Why Cant You?

Picture this...

Me.  Standing on a 2 foot wide box under a chin-up bar with arms outstretched...just 5 feet shy of reaching it.  Well ok - that might be an exaggeration but exaggeration or not..."How the hell am I supposed to get up there?!"

"Jump." says my trainer / friend / colleague - with a sarcastic look that actually says "Isn't it obvious?" 

WHAT!  And make a complete and total fool of myself when I miss the bar and land on my ass against the wall? (note the gym is packed and they have been staring at us ever since we walked in)  No thanks.  "YA RIGHT!" I say (you could also insert a few vulgar phrases here)

"Why Can't You?" he asks.  Blunt. Eyebrow raised.

I'm not one to act too much like a sissy - especially when standing in front of someone who is otherwise looking at me like I am either a bigger sissy than he thought or that he was actually disappointed in my lack of confidence in myself - so I jumped!  

And believe it or not - I caught the bar and completed a few knees-to-chest before jumping down - looking less of a fool than if I would have had I refused to jump.

So the rest of the introductory session went much better (although I was still asked several times "why can't you").  I learnt a lot about my current physical condition - namely the dangerous lack of flexibility - and my capabilities and inabilities. After going through the rest of my plan for the next 3 weeks, thoroughly discussing my warnings and safety measures, and reviewing my stretching must-do's - I can honestly say I still quite unsure about what I am doing.  Not really in regards to the plan but just in regards to my confidence in my ability to do it right, to improve each week, and to stop using excuses.  

My lack of flexibility and poor range of motion - now so blatantly obvious to me - is almost scary. It makes me overly cautious.  BUT I have hopes that if I take a week to just practice the movements and get started with my stretching - that I can confidently put some weight on the bar and challenge myself as I know I can and is expected.  

So.....in the front of my notebook I have written...."Why can't you?"  and if I am lucky enough I may just snap a picture of that oh-so-obvious facial expression (which I have seen several times now) to enhance the impact of this phrase. 


Monday it is.  Week 1 - Day 1 of a whole new plan.  It will be 3 weeks before I will be able to feel anything other than muscle soreness again!  But with all intensive efforts here is hoping my arms will at least hang straight (just another of my oddities I've been told is a result of my inflexibility!)

And here's hoping that the next time I jump to reach the chin-up bar that I don't land on my face.  And here's hoping that as I try to improve my form that I don't look too much like a freak-show as I practice sticking my ass out to sit on a chair in front of the squat rack (I can just see the onlookers now!) And here's hoping that gym-users don't misinterpret my assault on the foam roller as anything other than my attempts at myofascial release!


Insecurities or not - I'm committed.