Sun 9/14 (AM)
Kettlebell Workout and Push-ups (30 Minutes)
Sun 9/14 (PM)
Spinning Bike (20 Minutes)
Mon 9/15 (AM)
Bike To Gym
80 Pull-ups (20 Minutes)
Bike To Work
Mon 9/15 (PM)
Bike To Gym
75 Pull-ups
Bike Home
Tue 9/16 (AM)
Weighted Pull-ups
3xBW
3xBW+5
3xBW+10
3xBW+15
3xBW+20
3xBW+25
3xBW+30
3xBW
3xBW
3xBW
Chest Press (slow reps with a focused contraction)…
10x110
10x110
10x110
10x110
10x110
…super-setted with some more regular pull-ups:
3xBW
3xBW
3xBW
3xBW
3xBW
Bike To Work
Getting better on the pull ups I see!! Keep up the good work!
[quote]jblues85 wrote:
Getting better on the pull ups I see!! Keep up the good work![/quote]
Working on’em. It’s been good to focus on improving these - fits nicely with my sort of “functional fitness” approach. I have enjoyed using pull-ups, push-ups, and kettlebell work as my principal fitness focus more than I really expected to, and it feels a bit more sustainable (for now, anyway, we’ll see how this goes over a long period) than doing decades of truly heavy barbell work - not that there’s anything wrong with that, either 
The other factor is that my life will continue to have quite a bit of traveling and odd schedules for at least the next few years, and thus a program that’s highly “portable” is advantageous. I’ll still get some barbell work in here and there when I have time and gym access, but the great virtue of push-ups and kettlebell work is that it travels anywhere that I drive. Whenever I move into a permanent residence (house or condo that I plan to stay in for several years), building a pull-up bar of some type will be a priority, too.
Like granite countertops in the kitchen, the addition of a pullup bar to a residence has been demonstrated to increase the value of the home well beyond the cost of the renovation itself.
You know the old saying: In real estate, the three most important factors in home value are ‘location, location, location–of the pullup bar.’
[quote]EyeDentist wrote:
Like granite countertops in the kitchen, the addition of a pullup bar to a residence has been demonstrated to increase the value of the home well beyond the cost of the renovation itself.
You know the old saying: In real estate, the three most important factors in home value are ‘location, location, location–of the pullup bar.’[/quote]
Lol, indeed. My preference would be an outdoor pull-up bar (a college friend built one in his backyard that I’d want to duplicate) over a doorway bar. I’d love to be able to take my kettlebell outside and spend a nice fall morning alternating sets of pull-ups and kettlebell swings.
One day.
Tuesday 9/16 (PM)
Bikram Yoga Class (60 Minutes)
Wednesday 9/17 (AM)
Bike To Gym
75 Pull-ups
Bike To Work
Thursday 9/18 (AM)
Bike To Gym
A1. Bench Press 5x135, 5x145, 5x155, 5x165, 5x175, 5x185, 5x195, 5x205, 10x135
A2. Pull-ups 5xBW (8 sets)
Bike To Work
Friday 9/19 (AM)
Bike To Gym
Bench Press 5x135, 5x145, 5x155, 5x165, 5x175
Pull-ups 5x5xBW
Incline Bench 5x135, 5x145, 5x155, 5x165, 5x175
Pull-ups 5x5xBW
Bike To Work
I know. I basically just did this workout yesterday. Sue me.
How did doing the same workout feel?
Sometimes a bit of residual soreness helps me connect a little easier… I think it’s a good way to mix things up.
And of course also because arms and shoulders every day.
[quote]Serge A. Storms wrote:
And of course also because arms and shoulders every day.[/quote]
LOL. Pretty much this. Suns out, guns out, amiright?
Seriously, if I were training for powerlifting, or for a sport, I would use sensible periodization, because I’d be more focused with maximizing performance on the core lifts.
But I’m doing lots of pull-ups in general, going mostly by feel, and since I ride my bike to work almost every day and do yoga on the weekends, sometimes I get to the gym and I feel like doing bench and pull-ups, because I LOVE DOING BENCH AND PULL-UPS. Training should be fun.
I’m sensible enough not to MAX OUT on bench two days in a row (look how light the sets today were), it was just kind of something to warm up for some good pull-ups and “feel” the muscles out a bit.
I’m pretty convinced that one day, when I have a house, I will build a pull-up bar in my yard and spend a few weeks doing nothing but daily pushups, pullups, and kettlebell swings. I’d bet that would yield decent results.
What the hell, I really just want to feel good and look good naked.
Friday 9/19 (PM)
A1. Pull-ups 5xBW
A2. Seated Row 8x100
10 rounds of each plus an 11th set of pullups. Each time I cranked out 5 good pull-ups and then did a slow, controlled set of seated rows with a contraction at the “top” of the movement with fairly short rests (did all 21 sets in 20 minutes).
11x5 pull-ups supersetted with rows is really impressive! What’s your max pull-ups in one set?
[quote]furo wrote:
11x5 pull-ups supersetted with rows is really impressive! What’s your max pull-ups in one set?[/quote]
I did a set of 12 a few weeks ago as part of a Mantathlon challenge. I think that’s an all time PR, as I’ve never been really good at them (hence my recent focus - I want to see if I can build a good upper body with pull-ups and push-ups as the main focus, as discussed in your thread, although I’ll keep doing some other stuff that I enjoy, too).
I’d love to reach 10x10 eventually and 1x20. Those are the two goals I’m working towards. Current body weight is 208 pounds (close to your 95 kg); I expect that if I cut to around 195-200 pounds (something I am working on slowly but surely), that will also help the pull-up numbers go up. I’d like my strength-to-weight ratio to improve, as that should assure body-comp improvements as well.
Ah yes I remember you mentioning that. I think that weight loss will make a big difference.
Saturday 9/20 (AM)
Bikram Yoga Class (90 Minutes)
50 Pull-ups (10 Minutes)
Stopped by the outdoor pull-up bar on my bike ride home from yoga and cranked out 10 sets of 5.
Saturday 9/20 (PM)
Quick workout at home with my dad.
Military Press 12x6x110
Arrived at home in mid afternoon and wanted to do a little lift before dinner. Dad agreed to join me for a few presses, so I just used a moderate weight and got some work in, an even dozen sets of 6 solid reps with 110 pounds. Feeling good.