How do I lift my own weight?

By sardonyxmemoirs July 7, 2012 - 4:49am

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In school we have a trip coming about. One of the activities is wall climbing. I've only tried wall climbing once, and it was one of the most humiliating and excruciating experiences I've ever had. I was only able to climb four feet off the ground, and even that took me a couple of hours. All of my friends, with and without experience, were able to reach the top--about fifty feet high--in much less time. Worse, all of them were skinnier than I was, and they don't work out or play sports at all. Worst, the next three days my uncle--a licensed nurse--had to feed, bathe, clothe, and wash my behind for me because I can't move my arms at all. The twisting pain was scream-inducing when I'm perfectly still, completely unbearable when I tried to move.

I'm panicking right now. I desperately need help. I have one month to be able to make my arms stronger but not much more muscular (or not more muscular at all, since as it is my arms are twice the size of a normal girl's). I would be extremely grateful to anyone who could pitch in some advice.

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Rosa Cabrera RN

Dear sardonyxmemoirs,

Thanks for posting! Upper body strength is extremely important for rock climbing but you should also focus on losing some of that weight that you need to lift up.

Running on a treadmill or any other form of cardiovascular exercises can help get you there. Upper body machine exercises or dumbbell exercises can also help-- please keep in mind that you will not convert your fat into muscle. You need to lose the fat, and build the muscle. This is a huge misconception that women have-- just because you exercise your arms does not mean that you will end up with huge arms, on the contrary, you will have more slender arms.

Here are some great exercises you can try at home: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/upper-body-workout-for-women

It's important to be realistic. In a month if you follow these exercises while eating better you will see a difference but keep your expectations real.

Good Luck,

Rosa

July 7, 2012 - 4:54pm

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sardonyxmemoirs (reply to Rosa Cabrera RN)

Thank you for your advice. Regarding the weight I have to lift, I have lost about twenty pounds since my first wall climbing stint. I guess the bigger problem would be upper body strength. I've been weight training since then, but these past few weeks I haven't been able to follow my exercise routine regularly. I can't even do a single push-up.

A lot of people already told me that exercising won't make my arms muscular and bulky, but I'm afraid that my muscles have begun manifesting physically about a month since I started lifting weights (just 1-lb. or 2-lb. weights). I don't know if it's just psychological, but all my friends' arms are definitely thinner and less muscular. In a lot of photos my arms look muscular as well, and I hate it. I don't know what to do.

July 8, 2012 - 6:10am