have just seen the NEW Shuffle - and now I am in love! - oh yes!!
I think that the completion of 1 proper pull up will definately warrent a purchase :)

Talking of motivation, I tend to listen to indie pop or a bit of hip-hop while working out, but apart from say, Jay-z or The Killers, its not what i would describe as being particularly 'motivational' - I think i need to find something a bit more hardcore. Any suggestions?

Im back...

Im back of my Hols, refreshed, relaxed, and probably a bit fatter :)

Back to the gym tomorrow.

Tired...

I didnt go to the gym after work onFriday - my body was still acheingand i was knackered due to a trip to the vets at 2AM on Friday morning.

So I went on Saturday instead, and did my routine. I also decided to switch to the using the assisted pull-up machine with the counter weight. I was able to do 3x3 with 32kgs of support (about 60lbs).

I went yesterday, and did the same. I dont know whether its going to be more useful to build up to say 3x6 or 8, or whether to just try and get into the position where i can do 1x3 before moving on to less counter weight?

If anyone *IS* reading this, I do realise that negatives are best thing to do!! When I start at a new gym (end of Sept) I will train with a proper pull-up bar. (im assuming they have one, its a massive 'fitness first' gym, so they should do)

Im slipping in to holiday wind-down now...

You have to be sensible about these things...

I went to the gym on monday and did 3 negative pull ups, holding at the top for 5 seconds, then slowly lowering for another 5 seconds. It still feels quite awkward using the assisted Pull-up Machine (without assistance), but I guess i’ll get used to it. I decided not to do any yesterday as my 'Lats' (look at me with the fancy talk!!) were feeling a bit tender and theres no way im going to knacker myself a week and a half before my hols.
So instead, I did an extra bicep, and an extra triceps exercise.
I did 3 sets of each of the following...

Triceps
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Triceps Pushdowns

Biceps
Single Arm Preacher Curls
Hammer Dumbbell Curls

I was previously performing Dumbbell Bicep Curls, but it felt as if i was using my back to lift the weight rather than my arms. The 'preacher curls' dont allow me any cheating ;)

The illustrations of the exercises above from - Shapefit – Exercise Guide. It looks like a really good site for showing and explaining different exercises - which is just as well as i dont know the names of half the things im currently doing (i have to call them things like 'The-sitting down-pushing-chesty-one') I'll maybe put together an illustrated guide to my routine made up of images from the site?

Oh, and finally, I have now lost ONE STONE – yay!! go me :)

The thousand mile journey

starts with the first step.

Ive decided against using the 'Assisted Pull up Machine'/'Graviton' properly in order to build up to full pull ups. - The General consensus seems to be that they are a bit shit, so instead im going to concentrate on using the machine to perform 'negative pull ups'. The main reason being that i think its important to get my body used to supporting my own weight as early as possible.

So when i talk about 'using the machine' from now on, what i actually mean is sticking a 10kg weight on the seat so that it sits on the floor out of my way, then jumping off the steps, and 'hanging on'!! :)

At my past 2 sessions at the gym ive completed 3 'negatives' with a 30-60 second rest between each one. Im using the advice of Stew Smith: Working Your Way Up To Better (Or More) Pull-Ups by trying to build up to 10 seconds in the 'flexed arm hang' position, then slowly lowering myself down. At the moment im cant for that full 10 seconds, but i am doing the 'slowly lowering' bit. Ive also started to build more bicep exercises into my routine, and am going to work on improving my 'lat pull downs'

Ive also been doing 30 minutes on the Treadmill (5 min walking/20 min runnning/5 min walking) because, as it says in the above article...

"If you are 10 to 20 pounds overweight, it can seriously affect your ability to do any pull-ups."

And on that bombshell, I think its time for a few stats...
Im 6'1 and currently weigh 193 pounds. When first decided to stop eating chocolate & pies, and drinking beer on a daily basis, and join a gym (a month ago today) i weighed 205 pounds - so im pretty pleased with my progress so far :)
Im going to take some photos, so you can see the damage!!

Sky Wine...

Ive started to become a bit obsessed by the colour of my piss!! Or more precisely, ive become a bit obsessed with drinking lots and lots of water.

Ive had loads of problems in the past with my kidneys, mainly due to dehydration. Whenever we go on holiday i always drink tons of water during the day to counteract all the beer/red wine i know im going to be drinking on an evening. (Aching kidneys every morning for a fortnight isn’t good!) But for some reason, when ever i get home, i stop drinking water!

However, for the past 3 weeks, ive been drinking at least 12 glasses a day, and to be honest, its really made a difference to my general wellbeing. At first i was running to the toilet every 10 minutes, but my bladder has got used to the extra liquid now and im able to go on car journeys over 15 miles again:) I’ve hardly had a single headache during this time (which, for someone who spends the vast majority of his waking life in front of a PC, is quite good) and i don’t feel anyway near as tired as i used to. Mrs Zym tells me that my skin looks a lot healthier too!

I also know now that drinking water is essential for building muscle, increasing energy, and for lubricating joints. - Drinking water for health

Oh yes, and at the moment it’s as clear as a mountain stream ;)

You're in the army now...

U.S. Marines Physical Requirements for Men (Ages 27-39)
Minimum performance level:
Pull-ups - 3
Sit-ups(one minute) - 35
3 mile run - 35 mins
Superior performance level:
Pull-ups - 20
Sit-ups(one minute) - 80
3 mile run - 18 mins

USAF Candidate Fitness Test Data for Men
Minimum performance level:
Pull-ups – 4
Sit-ups(two minutes) - 49
Push-up(two minutes) - 24
300-yard Shuttle Run - 65 secs*
Average performance level:
Pull ups - 10
Sit-ups(two minutes) - 69
Push-up(two minutes) - 41
300-yard Shuttle Run - 60 secs*

*maximum time limit

I find it strange that you have to be able to do more Pullups to join the air force than you do to join the US Marines!

Gathering Knowledge...

In the best tradition of a BBC Radio 4 listener i have decide to embark on my challenge, not by heading to the gym to practice Pull Ups, but by reading about them!

Ive ordered a copy of Weight Training for Dummies from amazon, and have started searching the internet for helpful advice.

As i find web pages of interest i'll start posting them in the links. I dare say some of the information is going to be contradictory, but it would be nice to build them up.

I found this page from a link in the menshealth forum, its from a 48 year old guy called 'ZEB' on the 'Testosterone Nation' (scarey title!) forum..

ZEB On Chin-Ups

The general consensus seems to be that 'Negative Pull Ups' are the best way to train. Unfortunately, there isnt a Pull Up Bar at the gym im currently going to (i'll be changing in a month) but there is an assisted Pull Up machine. Ive never used it, and ive never seen anyone else use it!

No gym tonight

Ive decided not to go to the gym tonight. I went 4 times last week (mon/tues & thurs/Fri) and then yesterday. Although im enjoying it, i do think that im in danger of over doing it.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa81.htm

I did my upper body routine on the machines yesterday, then ran a 30 minute cross country track on the treadmill. I hurt today (mainly, my right calf muscle), and I dont think its good for me to be doing that every day.

When i go to the gym tomorrow i plan to get two new rountines worked out, one upper body, and one lower body - so i can carry on going 4 times a week, but vary the excerises im doing. Im enjoying the cardio, so i need to learn to strike a balance on that, too.

The Challenge has been set!!

Let me explain, My mate Rob and I are attempting to loose weight/get into shape/build muscle. I dont think i would be offending anyone if i said that we were both a bit lardy!!

I think that its a good idea to have a goal in mind when trying to achieve something like this, and in order to motivate us both, i have issued the following challenge...

A competiton to be the first person to supply video evidence of themselves performing 10 pull ups!

The prize for this has yet to be decided?

Ive set up this blog to help research the best way to train for Pull Ups, and also record my training and my progress towards achieving this goal. I may also post a few photos showing weight loss/muscle gain