Kate’s Chin-Up: What Real Progress Actually Looks Like
One of our proudest moments at The Movement Hub in 2023 was watching Kate hit her first ever chin-up.
Kate had been training with us consistently 2–3 times per week for over a year. From day one, the chin-up was her goal. She was determined to achieve it before moving back home to the US.
Despite her dedication, progress felt slow. The chin-up continued to evade her.
Many people might’ve gotten frustrated — even given up. But not Kate.
Instead, she kept chipping away.
Each week, she added one rep to her ring rows. Or held her chin-up isometric for 3 seconds longer. Or moved to a slightly lighter resistance band. No drama. No shortcuts. Just consistent work. Then one day — voilà — she did it. A perfect chin-up.
(Check the video below to see the moment!)
The Ice Cube Effect
There’s a powerful lesson in Kate’s story.
Too often, we believe that success comes from massive effort in a short burst. We overestimate what can happen in one week and underestimate what can happen in one year.
Real progress is usually invisible until it isn’t.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear describes it like watching an ice cube melt:
“The room is cold. The ice cube sits on the table.
25°.
26°.
27°.
28°.
29°.
30°.
31° — still nothing.
Then at 32°, the ice begins to melt.”
That single degree — 32° — unlocks visible change. But it wasn’t just that one-degree shift. It was everything that came before it. All those tiny, invisible improvements stacked up over time.
This Is the Plateau of Latent Potential
The early and middle stages of any goal feel slow. That’s normal.
This is what James Clear calls the plateau of latent potential — where your effort hasn’t yet produced visible results, but it’s quietly building behind the scenes.
If you’re chasing big goals in 2025 — whether it's losing weight, hitting a strength milestone, or finally getting out of pain — expect slow progress early on. It’s a feature of the process, not a bug.
Keep going.
The work is never wasted. It’s just being stored — until one day, at your own 32°, everything changes.