Are you an aerialist still struggling to do a pull up? Have you convinced yourself that as a woman it’s a skill that will always be beyond your reach? Have you decided that it’s a skill that you don’t even need?
First off, your self-worth is not defined by your ability to haul your chin over a bar. Pull ups are difficult skills for the average person. Whether you’re a beginner aerialist or a seasoned pro, you are asking your body to do things that will often test your limits. That’s what makes circus special.
If you want to stay safe in the air, you should be able to do a pull up. But not just any pull up. A pull up that will keep your shoulders safe and allow you to control your body through the movement. Aerialists need to be able to perform through the movement and be able to do it when fatigued and at height. This is not your average gym rat’s pull up.
The goal in a pull up is to move your body in a vertical direction. That means that whether your center of mass is higher or lower should not impact how much force you need to make that movement happen. Women tend to have more body fat and lean body mass, which makes bodyweight exercises like pull ups more challenging, but certainly possible.
You’ve got this.