Coach Shawna is a believer in the Power of the Pull Up for all Athletes. Here’s why:
1) Strengthen Your Grip. Stronger hands mean stronger forearms, better coordination and control when lifting weights, controlling a bike or even typing. You also never know when you might fall over the side of a cliff and need to pull yourself back up :)
2) Improve Posture. Keeping your body upright and neutral keeps lungs open, helps you breathe better, keeps shoulders from rounding/hunching and reduces soreness in upper back and neck.
3) Build Core Strength. Your core is what keeps you upright when your body is in motion. Remember that first marathon where your lower back hurt so badly you thought it would break? That's because your core wasn't strong enough to hold you upright, and the progressive slouch overloaded your trunk.
4) Boost Cardio. Yup, you read that right. Pull ups can improve cardio if done in multiple sets with short rests – ultimately boosting your heart’s ability to bring fuel to the muscles. Better cardio during strength means that those threshold training repeats are going to hurt just a little bit less.
5) Save Time. Pull Ups are a Compound Exercise that work multiple muscles and joints and once, so you can do other workouts in the same day without a time crunch.
6) Save Money. Pull ups can be done almost anywhere – you just need your bodyweight and a bar. Buy a bar and install it at home, or head to a playground and use the monkey bars (just try and avoid going during recess).
7) Get Faster. When muscles work together better they produce and control force more efficiently. The trunk and arms act as a counterbalance to your legs, and also provide much needed power transfer down the kinetic chain. If you can gain strength in your upper body without gaining appreciable mass, you will be faster walking, running, swimming, climbing, cycling…you get the idea. A stronger upper body means a faster you.
ONE MORE THING: Stay tuned for How to do a Correct Pull Up coming soon!
As I trained for the Rio Paralympics, EDGE was the perfect place for me to recover in between my grueling workouts so I could perform my best day after day. It all paid off when I earned a bronze medal in Rio! Whether it's for bike, run or strength training, recovering in a pair of recovery boots, drinking a cup of coffee or chatting with the members about their past and current races, it is one of my favorite places to go - EDGE Athlete Lounge has become my second home!
I use EDGE for both training and recovery… having the Woodway treadmills and a room to do weights and other-related strength exercises when I need them is very helpful and convenient. Without question, utilizing EDGE on a consistent basis has helped me stay injury-free. In fact, as someone who has a history of being injured, since joining EDGE, I have yet to experience a significant injury. I attribute that largely to having ready access to state of the art recovery tools that EDGE provides its members with.
I will be racing the Boston Marathon in April, a race in which I am targeting a sub-2:30. Bearing that Boston goes according to plan, I intend on attacking a 2:25 clocking at the 2017 Chicago Marathon! Furthermore, I am planning on breaking 15:00 in the 5K and 1:09 in the half-marathon
EDGE helped me fight my way to the title of North American Cycle Courier Champion in 2016 and I’ve got 2017 in the crosshairs. As a full time bike messenger and a professional cyclist, my schedule allows very little time to give my muscles a break. The amazing staff and facilities at EDGE have allowed me to give my body the much needed recovery it needs between rides and have helped me ride farther, ride harder, and ride stronger than ever before. Fresh legs TRULY bring FAST TIMES!
