What is your Achilles Heel?

[Rignold]

Inspired by comments in JuicyJu's and the Tea Fairy's posts, it appears that we all have an exercise that defeats us. Ju hates pushups, The Tea Fairy struggles with pistol squats (but her Dad is ace at them), Real Foodie Club can't plank...

My personal nemesis is handstand pushups. Or handstand anything, in fact. I can balance and move up up and down but even working at it every day, I can't manage more than 20 seconds before the bllodflow to my head gives me Exploding Head Syndrome (this is actually what it's called) and I turn crimson. Supposedly the capillaries in my head will get used to the upside-downness but it's meant to only take a week or two and I've tried on and off for six months and not seen any improvement.

What's your exercise bete noire?

[Runon Graduate]

Running! No it's those twisty things you do on a turntable - they make me feel physically sick for some reason but probably better than Exploding Head Syndrome! I'm about to try a handstand pushup - you may not hear from me again

[Rignold in reply to Runon]

I was going to try some twisty things on a turntable but the gramaphone would not support my weight and the experiment ended badly.

[Runon Graduate in reply to Rignold]

It is better to have tried and lost than never to have tried at all - shame about the gramophone though. - I've downloaded Tea-Fairy's suggested '30 Days' app which is going to give me loads of new exercises get Achilles' Heels with

[carole01 Graduate]

Pull ups- Baby arms and cannot carry my weight at all! All 7 and 1/2 stone of me Always in awe of anyone who can do these. Okay with the rest just motivation to do it is the nemesis!

[ju-ju- Graduate in reply to carole01]

You are so light!!! I am very envious sitting here in my 11 stone body!!!!!

[carole01 Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Don't be - you look fab! I'm only 5 ft 2 and always tending more towards skinny than curvy thankfully the running helps (and boobs!) x

[AncientMum Graduate]

Mine's walking at the moment

[ju-ju- Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Sending a hug xxxxxxxxxxx

[Runon Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Yes more hugs

[Hidden]

Blimey, handstand pushups, that sounds a bit advanced!

[Runon Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yes but don't forget his head explodes which can ruin the carpet

[catch Graduate]

Anything that involves balancing on one leg, as I regularly find at my yoga class!

[Runon Graduate in reply to catch]

You shouln't drink beforehand!

[poppypug Graduate]

Sit ups, they are my nemesis, damn you ! *shakes fist *

Pah ! xxx

[Rignold]

I confess I can't do situps without hooking my feet under something.

[poppypug Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Oh I never thought of doing that, might give that a go to start off with xxx

[Dunder2004 Graduate]

It is very early in my conditioning journey so I can't really call it a nemesis but I absolutely hate situps/crunches. Not really sure why but I actually get angry when doing them.

Physically, I find them easier than pushups but I don't mind doing pushups.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Riding a bike... absolutely no sense of balance, and if I'm honest just no sense... one time I put the brakes on but forgot to put my feet down...

[Runon Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

Do you drive a car by any chance? :))

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Runon]

Yup, stay out of the way if you see me coming...

[Hidden]

Anything that involves upper body strength as I am a complete weakling on my top half! I have attempted a handstand twice in my life ... both times I have fallen on my head

[ViaM Graduate]

Excercise, exersise, exercise is my Achilles' Heel. I can't even spell the b****y word!

[flossieflyblow Graduate]

Yup, pull ups. No upper body strength and weak wrists. Entirely pathetic.

[Hidden]

Touching my toes ! Nothing complicated but I have never been able to do it, even with practicing every day...

[ju-ju- Graduate]

I'm impressed you can even do that!! I am not going to let that push up defeat me!!! My other Achilles heels are: crawl ( just can't do it), rolling my 'r''s ( I'd never be Spanish), sewing ( no patience) and map reading ( I have no sense of direction)... To name a few!!!

[runningnearbeirut Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

If you're meant to roll your "r"s with the front of your tongue, you could try what I was told when I was learning Arabic - you repeat "pitter patter pitter patter" very quickly. Only problem is, that this works for Americans rather than Brits because it needs to be more of a d than a t sound.

I sink when I do front crawl and can't sew. I can read maps, but I'm afraid it just seems "obvious" so I probably wouldn't be a very good teacher.

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

Pathetic upper body strength here too. I've never been able to swing across monkey bars and can't do proper push ups, although I can do them with my hands at knee height.

I'm quite phobic about going upside down, so handstands are out for 2 reasons.

[misswobble Graduate]

Push ups/planks. Not sure what the difference is between the two, but can't do them yet. Not for the want of trying , i can do sit ups now. Yay

[poppypug Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Are push ups the same as press ups ? Anyway, I cant do 'em.

Hey go you Miss W in doing the sit ups , thats really good !! xxx

[misswobble Graduate]

Crunching a treat these days. Carefully though. I do them slowly, and scissors They were agony for a while but things get better

[poppypug Graduate]

I can do crunches but haven't mastered the art of a sit up yet but it'll come she says ha ha xxx