Suspension Straps: an exercise in suspension of reality

A few months ago we moved into our new place. It's a condo, and it comes with amenities, like a rooftop seating area with a large TV (that no one ever uses), and a gym.

More like a room with some random stuff in it so that, as the realtor explained to us,

Fancy. Also, not happening.

There are some weights, kettlebells, steps, bands, and a Pilates reformer that looks terrifying. But, there was one thing that interested me: a set of suspension straps.

I'm leaving off the name so that the company does not come after me the way the cycle company did. 

Suffice it to say it rhymes with "Blex"...or maybe:

I'm really not sure. Anyway...

I went on YouTube to learn a bunch of exercises and then set off to the workout room.

I began with the pull ups.

The official version:

My version:

So far so good.

Then I moved on to the squats and those were fine too. I tried push ups next.

The official version:

My version:

 I was very worried that I would fall through the straps, and onto my face.

Finally I tried seated pull ups.

The official version:

My version:

I decided to stick to pull ups.

The next day I woke up to a pinched nerve, thus ending my future as a suspension strap guru.

As of this week I'm training for the Chicago Marathon so my off season is officially over. I'll be using the Hansons Method; their half marathon plan worked really well for me so I'm hoping the full goes well too.

This will be very different from my other marathon training cycles so I'll do my best to keep you guys posted! In the mean time, I'm adhering strictly to the plan:

So far it's going very well.

If you've used the Hansons Method I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

UPCOMING POSTS: ALL MARATHON, ALL THE TIME...MOST OF THE TIME