Just shy of being a World Record Holder
June push-up and pull-up challenge has begun. With so much running ahead this month I thought it best to get “extra” reps in while I have the time and energy. Managed 275 and 85 today to start things out. And added a second pull-up bar at the house so I’m never too far from one of the two. Tomorrow also brings my first marathon “race pace” training run, a 6-miler to see where I’m at.
Just as I thought, “wow, 1000 pull-ups in just one month is quite a goal and I am going to be so awesome,” I came across this: The most pull ups in one hour is 1,009 by Stephen Hyland (UK) in his home fitness center, Stoneleigh, UK, on 1 August 2010. Hyland completed 91 sets of eight repetitions, 20 sets of seven repetitions, six sets of nine repetitions, four sets of four repetitions, three sets of six repetitions, and one set each of 21, 12, 10, five, three and two repetitions.
After the Tough Mudder race on January 30th there was a pull-up challenge, where the Wounded Warriors program got a dollar for each rep (after some number I can’t recall, maybe 10?) of pull-ups each participant completed. After Andres got something like 24, so “low” because this was after over 2 hours on the 10-mile obstacle course, I felt like I had to give it a try. Pull-ups have always been a relatively weak area for me. I say it is because of my monkey-like long arms: further to pull. Or maybe because I have a torn labrum in my left shoulder. Or because there is just so much heavy muscle in my legs. All are equally valid explanations but none is as accurate as the likely culprit – I just haven’t done them enough so I’m not that strong.
Even so, I was able to do respectably well, considering all of my defects and being a bit worn out from the race. I’m not sure whether the shotgunned beer and recovery drink immediately before the attempt helped or hurt the effort. Either way, here’s how I did:
[Yeah, there is supposed to be something here but I’m trying to find it.]
(Note, these are NOT pull-ups, they are chin-ups, which I think are easier for most people.)
Kind of Like Fun 