Why Pull-Ups Get Chicks Down: Trainer Ashley Borden Helps Women Conquer 'Pull Up' Phobia
Written by Shoshana Pritzker
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:23
“I have found that there is one exercise across the board that terrifies women: its Pull-Ups,” laughs LA-based fitness expert Ashley Borden. For a long time, even I had this ‘internal mantra’ that I couldn’t do them. I finally changed my attitude and learned about different ways to strengthen my pull-ups, and it gave me confidence. A NIKE Elite Athlete and recent spokesperson for Nintendo’s Wii Fit, Borden travels the country training clients like Natasha Bedingfield, Ryan Gosling and Taraji P Henson.
Borden’s tips to taking the fear out of Pull-Ups include:
IT’S IN YOUR APPROACH – The most common whine I hear when taking clients to the pull up bar: “but its so hard for me!” I guarantee you Lance Armstrong didn’t whine before the Tour de France. Try to re-train your thoughts. Give yourself a vote of confidence.
HANGING RETRACTIONS – Hang from the bar and let your body weight relax completely. Then retract and hold/squeeze your lats for five seconds, and release. Repeat 10x. This exercise helps you identify your lat muscles, which many women don’t activate when doing Pull-Ups. Newsflash! Your arms don’t have to do all the work!
UTILIZE A PARTNER – Start with underhand Pull-Ups and keep the repetitions small (3-5). Have your partner hold you by the waist and gently assist you. This way you have less of a chance of cheating. Encourage each other to do the complete movement each time.
SEATED LAT PULL DOWNS – Find a weight that challenges you but isn’t a painful struggle. Do five pull-downs with your hands wide apart on the bar, five close together on the bar and five underhanded on the bar. Bring the bar down to the top of your chest. This will strengthen all the muscles you use during a Pull-Up, but without the fear of “the bar.”
JUMP PULL-UPS – When you just can’t eek out that last Pull-Up, do a different version. Stand underneath the bar and look at the bar with your arms up. Jump up and grab the bar to begin your pull-up, it will give you the momentum you need. And it helps build strength.
“Pull-Ups help you develop your back, biceps, triceps and shoulders. When you can tackle a Pull-Up, you’ll have more confidence in yourself, in your body and even in your ability to protect yourself.” For more about fitness trainer Ashley Borden, visit www.ashleyborden.com.
