Putting this up so that I can track my progress and so that you can comment on anything.

So I haven't been able to run as much as I would like to in the past 3 months or so because my left calf has been really hurting during/after I run. Saw a doc about it and she basically told me to go see a physiotherapist with a plan she wrote and I did the math and it would have cost me about 1k to go through all those sessions. Rested the leg for a few weeks, now I've ran maybe 5 times with no pain, maybe just slight pain afterwards but nothing close to what it was previously. Hopefully I didn't jinx myself here, but it looks really promising.

I'm by no means fat but I'm still not happy the way I look. Never had visible abs so that's something I want to achieve at some point, thinking that should come with these other goals. I have had a pretty good diet for about 6 months now, it's just that my training hasn't been nearly as consistent.

Kind of interested on how should I approach the 20 pull-ups? Just 3-5 sets 3 times a week and add some weight at some point or what?

Starting point:
I can run 8 km pretty easily, never ran more than 13 km I think
Haven't done chin-ups in forever but today I tried after like 4 km of running and managed 4 lol, I don't think I've ever done more than 10

Immediate goals/things to keep in mind:
1-2 cheat meals a week
Enough sleep
Get that chin-up bar
Get better running clothes

Goals by the end of the month:
A week with three over 10 km runs
10 chin-ups

Long(ish) term goals:
Run a half-marathon
20 chin-ups
Visible abs

This post has been edited by Norse on Fri - May 2 2014 - 12:53:35

for pull-ups i have found that every other day to just try to do real unassisted pull ups. do as many sets as possible until you can't do them any more. soon you will be able to do more and more. it helps if you have a pull-up bar in your apartment or house so that you can do a couple every time you go to the kitchen or bathroom or whatever

Alrighty.
Bought a bar today, it came with a pair of rubber screwable things that go inside the bar and a pair of steel "cups" that go around the bar to hold it in place. Apparently the rubber ones should be used if I wanted to attach it on the lower part of the door frame for sit-ups or something. Used the rubber ones anyways because my door frame already had a hole on each side of it and the steel cup thing would require two holes per side and I don't think I'm allowed to drill any extra holes here. Hopefully it doesn't fall.

Or maybe I should just attach it with the steel cups with just one screw per side.

It's definitely nice to have it though, it's like a constant reminder of what I need to do and like you said, I can do a few pull-ups here and there whenever I go past it.

Cool, the other holder thingy broke already.

gz gl
consider lifting
nutrition questions, AMA

Thanks, will consider. Probably know next week if I'll have a summer job, if I won't then I'll be financially kinda screwed and gyms ain't cheap here. Whole life is kind of in a puzzling phase, I have no idea where I'm at in a few months.
Also calf pain is back, will rest a few days and see if it's better if I run without my knee-cap protector thingy.

Euh euh euh this didn't start too well. I'll be busy with work + exams for the next month or so, the last exam is on 18th June but the most stressful weeks are the two ahead of me right now. I'm walking 4-5 hours per work day, don't have work every day though. Also the calf pain is still reminding me of its presence every now and then even if I haven't ran in a week or so.
Proal get to try out how running feels during the weekend.

This post has been edited by Norse on Tue - May 13 2014 - 00:31:08

Been trying running during summer but it's the same story as always. First few days are fine (monday and wednesday for example) but can't run on the third (friday) because of the calf pain. Tried running without my knee protector but it hurts anyways. I guess I could try buying new running shoes (even if these are almost brand new) but I'm not sure that would fix it. Sometimes get that pain just from cycling a steep hill or walking a lot.

It's really bugging me because running is like one of the few things I can do with this knee and enjoy doing it. And I'm eating healthy, cheat meal or two per week and it all feels kinda pointless when you don't do any physical exercise apart from some bodyweight stuff at home.

/endrant

E: Also moving to a new city in a few weeks, hopefully get some sort of job for the evenings/weekends there so I could afford gym or some other hobby.

This post has been edited by Norse on Thu - Jul 31 2014 - 10:30:13

I'm taking up on this offer if it's still on the table.

So uhh, I don't have a lot of money right now and the gyms are kinda expensive here so I can't eat like salmon every day but I guess I can get my protein from eggs, dairy, bacon, tuna and stuff like that. What else should I know? I'm around 70 kg right now (1.82 m tall) with little muscle mass so I want to bulk up. I'm eating a lunch at uni on weekdays that is loaded with carbs and should be around ~1000 kcal if I get a full plate of food, full plate of salad and a few slices of bread. I'm usually eating oatmeal and a banana in the morning but I guess I could throw something more in there.

Also, what kind of protein powder should I get (if at all)? And what kind of program would you suggest for a beginner? Starting Strength? Will proal check out the local gym at the beginning of next month.

hey friend,

greek yogurt is great for prots -- i like to mix plain flavor with honey and cinnamon but it basically blends with anything

1.82m / 70kg is hungry skeleton mode so i would suggest eating everything you see with little regard for calories
i like to follow a general rule of ~2g protein per kg bodyweight

you are primed to make gains for sure, as long as you can eat enough
find a gym with a power rack / squat rack
starting strength is definitely recommended, i wish i would have done it myself
here is 3rd edition i would read this cover to cover http://www.desolatecarnage.net/gary/ss3.pdf
you cannot go wrong doing this program and eating in a caloric surplus
you will make gains every workout for at least 3-4 months

any questions let me know

Alrighty thanks! Will have to read it when I don't have too much to read for uni lol.

I've been actually developing stress out of this whole thing even though it should be all just positive. I probably sound like a big baby and a huge faggot, but here goes. On the other hand, I really want to get out of King Leoric mode but on the other hand I feel really anxious and guilty about this.

I tried going to the gym back in high school and due to lack of proper program and nutrition, I didn't really get any gains. Meanwhile my friend who I went to gym with got nice gains from GOMAD and other stuff like that. He obviously took it more seriously than me and I was just kind of ashamed of telling people that I've been going to the gym when I obviously didn't look like it. Other anxiety-inducing things are the fact that I would be going alone so I'm kinda scared of failing a babby weight rep on bench (like I would the last time I went to the gym) or busting my shitty knee while squatting (well a friend wouldn't help there) or something like that. I know these are somewhat irrational thoughts.

Guilt comes from the fact that I actually can't afford going to the gym. I would pay it out of a student loan and obviously I would have to eat a lot more so I would have to add that up to the monthly cost as well. Feels like this gym thing is just something extra that I don't really need to do. I'm also cycling just under 10 km a day just to go to uni and back so I guess that means I should eat even more. If I got a job, I wouldn't have time for gym because uni stuff takes a bunch of time as well and just commuting from the middle of nowhere takes some time. One might argue that you can't put a price on feeling good and being healthy, but the nearby gym costs 54 euros a month for a student (straight-up robbery m8) and after rent I have like 230 euros per month left to spend for food and well, everything. Anything exceeding that would have to be taken as a loan.

I don't know if I should get a job, save up to go to gym for a few months with proper diet and then get a summer job and go to the gym or stop being a bitch and enter the realm of student loans.

sounds like you have a few decisions and priorities to get in order m8
i understand your apprehension about looking DYEL in the gym, all i can really say is youre going to have to get over it (if you havent already)

everyone starts somewhere
if you are serious about making gains then you'll make time and make it a priority

Sounds smart. I'll have a look at Starting Strength this weekend and proal check the gym out on Monday or Wednesday. It's mostly for old people I think but any gym should have a squat rack, bench and some dumbbells, right. And uhh yeah, what is your take on protein powder? What kind should I get?

I have some dietary ideas. For breakfast probably oatmeal, coffee, water, a few eggs, and a banana. Lunch is at uni, dinner probably chicken/some type of meat with potatoes, rice or pasta and veggies. Last meal of the day could be like 250 g of quark (which is 10 grams of protein per 100 grams) and a peanut butter sandwich, maybe some fruit. For snacking I could eat more quark or Greek/Turkish yoghurt.

This post has been edited by Norse on Sat - Nov 1 2014 - 08:00:40

Scratch the Monday/Wednesday, have an exam on Wednesday and didn't realize SS is that long of a book lol. I've only read a bit about squatting so far. Also should proal make some tentative calculations regarding how much money I would have to spend for eating properly.

Also been thinking of taking a swimming technique class in January if this gym thing turns out to be too expensive. Would still be a hungry skelly but I really need some sports hobby to feel better and more energetic. Because of my knee the options are very limited: gym, skiing, swimming, walking or cycling, maybe some martial arts that don't involve a lot of kicking. I hate skiing and you can only do that for a few months in a year, walking is the most boring thing ever and I already cycle ~10 km daily.

Also trying to keep an eye out for some cleaner's jobs for the weekends.