Struggling with Pull Ups: Part 2
It’s been two months since I wrote an article on struggling with pull ups. That seemed to be my one life long fitness challenge that I just couldn’t seem to meet. I’ve run miles, jumped off towers, climbed walls, and even survived several rounds of the 92 minute P90X Yoga X in all of its glory, but I just couldn’t seem to pull myself unassisted to the top of a chin up bar.
I found every reason why I couldn’t do it. I was carrying a little extra weight. Hmmm. I wasn’t overweight in the Air Force but couldn’t do them then. I’m a woman, and we don’t have natural upper body strength. In addition, unlike our male counterparts, we’re weighted on the bottom like a bouy! Everytime I did a P90X workout that had pull ups in the workout, I wanted to do one…just one little pull up. I wanted to be strong enough, determined enough.
I started visualizing myself pulling my body closer to the bar. Then, I’d try it and fail. I’d try visualizing myself over the bar. I’d try it and fail. I kept trying because I knew from great scientists, athletes, and leaders that success comes from many failures.
I’m writing this article as a follow up to my struggles with pull ups back in May. I let go of the struggle for a few weeks, but I kept seeing myself above the bar in my mind’s eye. I kept strengthening my core and upper body through Slim in 6. Then, I tried a chin up last week. I made it half way to the bar….another failure. It was a failure for sure, but it was a success in my struggle.
I made it half way to the bar. My arms were at a 90 degree angle as they held me suspended in mid-air. I walked away knowing that the next time I tried, I’d see the top of the bar. Today was the day. I passed by the doorway that holds my chin up bar. I knew today was the day. I grasped the bar and pulled myself past the half way point to the top and over the bar. The thrill I felt was incredible.
It was incredible because I’d set a goal for myself. I visualized the end result, took action and achieved what I’d previously thought impossible. Now, I know that there’s a difference between a pull up and a chin up. Afterall, aren’t chin ups the easy version of pull ups? My answer to that is you’ve got to start somewhere. I learned to crawl and stand before I learned to walk or run.
My new goal is to do two chin ups, then three, then four….until I reach seven or eight or ten. Then, I’m going to turn my hands the other way and do standard pull ups, narrow grip pull ups, and wide grip pull ups. I’m doing this for myself. It’s not just about fitness. It’s about seeing where you want to go and finding a way to get there.
What’s your fitness challenge? Set a small goal and celebrate small successes that get you closer to that goal. Never lose sight of your goal. Create a vision of the end result. Take action. Step away from it when you need a break. Go back to it when you catch your breath.
Still Struggling with Pull Ups
What a beautiful day! It was sunny in Virginia – one of those days where you just want to get out and do something. So, I got out of bed early and ate a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts. I’ve found that to be one of the best combinations for giving me sustained energy in the morning. After discussing a few options with my partner over a cup of coffee, we decided to take our dogs for a walk and then, ride our motorcycles over to the gym for a workout.
Today was supposed to be my Beachbody P90X Chest and Back workout. I wanted to do a varied version of it at the YMCA though because I still cannot do pull ups. I used the assisted pull up station at the gym and was able to get a good burn throughout my back. Tony Horton, the trainer in the P90X Extreme Home Fitness DVDs program, demonstrates how to use resistance bands to simulate pull ups and how to use a chair for assisted pull ups. I’ve been working on these techniques, but many women just have trouble getting up over the bar.
I found an interesting article last month in Women’s Health Magazine. It was a four step article on how to do a pull up by doing things like increasing the amount of time you can keep your chin above the bar in a static hold and doing pull up negatives. Negatives are when you start above the bar and slowly lower your body down to keep tension on your back muscles. I tried these techniques, but I think I get the most work on my back when I use the assisted pull up machine at the gym.
Why is it that women have such difficulty with pull ups? Even as our upper body strength increases, we still seem to struggle with pulling our body weight above the bar. I’ve theorized that it is because most of us store our body weight between our knees and our belly button. This centers our weight at the bottom and may affect our lifting leverage. Ok, that’s my theory. Someday, I hope to conquer this thing called pull ups…even if it’s just one.
After the gym, we were incredibly hungry. We stopped at a local restaurant to have a delicious dish – Mango Talpia. If you haven’t tried it – wow! It was nice to have a healthy meal out. We spent the rest of the day riding along the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg, Virginia. It’s really pretty this time of year.
Tonight, I plan on doing P90X Yoga X. I feel like I need a good stretch after the chest and back workout, especially after spending so much time working on pull ups. I can do most of the Yoga X routine, but I still struggle with the advanced moves. It’s really cool to see how far I’ve come in 60 days though. In the beginning, I never dreamed I’d be able to complete P90X Yoga X Dvd. The first time I did it, I had to turn it off after about thirty minutes. Now, it’s one of my favorite programs because I kept pressing play.
Oh, I’ve got to squeeze in P90X Ab Ripper X sometime this evening. I saved this one for home because I knew there was no way I could get the abs burn at the gym like I get using my Ab Ripper X Dvd.
taking advantage of every opportunity to reach your fitness goals.
