Yesterday was my first time working through an exercise routine my trainer assigned to me on the days I wasn't training with her. Today on the list was back, core, and bicep exercises. And to my horror, the routine involved pull-ups.
Excuse me? I need to fire my trainer.
No, just kidding, my trainer is fabulous, but STILL!
I haven't seen a pull-up bar since the 8th grade. That's, like, 20 years ago. Immediately my memory flashed back to a the embarrassment of being the dorky kid who had to get boosted up to the bar because I was too short to reach it...and then was basically left holding on and hanging there like a string bean because I can't do a pull up to save my life. In front of everyone in the class. With a teacher telling me to just try and do one.
I will never make a friendship bracelet for that darn pull-up bar.
However, thankfully, the routine allowed me to use the assisted pull up machine which meant I could leverage the machine in such a way where I was boosted up from the bottom with each pull-up. Basically, the machine was made for beginners like me slowly trying to build up strength.
I can't even begin to tell you how tempting it was just to skip that exercise on the list. I'm so good at making excuses for myself, it's not even funny. Because really, no one would know, not my friends, my husband, my family, no one at the gym, not even my trainer, right?
However.....dun-dun-dun......I would know.
I would know what I skipped. I would know I let a lame excuse get in the way. I would know I actually took one step backwards from a a challenge that could grow and test me.
I would know. And if I dug down deep, truthfully, I wasn't ok with it. Didn't I take on this health challenge for a reason?
Maybe it was the "Eye of the Tiger" song running through my head. Maybe it was a split second of dork-gone-wild as I imagined myself running up those steps in Philly. Whatever it was, up on the machine I went, 3 reps of 12 as instructed....and done.
Again, not my favorite machine, but it's a health journey, so one day at a time.
Happy Tuesday!
Excuse me? I need to fire my trainer.
No, just kidding, my trainer is fabulous, but STILL!
I haven't seen a pull-up bar since the 8th grade. That's, like, 20 years ago. Immediately my memory flashed back to a the embarrassment of being the dorky kid who had to get boosted up to the bar because I was too short to reach it...and then was basically left holding on and hanging there like a string bean because I can't do a pull up to save my life. In front of everyone in the class. With a teacher telling me to just try and do one.
I will never make a friendship bracelet for that darn pull-up bar.
However, thankfully, the routine allowed me to use the assisted pull up machine which meant I could leverage the machine in such a way where I was boosted up from the bottom with each pull-up. Basically, the machine was made for beginners like me slowly trying to build up strength.
I can't even begin to tell you how tempting it was just to skip that exercise on the list. I'm so good at making excuses for myself, it's not even funny. Because really, no one would know, not my friends, my husband, my family, no one at the gym, not even my trainer, right?
However.....dun-dun-dun......I would know.
I would know what I skipped. I would know I let a lame excuse get in the way. I would know I actually took one step backwards from a a challenge that could grow and test me.
I would know. And if I dug down deep, truthfully, I wasn't ok with it. Didn't I take on this health challenge for a reason?
Maybe it was the "Eye of the Tiger" song running through my head. Maybe it was a split second of dork-gone-wild as I imagined myself running up those steps in Philly. Whatever it was, up on the machine I went, 3 reps of 12 as instructed....and done.
Again, not my favorite machine, but it's a health journey, so one day at a time.
Happy Tuesday!