My First Chin Up
A memory that I hold so near and dear to my heart is when I got my first chin up on May 28, 2019. The feeling was and still is to this day blissful.
When you want something so bad and put in the work. Then it happens. Wow. I kid you not. The journey started late January 2019. And week after week for 4 months, practiced chin ups every SINGLE week. I was a bit in shock that it actually happened. It did not hit me what I did till that evening. Then later that week I got two chin ups in a row.
The only other person who shared in this accomplishment and shared in my joy was Coach Abel . The amount of joy he had was unmatched even by me. It really meant a lot to me how much my coach invested and believed in me. We did this together.
I did not stop there just because I was able to get one. I continue to practice chin ups week after week. And present day I can now get 5 chin ups. Next goal is 6 and beyond!
Background
My first attempt at a chin up was on May 28, 2018 at home. It did not work out so well. Truthfully I gave up. I always wanted to try this. It just seemed like to me the epitome of strength and physical fitness. Especially for someone like myself who was coming back from a back injury (L5-S1). I tried this on my own at home. I bought the bar and the straps. What happened? I tried it and it was hard. I got scared. I got DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) so bad, my arms were bent and I couldn’t straighten them for a week. I just said I can’t do this. Then exactly a year to the day. I get my first chin up.
What Did I Do? How Did We Train?
Dead Hangs (I did these at home twice a week. This was my homework)
Cable face pulls
Lat pull downs
Eccentrics
My Chin Up Journey through Video
May 28, 2018 My First Attempt at a Chin Up at home
April 13, 2019 Band Assisted Eccentric Chin Ups
April 21, 2019 Unassisted Elevated Eccentric Chips
April 28, 2019 Unassisted Eccentric Chin Ups
May 2, 2019 Chin Up Progression Update
May 18, 2019 A sign that we were close
May 28, 2019 My First Chin Up
June 1, 2019 Two Chin Ups in a Row
June 6, 2019 Hotel Chin Up Practice
February 2, 2020 My First 3 Clean Chin Ups
What I have learned
Nothing is impossible. You have a goal. Put in the work. Results will come.
Patience is key.
Be kind to yourself. Abel talked me off the ledge many times when I would beat myself up over my performance.
Stay consistent.
Have fun.
Conclusion
My advice is simple. There is no magic formula. Show up every week. Put in the work. Results will come. Patience and Consistency > Perfection.
I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish. I am so proud of where I am today.
I am looking forward to the work I will continue to put in towards this goal and others I have set for myself.
I hope that sharing my personal experience can aide in your own personal journeys as you continue to work on your own personal fitness and nutrition goals.
If you have any questions, comments and/or want to discuss further please contact me. I would love to chat.
xoxoxo,
Jess
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
