Hanging out

Reebok Nano 3.0  LOVE!!

I had an amazing workout today.  It was upper body day and I switched it up big time.  I started with light standing, straight arm lat pull downs for a warm up before hitting any weights.  Next was the assisted pull up machine, onto curls, bench press and triceps.  After being done just about everything I looked at the pull up bar; it is high, not meant for me at 5' 1".  I wanted to do hanging leg raises; it is a crazy great workout.  I pondered the height of the bar and looked around the gym, "maybe I'd missed another bar somewhere" I thought.  Nope.  Only one and very high.  

I spotted the stools that people use to jump up and down on.  Then noticed that there is a small sized one; just right and all I needed to make my bar workout work.  I ran and got it and readied for the work.  I wondered how good my neoprene gloves would do for grip.  I soon found out that they are no good for grip; especially at the end of my workout when they are wet.  I took them off, dried my hands and tried without gloves.  It's tough, a bare handed grip is going to take some getting use to.  I have very small hands, they sort of go with my short body.  ;)  

I did manage to get two sets of ten bent leg lifts done before losing grip.  Then I squeezed out three single straight leg lifts.  There is no texture grip on the bar so you really have to grip.  Of course every time I am hanging from a bar I realize that I need to work on dropping weight.  Any weight I lose will make it that much easier to hang on or pull myself up on the bar.  Lots of steps on the journey, strength, weight loss, learning new things about working out etc. etc. 

Hanging type exercises are hard.  Pull up type exercises are hard.  Give simply hanging a try before adding bent leg or body lifts.  It's really hard and you must focus on form; you do not want to throw out your back.   

As a side note; I also had a chance to try out my new lifting shoes today.  I LOVE THEM.  The bottom is nice and flat for lifting and they are super comfortable.  Of course they're really cute to boot.  :)