The Pull-Up Challenge

Post by **Jungledoc** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:36 pm

Some of you may have followed some of the discussions between pdellorto (a young, lean, well-trained MMA fighter who likes to compare himself to old, arthritic, recently-fat, nonathletic, sedentary country doctors) and myself (an old arthritic, recently-fat nonathletic, sedentary country doctor who jumps on any chance he gets to compare himself favorably with anyone). There are a couple of lifts for which we have similar numbers, so we are quick to point it out if one is ahead of the other. There have been discussions about face-pulls, and recently about pull-ups.

If someone is ready to give us a lecture on "it's not about competition, it's about personal improvement" we know that. It's all in fun.

Stu recently pointed out that a challenge can be valuable. Maybe that's not what he said exactly, but it sounds good to me. Here's my challenge to the members of the forum. Do whatever form of pull-up (pronated, supinated, neutral or mixed grip at any width, weighted or not) you want for max reps in a single set. Try to increase that by 10% in a month's time. Obviously, you'll have to round the numbers to the nearest rep--going from 4 to 4.4 reps doesn't make sense.

In the next day or two, post in this thread your current PR, report on progress every week or two, then report your new PR on Feb 10 (or Feb 11 on my side of the world).

Me--medium pronated grip--11 reps.

Post by **stuward** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:52 pm

Doc, my PR is 5 reps, dead hang, bar to my shoulders. I did that this afternoon. The race is on!!

And for the record, I'm 52. 6'2", 195# and all the normal aches and pains of my age.

Stu

pdellorto · Post by **pdellorto** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 6:50 pm

Doc, I don't like to compare myself to country doctors, just beat them!

I like the challenge. I'm going to miss a few workouts in here - I've got about 2 solid weeks of no lifting coming up thanks to a trip overseas. But I won't let that stop me. I don't get to pick my workouts but I do lots and lots of pullups...so one of them is bound to go up!

PR: 11 chinups, bar to chest, dead hang. 1/08/09.
Mixed grip and Neutral Grip PRs are all 10 reps.

My stats: Age 36, 193#, 6'4", and an injury collection worthy of two MMA fighters!

(Editing later - forgot to put my height!)

VoK · Post by **VoK** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:25 pm

I've been out of pull up training for a while now. Hopefully this will get me back in shape!

22 chinups, dead hang @ 5'7" 155 lbs

Gantz · Post by **Gantz** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:41 pm

how nice a challenge on these boards. luckily i just added pull-ups to my upper body routine. i'm 17, 5'3, 120 lbs.

8 pull-ups, dead hang, to chest.

Post by **Ironman** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:26 am

5'9" 220 32
palm facing close grip hang to chest, 6
close underhand chins 4
wide pullups 3

I can probably get those up by 1 rep as I lose a little fat. I would have to get totally shredded to gain 2 though. Big legs provide a lot of dead weight for chins.

Proper Knob · Post by **Proper Knob** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:57 am

Nothing like a bit of healthy competition. Going overseas for a month in a couple of weeks, so i'll have a lack of training time. Saying that, all that's needed is a good tree and a bit of imagination.

Age - 29
Height - 6' 2"
Weight - 182

Palms facing shoudler width pulls - 10
Wide grip pulls - 5

Reckon i could get up to 12 and 7 in a month.

nygmen · Post by **nygmen** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:34 pm

I'm so in on this... Sounds like too much fun to miss...

6'0"
193 LBS
28 years old (will be 29 by the end of month)

Palms Facing, shoulder width

[email protected]

Gantz

i'm 17, 5'3, 120 lbs

I'm officially jealous, in terms of this comp.

Wouter · Post by **Wouter** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:41 pm

Love these challenges.

PR: 7 chin-ups with fat pull-up bar (can only do 6 at the moment, so I'll have to gain 2)

stats: 18 years old, 6'0", 176lbs (around 15%bf)

daniel4738 · Post by **daniel4738** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:09 pm

27 Dead hang chin ups, strict, no kipping with elbows passing the mid body line and chin over the bar.

I did this in september 2008, I will test again in the next couple of weeks. (though I will probably lose a couple due to making a piggy of myself over christmas).

Stats, 27 year old, 73kg, 178cm. <10% BodyFat

VoK · Post by **VoK** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:32 pm

This is the guy that makes me want to do a crazy number of pullups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfsTKfUT-RQ

I swear he has to be trained in gymnastics. No gym rats could attempt to do what he does.

pdellorto · Post by **pdellorto** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:20 pm

VoK wrote:This is the guy that makes me want to do a crazy number of pullups.

Crazy!

This the is guy who makes me want to do them in bunches - he holds the gym record at 45 dead hang reps...this is him drop-set kipping them with chains during a workout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDUduI2t0Tw

He's like 205# or something, too.

The "Washed Up Meathead, under 220 pounds" record for dead-hangs is 25...I can catch that someday. Just need to bump up my overhand grip pullup numbers by +160%.
:D

Proper Knob · Post by **Proper Knob** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:35 pm

Here's a link to some chin/pull up world records!!! Ridiculous.

http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/chinups.html

Matt Z · Post by **Matt Z** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:35 pm

I'm 27 years old, 5'6" tall and about 225 lbs. Right now, my 1RM is bodyweight plus 30 lbs with a medium overhand grip performed dead-hang style.

wilburburns · Post by **wilburburns** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 9:59 pm

This sounds like fun, But I will pass on this one. Next time maybe.. I have accepted a Strength challenge on a different forum.

Good luck everyone..

Cliff