Extra Pounds......Extra Effort

My workouts have been consistent and remain fairly vigorous; in fact, I have been working pretty hard as of late.

However, one must always remember that exercise is only half the battle. Balancing a clean diet with time in the gym, pool and elsewhere is the real key. I can't say that my diet choices have been horrible........but have definitely fallen a little weak when it comes to late night snacking and some indulgences that should simply invoke a quick NO. The result; a softer middle than I would like and about 5-8 extra pounds.

So, what's the big deal right? Most people wouldn't notice the extra baggage, but the sure fire test came for me this past week on the pull up bar.

We can all remember facing the pull-up bar at some point in our training evolution. I have often chronicled how much fun it is to see improvement in strength gains over time with hard work, variety and some sweat. After all, pull ups are the ultimate test of upper body strength as you lift and lower your entire body weight. Success takes consistent practice and requires that you never stray too far from the bar.

Now, add 6-8 pounds of weight (or more) to the equation and things start to change. The more you weigh, the more you have to lift. If you suddenly add extra girth due to a slump and some bad choices, athletic performance is going to suffer. An increase in your Body Mass Index will likely result in a decrease in pull up performance. While not rocket science for sure, we can sometimes lose sight of the physics involved.

Two less strict hang pull up reps this week than I would have expected woke me up to the softness in my middle and the need to get it corrected ASAP. Besides needing to get into my wet suit for an upcoming Triathlon, going backwards on anything (and especially pull ups) puts me and many others in a really bad mood.

So the extra pounds are what they are, but the effort to "right" the situation is a choice, just like the one's that resulted in the situation to begin with. Extra Pounds....Extra Effort; making the right choices is key.