Dang You Bar, You Will NOT Win

I purchased this from a friend at work, ohhh it’s probably been a couple years ago now, maybe even closer to three.  I bought it as a workout tool as I attempted to complete P90X which ended up being a 45 day workout schedule as I never made it through to the end.  Mainly because I got tired from day in day out activities, was busy, blah blah, you know the usual excuses why one gets out of the routine of exercising. 

Anywho, I never used it 1) because I lived in an apartment and the doorframes were inexpensively built and just weren’t made where it could support it without fear of injury and 2) you could build (supposedly) the same muscles by using bands instead. So I defaulted to the bands.

It’s been in the depths of my closet for the most part since.  So about a week ago I dug it out.  

Why? 

The challenge, what else? 

Well that, and for the love of pole.  My goal is to build better upper body strength.

I keep thinking once I eventually master one, just one, single solitary chin-up, I’ll engage whatever muscles that need to be engaged and then it will be easy peasy.  Okay, maybe not that easy but you get my point.  Even though I’ve only been attempting to use the chin-up bar for about a week,  I have been using a Total Gym where I pull up using my body as resistance (I think it’s about 65%) in hopes to  build some strength in the necessary muscles. 

Last night I did my usual walk/run on the treadmill to follow it up by going out in the garage and getting on the Total Gym.  I decided to raise it as far as it would incline, positioned the attachment bar and proceeded to do a few short sets of pulling myself up with my hands under and then over the bar clearly exhausting the muscles.  My arms even quivered and shook for some time after I went back in the house and was doing a few things unrelated to exercise.  I entertained the idea of finishing the workout with a set of push-up.  Bad idea, gravity took over (coupled with the fatigued muscles) and as soon as I assumed the position and attempted to lower myself.  Splat to the ground I went.  Oy.

I still can NOT do a chin-up.  I can pull myself up a few inches and basically chuckle at myself internally because I’m really just dangling there.  However, I do use the bar to work my abdominal core as I pull my knees to my chest and repeat.  I work on my obliques by doing the same, only with my knees pointing to one side then the other.  I’ve used a chair as support which I don’t really know that it helps a whole lot.  I basically place myself in the chin-up position and then lower myself slowly to repeat it again.

And even though the current score is:

Chin-up Bar - 5

Debora - 0

I’m gonna do it.  I’m gonna do it.  Damnit, I’m gonna do it.

While I’m chanting to myself that I’m gonna do it, any current or old chin-up senseis that have any tips, advice and/or suggestions?