But before we get to that, can I just say two things? Firstly, since my last two posts on here, neither Mikey Lowell nor the Iron Gym peeps have called me. It's probably a problem with Sprint, right? I should refuse to pay my cell bill till that shit's straightened out. Secondly? You people are gonna rue the day I bought that camera. I can see it already.
So! I was kindly informed that with my hands as close together as they are in my first pullup video, I'm actually making it harder on myself, and that even though wide grip bothers my shoulder, I should try a little wider. Here are the results.
Disclaimer: I'm even fatter in these videos than the earlier ones, since in the intervening time I ate a huge carby Mothers Day spaghetti dinner with my offspring. Luckily for you all, my shirt stayed on.
These are neutral grip x4. It's funny, but on the assisted dip/pullup machine at the gym (without the assist, obvs), neutral grip feels even easier than underhand chins to me. Neutral grip on the Iron Gym feels more like a pullup. I can only surmise it's the position of the handles. Also? I got a set of five with these first but I had technical difficulties with the camera. Goddamn it.
And these are overhand pullups with my hands outside the handles. This was as wide as I could go without tweaking my shoulder and they were tough. As you will see. I got three.
And this is my proving I know how to put on my Versas and yet they still don't feel like they are helping. This video's probably too dark for anyone to provide any help, but I realized my arms look jacked in it so you're gonna see it anyway. Ha!
xoxo
Such awesomeness! I've been stuck at 2 pullups for almost a year. Instead of focusing more energy on 'em, I grudgingly do a couple and then switch to chin ups, because those are more fun.
ReplyDeleteGosh, what's wrong with this strategy?
Actually, I've been stuck at 4 chinups forever too, so perhaps more working out and less whining might be in order.
Love your blog btw!
Aw, thanks! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd believe me, I know the feeling. It's so wicked incredibly tempting to only do the things that are fun because you're good at them and skip the things that you hate because you're not good at them.
Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI'm a new reader with a comment that's not related to this post, but didn't see a contact button for you. I see that you enjoy both weight training and yoga - which are my loves as well. I have recently realized that I'm pretty quad dominant and need to do some posterior chain work, but don't want to end up shortening my hamstrings (because of the yoga, of course). I'm going to work on being more aware of glute activation and doing more weighted hip bridges and glute kick-backs, but wondered if you had any other suggestions.
Thanks!
Kat
Hi Kat!
ReplyDeleteI think the thing that has strengthened my hammies the most--to the point that I had to add in Zerchers for my quads b/c my posterior chain was getting way stronger--has been RDLs. And since you actually get a good stretch on the hammies doing them, I think they actually work against any hamstring shortening.
There seems to be a lot of controversy about what's an RDL and what's an SLDL, but these are what I personally am recommending:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnBREGM7pE0
HTH, and thanks for dropping by!
Thanks, Andrea! I'd been doing some SLDLs, but can see where the RDL would take the stress off the hamstring.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the reply and am enjoying your blog!
so badass..... ;) You go gurl!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about any spaghetti dinner; could your waist BE any tinier? You look SO strong and did I mention that you have the tiniest waist?
ReplyDelete