I can’t feel my arms!

Well I can but its a catchy headline, right?
Arms, back and chest today with Rachel. Did some TRX stuff, which I love, some lat pull downs, chest flyes, press ups (my arch nemesis), triceps dips and front/side raises for my shit shoulders.

Did I ever tell you about my shit shoulders? It was always a thing between my friend, Leanne and I. I had no shoulders whatsoever. I couldn’t even keep my bra up let alone much else. Now I have shoulders and it’s great! Look at that strap staying up!

We also did some reverse pull ups, which are a relatively new thing to me. That’s where you jump up to a pull up bar and (attempt to) lower yourself back down with control. The first few times I essentially just fell but today I had much more control to the point I screamed ‘did you see that?’ I think the whole gym heard. Small things eh!

Excuse my bra strap in the pic. I accidentally put it in a dark wash and now it’s grey. Oops. I also never realised how prominent my BCG is!

🧳 UNPACKED

The Victory: This was The Gym Era at its best – celebrating small wins like controlled negative pull-ups. The whole gym heard me scream about it, and I regret nothing. Building shoulders from literally nothing to “straps stay up” was genuinely life-changing.

The Workout: Arms, back, and chest day with Rachel: TRX (love), lat pull downs, chest flyes, press-ups (still hate them), tricep dips, shoulder raises, and reverse/negative pull-ups. That’s where you jump up to the bar and lower yourself with control instead of just… falling.

What Actually Changed: I went from having shoulders so non-existent that bra straps wouldn’t stay up, to having actual deltoids that could support things. My friend Leanne and I had ongoing jokes about my “shit shoulders” – turns out you can build them from scratch with enough front raises and side raises.

The Small Wins Matter: Controlling a negative pull-up for the first time felt huge. First few attempts I just dropped like a sack of potatoes, but that day I had actual control. These tiny progressions are what keep you going when the scale won’t move.

Kit for Upper Body Training:

• 📦 Pack here: TRX suspension trainer for home
• 📦 Pack here: Pull-up bar (doorway mount)
• 📦 Pack here: High-support sports bra

Worth Knowing: Negative/eccentric pull-ups are brilliant for building up to full pull-ups. You’re stronger on the way down than the way up, so start there. Also, wash your sports bras separately or use color catchers unless you want a grey bra collection.