Wanted to write a note but I guess this warrants a proper post since I’ve completed my main aspiration for 2024!
Today while trying our home pull-up bar I realised I could lift myself halfway without a resistance band, so I called my partner over to take a progress video. I made another attempt while she filmed, and managed to hoist myself over the bar this time!
I know this isn’t considered a strict pull-up – I did not start from a dead hang – I made a tiny unconscious leap to hang below the bar before lifting my head and chin above the bar.
Someone mentioned that this is a negative pull-up, but I couldn’t do negative pull-ups even if I wanted to without a stool. That’s because I am simply cannot leap high enough to get my head above the bar to perform a negative. When I started on this pull-up journey I tried to do negatives but failed. So I bought resistance bands instead, starting from the thickest at 45kg. I couldn’t lift myself even with the 45kg (my actual weight is a few kg above), so I had to combine the 45kg and 25kg ones.
There are people who are anti-resistance bands when it comes to learning how to do pull-ups, but I found them very useful in inspiring confidence and they allowed me to get the hang of it. I went from 70kg of resistance bands to 45kg (11 weeks ago) to 25kg (8 weeks ago) to 15kg (4 weeks ago) to finally 5kg just 4 days ago (journey on ig story). All this while I worked out at the gym at least twice a week, but had pauses when we travelled, got sick, or had a vaccine. My first strength training session was on the 23rd of October 2023, so it took me almost 7 months to get this far.
Strict pull-up or not – all I know is I couldn’t do this movement even with the help of the bands, so it feels like a big accomplishment. I’ll work on a strict pull-up next. I don’t even know if I can repeat this tomorrow.
Also, please pardon my pyjamas. I wasn’t expecting my first pull-up at all.