Chin-Up Check-In Mon 5.8

Sooooooooooooosan,

All I've done is alternate GS with my cardio/abs/yoga.

I might some days do abs or yoga with GS or might do the abs or yoga with cardio. I do 3 different types of cardio within the week - step, treadmill, kickbox. I've added in the chinup negatives and inverted rows with chest day and back day. Also with the GS legs every other week I've added (as if GS weren't enough) leg extensions and curls with my smith machine and abductor/adductor work with the low cable, but then would do the GS floorwork on a separate day.

Does it make any sense?

Will check back later, busy with school but later have to do those "things" we talk about in this thread.
 
Soooooooooooooosan,

I forgot to mention that I have Christi's Hi Lo Heaven too and really enjoy it. In fact, I have several of her workouts. I feel like I am at dance class when doing hers. I don't own any Yoga workouts and would like to get one. Do you have a favorite?

Joanne
 
>Kathryn...do you have a "favorite" recipe for rice milk? I
>found a bunch, but want the "best" (via internet). Thanks!
>
>Briee

Do mean for making rice milk? Or making something with rice milk? I buy my rice milk, so I'm no help there. But you can make nut or seed milk out of almost any raw nut or seed. Just soak overnight, rinse, then blend with a bunch of water (more water = thinner 'milk,' less water = thicker 'milk') and strain through cheesecloth (squeeze all the liquid 'milk' out. You can use the pulp as an ingredient for nut loafs or paté or burgers.
 
>I'm feeling very discouraged like I am never going to be able
>to chin ups. (I know HB-never say can't). But, when I first
>started to do push-ups, I could only do one or two and now I
>am up to 40. There was progress. I don't see any progress
>and I do work on them. Even the negs to a dead hang make my
>arms feel like they are going to break when I get to the
>bottom.

I sometimes feel discouraged, too. And sometimes wonder why in the (@!#Y&$@# I set a goal of 5 from a dead hang by the end of summer (that's mid-August, right!). Some days work better than others, but it's very dependant on where the 'hop up stool' is positioned and all sorts of other little things, it seems. But I'm plugging along. Please plug along with me! It's especially discouraging to read when other people do several sets of 10+ reps. But looking 'the other way,' most people (men included) can't even do one. At least I can do partial reps from a dead hang (1/3 or 1/2 ROM...whoo hooo!).

40 push-ups in a row? That's fabulous. If you can do that, you can surely do chin-ups...eventually!

I think a lot of doing or not doing them is psychological. We just have to tell ourselves, "Yes, I CAN!"

And, Joanne, yes YOU can!
 
>>I think a lot of doing or not doing them is psychological. We just have to tell ourselves, "Yes, I CAN!"

Kathryn, I think this is sooooooo right on!! It was not so long ago that I was not able to do one. I certainly can not pump out 10. I can do 3 in a row. But I am proud of that accomplishment and continue to work. You WILL do one and it will surprise you. Your persistence will pay off.

Joanne, 40 pushups awesome!!!

X, what an inspiring post!! Great for you, keep up the good work.

>>Will check back later, busy with school but later have to do those "things" we talk about in this thread.

Melody!!!!! These are not "things" they are life changing moments-LOL

Soooooooooooosan, how'd the assisted pullups go??? Hope your rhomboid is well.

Briee, I agree a plan is good. I feel like I am floundering since I finished P90x. Just picking this and that. And I am not working as hard on progressing with my chinups ;( ;( I will do legs and back tomorrow just to get in a few good sets!!

ETA: I did KPC today - love it. )note to self- put more air in stablitiy ball- hadn't used it in a while)

Catherine
 
Hey again! Back to report: I did 3 sets (4, 3, then 2 reps each) of assisted chin-ups at the Y, using 30 lbs of assistance. They are easier than negatives, but still hard (I tried to do more reps in each set but couldn't) and a good way to get back into it. I also did S&H L/S and KPC abs. Before my injury, I think I used 20 lbs of assistance, but I'm not sure. I think I'll stick w/these for a while and see how quickly (slowly?) I can shave off assisted weight.

Briee, six kids and S&H at midnight? When do you sleep? I live in the boonies too. Getting the Y here was a huge deal. Does your basement look like Cathe's gym? Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know because you didn't go on the road trip...}( }( (I'm so mean.)

X, you are doing SO great! Congratulations on your results. You'll be doing chin-ups in no time and then I'll have to add you to the list as well.

Melody, thanks for expanding on your rotation. It makes perfect sense. You and I have similar body types so I'm always interested to know what works for the likes of us. You mentioned earlier you were an instructor. Do you still teach and, if so, what?

Joanne, there were probably loads of chin-up bars at the park near A-Jock's. She just took them down before you all got there so she wouldn't be embarrassed that she couldn't do any.

I feel discouraged too but I know that, even if I never get there, I'll probably become a lot stronger for the effort and that's worth a lot. But FORTY push-ups - wow!! I'll be adding you to my list before you know it, then Kathryn and Melody, and then I'll be the only one in this check-in I'll be speaking to.:-( :p

My favorite power yoga DVD's are:

Eoin Finn - Power Yoga for Happiness
Bryan Kest - 1995 Power Yoga Series: Energize, Tone & Sweat
P90X - Yoga X
Baron Baptiste - Putting Postures to Your Prayers (CD) and Soul of Strength (DVD).

For post-workout yoga stretches I like:

Yoga Journal's Yoga for Flexibility (Patricia Walden 1992)
Yoga X - second half (current fave for post workout stretches)
Sonic Yoga Turbo Flow's "Dissolve" segment (I don't care for the rest - way too fast).

Have you done yoga before? For fit Cathe-ites who are new to yoga, I recommend the above Eoin Finn DVD because it has four premixes and shows a variety of levels for most of the poses, but is still not too easy.

Kathryn, thanks for the motivating post!:)
 
Yes, let's stop that negative stop right this minute, Missy! Of course you will be able to do chin-ups - I didn't do any till I was 55. And how old might you be? I rest my case!

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Mark Twain ;-)
 
Hi everyone. I swear I've read all the posts but my brain will not stay in "drive" for anything today (in other words I don't truly remember a dang thing I read).

After warm up I did chinup negatives: 2 sets slow 10 ct down, 1 set slow 8 ct down, 1 set hold at top for 8 ct - hold 1/2-way down for 3ct and from there slowly down 2 ct. Don't ask why I did this, I don't know.:p Then after GS CT I did inverted rows 2 sets of 10 reps overhand wide grip and 1 set of 10 reps underhand narrow grip.

I think I'm tired.

Honestly, you women are awesome and I am so humbled (and weak). But I am not allowed to say "I will never to a chinup or pullup".

Have a good night.
 
>Oh, and BTW, Kathryn, the end of summer is September 20th.}(
>

Oh, that takes some pressure off
;-) .

Yesterday (Tuesday) was weight day, which means "chin-up attempt day" as well. Before doing P90X Shoulders and Arms (I LOOOOVE this workout!) I did my chin-ups for the day.

I tried the band approach, and had some trouble figuring it out. I have a 6' heavy band, but I couldn't figure out how to safely get my knee on it and actually get up to it, so I kind of straddled it by putting my leg over it, so it was under my upper leg. I tried a pull-up with it, because wrapping it 'backwards' around the bar and holding on that way seemed even more awkward, and was able to do one, but in the meantime, the band had twisted, and didn't feel so good digging into the back of my leg. I readjusted and decided to continue with pull-ups. I did 5 total. After the first one, I got 2 at 3/4 ROM, one at 1/2 ROM and 2 at 1/3 rom, each with a hold of 2 at the top and a sloooow negative (count of 10 on the way down). I'll still have to play with it a bit.
 
Melody>"I truly don't remember a dang thing I read"

This is greatly encouraging to me. For the last 3 days, I've been in a continual state of "this". My children sometimes call me - Dory - from Finding Nemo.

Soosan....Yes I'm sure my basement looks EXACTLY like Cathe's gym,#$%^&*&^%%$###. Did I ever mention that when I was young...I could do 18 pullups. (I was one of those scrawny kids that Melody currently has - but something happened - I think it was puberty).

>"AJ removed the pullup bars" I'm sure you are exactly right regarding the park - AJ probably removed them....and when she reads this she quite possibly could kick both our butts in one day.}( }( }(

Joanne....Amadeus was there?????? Oh I miss her soooooo much. My ecto buddy. Please tell her hi if you see her again and tell her I learned to do chinups and I want her to come join me!! PLEASE!

You guys - don't get discouraged. This is a major challenge and keep doing those negatives. They really will help. My big challenge was to build my shoulders and it has literally taken me years to just begin to see them grow a tad. Some things take time. Keep at it. Soosan...keep using that assisted pullup machine - it sounds really cool!!!!

Briee (I'm in day three of the dairy/meat cleansing process and boy do I need a donut) My energy level is zilch and I think I could do 1/2 a chinup if that right now - Soosan this should make you happy x( x( x(
 
Kathryn...I'm trying to picture this...sounds kind of pretzel like.

Sorry you had so much trouble. I think your bar must be way higher than mine and thus it's tougher to get up to the bar to begin. If your band is hanging from the bar, put your step up so you are at the level to grasp bar with both hands. Then pull down the band and hook it over your left knee so it stays around your ankle area. To be honest...I step in my band and it hooks in the notch of my shoes and that's how I weighed myself in the band. Now this could be problematic if the band should snap out and quite possibly take off my nose on the recoil, but I haven't had it happen thus far.

On a funny note. My 3 year old was standing "in the band" and it snapped to her backside giving her quite the nip in the tush. (I secretly chuckled as she had hit me in the head with a 5# weight while I was laying down and stretching the other day - kind of a "justice shall be done" thing goin on there)}( }( I am a bad mom!!
 
> If your band is hanging from the bar, put your step up
>so you are at the level to grasp bar with both hands. Then
>pull down the band and hook it over your left knee so it stays
>around your ankle area.

But I only have 2 hands: how do you hold the band onto the bar and pull it down to hook over your foot at the same time? That's the part I'm having most problems with. Or do you use a resistance cord with handles, and hook the handles over the ends of the bar? (Hmmmm....even if not, I might try that!)
 
Oh my...what a communication gap. Did I leave that part out. I hook the bands on either end of the bar. I DON'T HOLD THEM UP WITH MY HANDS. VERY important part. Mine have two hooks at the end and I hook each end over itself and then secure it to itself. If you stand back from the bar...you will see your resistance band hanging in the shape of a U from your bar. Hooking the handles over the ends would work on the same principle, but my bar won't let me do this (only donuts will work that way).

Soooooo, you can hold on with your two hands while standing on the step. Let go with one hand and hook the band over your knee to about the place where your ankle is. Again, I like to hook it over my feet in the notch that is in my Ryka's. Then grap the bar again with your hand and kick the step out of the way or just bend your knee so you can't touch it....because that would be CHEATING. The band of course is NOT cheating as it is intentional :7 :7 :7

Hope this works and you don't kill yourself.

Briee:
 
I'm copying the below from the post in the Weds 05/10 thread since everyone is still here (except me and Joanne):)

See below - I'm confused.


HI Joanne

Hi everyone who's still in the 05/08 thread.

I'm getting confused by all the bands, stools, chairs etc. I don't know anymore how anyone is doing what they're doing. I totally no longer know what is the best method to work up to the "real thing".



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH

HELP
 
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