Want to Get Your First Chin-Up or Push-Up?
Want to Get Your First Chin-Up or Push-Up?
Obviously, we need to get stronger, but there is another piece of the equation that people sometimes overlook.
Relative strength.
A chin-up requires you to move your own bodyweight through space.
A push-up requires you to move a significant percentage of your bodyweight.
That means there are two ways to make those movements easier.
Get stronger.
And, if fat loss is appropriate for you, have less nonfunctional weight to move.
Why Relative Strength Matters
This is one of the coolest things about combining strength training with fat loss.
You might be celebrating the number on the scale going down, but meanwhile your relative strength is going UP.
That assisted chin-up needs a little less assistance.
Your push-ups get a little deeper.
Suddenly, you are doing them from the floor. Eventually, you grab that bar and realize you can pull yourself up.
Measuring Progress Beyond the Scale
That is why I love performance goals alongside body composition goals.
Instead of only asking, "How much weight did I lose?"
You get to ask…
"What can my body do now that it could not do before?"
That is a much more exciting measurement of progress.
My Own Chin-Up Progression
Check out this video as a demonstration.
In the first video, I'm fighting for my life to complete one chin-up.
A few months later, after shedding some fat, I could easily do a couple.
Then, a year later, after shedding more fat, I could do several.
Months later, after continuing to shed fat and build muscle, I could do loaded chin-ups!
It's a great visual reminder of what happens when you combine strength training with fat loss and stay consistent.
I hope this explanation and visual help!
Remember, the number on the scale is only one way to measure progress. What your body can DO is just as important.
Comments