In September, 2013, I started working out with a trainer. I was about to retire from roller derby and I knew I wanted to start weight lifting. Playing derby made me feel like a bad ass and helped me get more fit, but not as fit as I wanted to be.
The first time we met, she asked me about my goals. Since I knew literally nothing about what I was getting into, I said that I didn’t know. She said that one of her goals was to do a pull-up. I thought that sounded like a good goal. I was turning 40 a year and a half later. So I said,
I want to do a pull up by the time I’m 40.
At our first session, she had me get on the assisted pull up machine. She set it at the highest amount of assistance and asked me to do 10.
I did 6. And I struggled to get those 6.
I thought 18 months was a logical amount of time to meet a muscle building goal. I did some research. I worked out, I lifted weights, I practiced pull ups.
I mentioned this goal on the internet. Someone I know said not to get my hopes up- that her trainer couldn’t even do a pull up. She probably doesn’t remember saying this. But I remember it. And I remember thinking it was really f-ing rude.
And while, according to the assisted pull up machine, I was making progress, I was not doing a pull up on my own.
In 2015, my 40th birthday came and went. I did not do a pull up.
In 2015, September came and went. Still didn’t do one.
In 2016, for the 3rd year in a row, I put on my list of goals that I would do a pull up by the end of the year. On that list of goals in 2015, it was the only goal I did not attain.
In setting my goals for 2016, I set some really big fitness related goals. In March, I had a realization. It was the only 2015 goal I did not attain. Looking at my 2016 goals, there are some there that it is distinctly possible that I will not attain. I’m aiming for a 37.5% increase in my deadlift. A 38% increase in my squat. An 80% increase in kipping pull ups I can string together- yes, I want to go from 1 to 5.
And a 100% increase in strict pull ups. From zero to 1. Again.
In 2015, I was setting goals with 15-20% increases. And I attained those goals in March and April.
In response, I set crazy aggressive goals this year. In my head, as I was picking numbers, I was thinking that I didn’t want to accomplishing anything on my list until June.
I started wondering if I was one of those people who would never ever get a pull-up. Maybe that person who told me not to get my hopes up was right.
I realized- just in March- that I had completely sabotaged myself when it came to attaining the pull-up goal. I jumped from training plan to training plan, never really committing to a consistent plan. Mainly because I didn’t see progress.
And just like all fitness advice, everyone has a different opinion. Don’t use bands, use bands. Don’t do negatives, do negatives. Don’t do kipping, do kipping.
I decided to do a plan in addition to any pull-up work that was programmed at CrossFit. I found a plan that I really liked- and mainly, that I thought was aggressive but do-able. If you want to see it, you can find it here.
I also started nutritional coaching for fat loss with Stephanie at Strong Figure because in order to lift my body up, it would help if it were a little lighter in the process.
After 6 weeks, I decided to change pull-up plans. That’s not really skipping from plan to plan, that’s deciding that this might be working, but it might not, and I can always come back to it. So I started doing a 21 day plan by Sean Flanagan and Rolando Real (find them on facebook, they’re pretty cool.) Skipping from plan to plan is doing a new one every 2-3 weeks.
For nearly 3 months I worked on pull ups every single day.
I didn’t try to do one every day. I was tired of failing. But I worked on them.
But May 23, 2016- 2 years and 8 months after I started trying- I got a strict pull up.
I learned a lot in the process. So much. And you probably know these things, but I’m going to tell you about them anyway. I knew them, but I needed to learn them in practice so that I could know KNOW them.
- It’s ok to fail. This seems obvious, but I don’t love doing something that I’m constantly failing at accomplishing.
- It’s stupid hard to do one of something. When you can measure something part way- trying to move from a 10 minute mile to a 9 minute mile, for examples- it’s so much easier. Not that running is easier. But it’s a lot easier to see incremental progress.
- It’s not a journey if you’re not traveling. Laying down in the road because the roadblock is too big is a stupid way to end the journey. Either chip away at the roadblock, or leave the damn road.
- Consistency pays off- even if you’re not seeing measurable progress. You will eventually.
- Successful people seek feedback. Asking my coaches for help has pointed out specific mechanical problems with the way I’m trying to do pull-ups and has moved me toward being more successful with that pull up. And after I announced I had gotten a pull-up on Facebook, one coach was one of the first ones to like it, and another one asked me to show him the next time I saw him in the gym.
- Surround yourself with people who push you toward your goal. Again, obvious, right? But we need encouragement. If your progress is unnoticeable to those around you because they don’t notice you, it’s hard to keep going. When I was working on these pull-ups, I would go a little before class and stay a little after class to work on them. One coach was always saying, “You’re so close!” If you’re ever in or near Loveland, CO, come check out F.I.T. Loveland which is full of kick ass people who work there and work out there.
So that’s it. I have one goal (out of 6) accomplished at the end of May. I’m continuing to work on those pull-ups because it would be nice to have a few more before the end of the year, but it’s not my priority.
I’m coming for you, 275 pound deadlift. I really hope to see you in 2016 but it might be 2017.
Better Than a Sharp Stick In the Eye 