Go grrrrrrl!

I am now able to do FIVE full, proper ‘big girl’ pull-ups (as Krista calls them). That’s 2, then 3 more with a 30 second rest between each of the last three. I superset my pull-ups with a leg exercise to get some PHA happening. The second set of pull-ups uses the eccentric contraction and requires quite a bit of focus. I jump up so that my chin is above the bar then lower myself slowly over 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds and do it again. Usually I get through 4 or 5 of those before reaching the point that I just can’t hold my bodyweight anymore. The last set of pull-ups is 12 assisted.

Using a stopwatch to time sets and rests is the key to making an at home workout feel like a session with a PT. I had a long think about why my self-trained sessions just didn’t feel as intense as when I’m working with someone else. It came down to this. At home I can get distracted, I stare dreamily into space for minutes between exercises. I wander off between sets to check on dinner, feed the cat or because I heard a ‘bing’ that indicates ‘you’ve got mail’. I rest just a little bit longer and I wuss out earlier when I’m reaching my limit. I’ve had to get it together. When I’m training, that’s all that’s going on and there is a plan to stick to. Progression is the goal and that stopwatch tells me when it’s time to get on with the next set. I’m organised – I’ve got my water bottle, my towel and my lifting gloves, just as if I was at the gym. Nothing else matters except training with focus. It’s the way to get a fully satisfying training experience, a transcendental training session. Who needs meditation when there are pull-ups to create a ‘moving beyond ones limits’ opportunity?

I guess it all comes down to:
*Train like someone's watching you*