Newbie on board!

[Gemini-Tiger]

Hey All - just checking in with the newbie introduction.
I've been involved in fitness for the better part of my life and have been attempting to get my diet and routine squared away in the past couple of years - it's been a great journey.
I'm here for education - then to determine IF at the point where my due diligence has yielded all the results that it can, if gear is for me.

While I'm definitely eager to jump into gear, I'm realistic/mature enough to realize that I am not ready, not am I educated enough about it. So in the meantime, I plan to get my diet in order - get my bodyfat (what I believe to be the ideal area) in the 8-12% zone...and then re-evaluate. I don't want short-cuts.

Glad to be aboard!

[Times Roman]

Good decision mate, and welcome aboard!

btw... it is customary in here to post your stats so people know where you are at.

[Matt]

Welcome.

Please take the time to read the board rules..

Please give all stats when asking quetions in the questions and answer forum.

Stats consist of:

Age
Height
Weight
Bf%
Cycle history
Years training

Also please take the time to read all the educational threads in the q&a forum as most questions can be answered with alittle reading...

Matt...

[sprinter911]

Welcome!

[gbrice75]

Welcome to the board!

[HawaiianPride.]

Welcome GT. Great introduction.

[Xtralarg]

Welcome to AR

[MaNiCC]

Welcome to Ar

Glad to have you here

[Gemini-Tiger]

Good decision mate, and welcome aboard!

btw... it is customary in here to post your stats so people know where you are at.

Here are my current stats - I've been leaning down my diet over the past month and I've already dropped 3lbs...prolly just from soda alone!

ht: 5'8"
current wgt: 175lb
body fat: 24% using a weight/body fat digital scale. I don't think it's accurate - I have some caliper's that I will do a multi-point test and report the number from that - but for the time being, that's what it says it is.

I think the best indicator of where I'm at and where I can improve is shown with pics, so here's a few that show my strength areas:


This picture was taken while I was on a pretty heavy dosing of creatine, so I have since lost alot of the water that I think makes up my bulk in this picture.




Legs have been one of my problem spots - so I've been trying to give them special attention.




I feel like this image illustrates my major challenge area - my lower mid section. All my excess fat seems to be carried there and this is my first motivation for clean eating. It's driving me NUTS!

Ok, so that may give you guys a clearer picture of what I'm working with - again, I don't expect miracle transformation - but I am definitely interested in learning more about gear and how it can benefit me WHEN I'm ready for it (and not a day sooner).

Thanks for the greetings - this place rocks already!

[Vettester]

Welcome to the site. Plenty of information and experience to help you make the right choices. Good luck!