'I struggled with my self-esteem': Woman shares her pull-up journey, inspiring others to stay on the grind

Thinking about working out can be a mental workout in itself.

But back in January 2021, Clarissa Koh "didn't like the way [she] looked" so she set herself a goal of getting stronger.

She joined Nanyang Polytechnic Sprint Kayak Team (NYPSKT) and from there, Clarissa fell in love with working out. 

On Tuesday (Oct 25), she posted a 56-second clip on TikTok of her fitness progress and at the time of writing, it has amassed over 34,000 views.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@hawoitspotatoo/video/7158037658982255873[/embed]

One would think that finding a new hobby would turn out to be a fully positive experience but that was not how it panned out for the 21-year-old.

Early on, she "struggled with [her] self-esteem and confidence", the nursing student says.

"Countless times, I've gotten so frustrated that I can't hit the heavy weights I want to do or I just feel so drained," she adds.

Thankfully, Clarissa's seniors, and her boyfriend at that time, were reassuring and supportive when it came to helping her achieve her fitness goals.

In the video, she could be seen at the fitness corner of Yio Chu Kang stadium performing pull-ups with a resistance band.

Over time, Clarissa was able to pull herself up the pull-up bar completely unassisted.

"I would say it took about four to five months for my first unassisted pull-up."

That first unassisted pull-up happened at her ex-boyfriend's place.

Clarissa recalls how he laughed at her as she had such a big smile on her face after she came down from the bar.

"I could tell from his laughter that he was so proud. I can never ask for a better memory or person to share my first pull-up with," she reminisces.

These days, she can consistently perform three pull-ups with good form. On her "good days", Clarissa says she can manage up to five. 

There's no denying that her fitness progression left a mark on netizens, and many filled her comments section with encouraging comments. 

Apart from "seeing the small improvements every day", reading such positive comments fuels the fire for Clarissa to stay on the grind.

On top of NYPSKT water training on the weekend, she does a weekly 5km run and heads to the gym at least twice a week.

Due to her nursing attachment, she admits that it's rather "messy" right now. But being able to meet her "gym bros" keeps her motivated to stay on her workout routine.

While she provides a disclaimer that she isn't "qualified or strong enough" to give tips for those looking to start their own fitness journey, she mentions that the path to getting fit will be a painful one.

"There will always be people better than you. 

"But in this journey, I've learnt to understand that the only person you should be comparing yourself to is who you were yesterday."

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amierul@asiaone.com

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