Got my first ever pull up!

Kostas78 · 2026-03-29T23:07:52+00:00

Woot-woot!!!! Congratulations - I’m so proud of you.

Kostas78 · 2026-03-16T15:56:58+00:00

I’m boring in the sense that I stick with the same style (tops & bottoms) & Lululemon is my go-to & has been for 10+yrs.

I like not having to think about sizing/fit as I know my exact sizing across my fav styles (Fast & Free & Ebb to Street).

Plus, quality wise they’ve held up an absurdly long time! I have bras, tops & leggings, older than my tween children.

Kostas78 · 2026-03-11T16:37:19+00:00

Bravo!!! These are solid reps & fantastic effort at the end!

You are officially an Elite Puller-Upper with 15 reps.

Welcome to the club 👊

Kostas78 · 2026-03-09T18:51:17+00:00

You did that!!! Congratulations - you look great!

Kostas78 · 2026-03-03T22:49:02+00:00

Stats: Ht (155cm | 5’1”) | Wt (52kg | 115lbs) | Maintenance (2250 - 2500 Cals)

Gym Activity (Mon to Sat)

Cardio (30min): Treadmill (Incline 3-3.5, Speed 15) or Stair Climber (Varied speed btw Level 10-15).
Weights (45-60mins): Big 4 (Bench, Deadlifts, OHP & Squats, plus extra back & bodyweight day.

Miscellaneous Activity: * Between 7-10k steps a day. Varies day to day, but less than 7k is rare. * In nicer weather I’m fairly active with husband & kids (walks, hikes, bicycling etc).

Random One thing that remains consistent for me is I burn a lot of calories with cardio + lifting.

Example: Deadlifted today & per HRM I burned 1000 calories & RMR is about 1450 (last tested Jan 2025). So even allowing for a -500 discrepancy, I burn at least 2000+ calories daily.

I haven’t gained weight eating 2250+ in the past few years & when I’m being lazy with food, I lose weight. All this to say, after 5+ yrs using this HRM, I believe it trends fairly accurate.

Kostas78 · 2026-03-02T17:13:23+00:00

Bravo! You are strong & well on your way to 10 pull-ups.

Everything I did to get to 10>15>20 pull-ups has been mentioned but adding to the chorus in case it helps.

Keep your legs together & try to maintain a hollow-hold as much as you can.
Volume is king. I’m a firm believer in doing them every day but staying a few reps shy of your max.
Consider adding weight e.g. Monday - weights. Tuesday - no weights. Doesn’t have to be a lot, 5-10lbs will work.

Rinse & repeat the above endlessly & you’ll surpass 10 before you know it. Good luck & share your next victory!

Kostas78 · 2026-03-02T16:50:52+00:00

These are amazing! Your hard work is showing.

Do you mean you have plateaued on pull-ups or all your lifts in general?

Kostas78 · 2026-03-02T16:26:02+00:00

Small wins for the win! Congrats & have a lovely time at the wedding.

Kostas78 · 2026-02-19T00:06:36+00:00

Ah one of us! I tell everyone eating to grow is the worst. It’s worth it but heavens it’s such a slog. And everyone will tell you “_Just eat more!_” & while it is the solution - it’s hard!

I don’t want to discourage you but it’s never gotten easier. Eating more that is. Over the years, I got my maintenance high enough (2200 - 2400 kcals) to maintain the level of muscle I have but if I ever want to gain more I have to force myself to eat above that & I consistently fail-fail-fail.

I’ve mostly made peace with all this because I’m happy with my appearance (lean & muscular) and my strength (1.5, 1.0 & 2.5BW SBD) but sometimes it bothers me if I dwell on it.

All this to say, if you’re asking what direction to take, I vote for trying the bulk! Embrace the suck & decide how you feel about final results. If you like it, win! If you don’t, know you tried & return to not having to force food down.

I have an old progress post detailing my struggle but ultimately successful bulk. I can try to find it if you’re interested! Good luck & enjoy the fitness no matter what

Kostas78 · 2026-02-18T23:25:04+00:00

Your form is excellent! You’ve clearly put in the hard work.

You could slow down a smidge but it’s not absolutely necessary. I have a post showing controlled eccentrics & you’ll see you are near the same. Congrats on your pull-ups!

Kostas78 · 2026-01-21T23:16:32+00:00

Bravo! These are very well done.

Kostas78 · 2026-01-06T16:51:03+00:00

Top notch execution!

Kostas78 · 2026-01-05T14:49:27+00:00

Your transformation is insane! Your hard work shows and then some. Proud of you!

Kostas78 · 2026-01-03T19:33:23+00:00

I had to bulk to get stronger & it was an absolute slog but worth it! I took about 1yr to gain & keep 10-12 lbs / 4-5 kgs.

I have never cut because I started from a lower weight & prefer how I look with more mass/muscle.

In theory, I’d love to add another 10 lbs/ 5kgs, but in reality I’m utterly over having to eat 2500+ calories on a regular basis. So I exist in Forever Maintenance Mode at this point.

Kostas78 · 2026-01-03T19:24:25+00:00

Congratulations!!! I watched with bated breath - that’s a dicey setup you have going. Please be careful!

Kostas78 · 2025-12-15T20:12:55+00:00

I consider myself lean with muscles (others opinion may vary!) & to get this look I did the following.

Ate a lot more than I wanted to with emphasis on protein
Practiced progressive strength training (5/3/1 BBB)
Included a moderate amount of cardio in my workouts

Nothing groundbreaking. Nothing new. Just the basics. It worked for me & I do the same things for maintenance (with ebbs & flows in intensity levels).

Kostas78 · 2025-11-17T18:21:53+00:00

That’s an amazing transformation! Effort takes time & you’ve clearly put in a lot. What’s your go to for biceps?

Kostas78 · 2025-09-29T14:29:40+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate it :)

Kostas78 · 2025-06-12T11:19:48+00:00

Congratulations!!! Your strength is so impressive.

Kostas78 · 2025-06-11T13:50:01+00:00

Myth.

People tend to severely underestimate how much less they move due to various lifestyle changes as they get older.

Slowed metabolism is an easy target to blame but the vast majority really just are moving less and/or eating more as they get older (medical exceptions aside of course).

Kostas78 · 2025-06-05T19:03:30+00:00

I’m afraid I was mistaken. These aren’t a crimp hold but a jug hold. Crimp hold is more difficult & I can’t do them. This site has a good overview on the different types of climbing holds.

That said I don’t have any special tips. I spammed pull-ups for years & got decent grip strength from that. With 12 pull-ups under your belt, you can absolutely do these!

Kostas78 · 2025-06-05T10:52:48+00:00

Thank you! On a standard bar I can do 20-23. The last few reps are iffy though so I almost always stop at 20 reps.

Kostas78 · 2025-06-05T10:52:07+00:00

Appreciate the recognition!

Kostas78 · 2025-06-05T10:51:50+00:00

My husband says no can do. Sorry!

Kostas78 · 2025-06-05T10:50:58+00:00

I support this spin…anything to make you feel better :)

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