Pull-ups

**Update - I wrote this post several weeks ago, but REALLY wanted to get some pictures of me doing pull-ups before I posted it.  As an update, I can now do 6 pull-ups ALL ON MY OWN!  My goal is to do 10 by Dec 4th, and it's looking like I'll be able to achieve that goal.  Also, I only use the small purple band now and try to start every workout without it until I can't do anymore!!  I've added REAL pictures from the gym below, enjoy!**

For years I've been telling Matt I want to be able to do a pull-up.  For whatever reason, being able to do a pull-up was a symbol of strength to me.  Over the years I never really focused on it until this past year when I started working out at Team Quest.  I was banished to doing negatives (jump up and slowly lower yourself down) because I couldn't do the real thing.  When I started Crossfit, my first workout ever, had a pull-up combo of 21-18-15-9-6 (or something like that).  There are all kinds of resistance bands that you can use to help with doing pull-ups.  There is a BIG purple one which I think provides the most assistance followed by a BIG black one.  Then its goes something like green band, small purple band, small red band. 

My first workout was with the black band and it took me quite some time to do the pull-ups with that band.  My next two workouts with pull-ups also used the black band.  I then went to a combo of green and red bands and at this point started to watch YouTube videos to learn how to do kipping pull-ups.  I studied and starting trying to learn at the gym.  Each day I was there I would practice just a little bit, ask for advice and watch in amazement as others busted out pull-ups like it was nothing!  Next thing I know I'm only using the green band and I'm stringing together 5-10 at once.

From right to left: Mr. Black Band the mac daddy (well there is one bigger one but I never used it), slimmed down green band and my long time friend small purple band!

I practiced kipping some more, and after being called out for not 'really' trying, I tried.  I got 1 then 2 all on my own!  I had to ask, were those real?  Did those count?  Yupp, those were REAL pull-ups!  I can now do 3 pull-ups with NO assistance, no bands!  My goal is to do 10 by December and I am hell bent on getting there!  Granted I still need to use bands during workouts, especially ones like max pull-ups in 2 minutes.  However, I have graduated to a combo of small purple and small red and soon, very soon, just small purple and then hopefully nothing!

Here is me, yesterday, AFTER doing 6 pull-ups in a row as part of my WOD.  Mind you the WOD included 30 pull-ups!

The kip....



...and the PULL-UP!