Follow up to "I DID 75 PULL-UPS!!!"

pink_fortitude

pink_fortitude

Banned
Hey all! I just wanted to leave a quick note here for you guys. I had screamed at the top of my lungs with glee how I had done all of those pull-ups a while ago and I got a ton of PMs asking what I did and how I worked up to them. Rather than emailing everyone back individually, I thought (hoped :eek:) it would be okay to post exactly what I did here.

I am still doing the Enter the Kettlebell rotation, and after my "medium" workout today I filmed an explanation and showed the exercises that I did to work up to being able to any pull-ups at all. I also have kept a log of what workouts I do because a lot of people asked about that, too. I hope this isn't presumptuous of me, but I am still really excited about what I have been accomplishing and all of the personal bests I have been slaughtering, and other people really seemed to be interested. :)

Here is the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJt31HefYAk
I just published it so it's still a bit fuzzy. (The intro is a collection of the pull-ups that I'd done today in groups during my workout - sorry about the abrupt song ending.)

Have an awesome day!

Melissa
 
Melissa, a big standing ovation to you!!! I'll look forward to watching this later on!

...ETA...it's later now. And another standing ovation. Thanks so much for posting this and letting us know. You ARE an inspiration!

I think I'll even go work out! Woot!
 
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Good video!

Pull-ups & pushups - same routine to add to your numbers....do them & do them & do them! Everyone hates them because they are so hard, but they are so worth the effort. Nothing build the upper body like these 2 exercises.
 
Melissa,

Thank you! This is very helpful! I don't know if you got my comment I put on your website. But I have been very inspired ever since your first post about the pull-ups. Since then, I went from not knowing much about kettlebells, to now owning 8 different sizes, Pavels book, ETK workbook, 2 Lauren dvds, all AOS dvds and a pullup bar. I am all set and BROKE!!!:eek:

I have been working out with heavy weights for 2 years and wanted to add something to my w/o's. Kettlebells are the perfect answer, they are so fun!! Right now I'm working on my form. I did 12 pullups yesterday throughout my w/o. Two is the most I did in a row, but I'm just starting.

One thing I am confused about, well I guess because it's so drilled into my head that you can't work the same muscles daily, how can I do kb's and pullups everyday? Even if there are light and heavy days in ETK.

Thanks again for the inspiration!!!!! Can't wait to start my 12 weeks of ETK. :D


Linda
 
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Melissa

Thanks for posting your video. I just finished watching it and learned a lot; working on it every day and not going to failure seem to be the take home points.

I also appreciated your tips on the beginner phase and how you worked up to it, like squeezing/contracting your back muscles at the top of the move and lowering down slowly and in control.

Are you doing kettlebell every day?
 
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Awesome Melissa!!!! Your YouTube video is very inspiring.....I think I'll try it!! Thanks for the advise..
 
Melissa THANK YOU!!!! Oh my gosh!!!!! I'm going to try this. Thanks for being such an inspiration!!!!!!!!!!! You are awesome! Nice abs by the way. What kind of pull up bar do you have?
 
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Rational behind "not going to failure"

Janis said:
Melissa

Thanks for posting your video. I just finished watching it and learned a lot; working on it every day and not going to failure seem to be the take home points.

I also appreciated your tips on the beginner phase and how you worked up to it, like squeezing/contracting your back muscles at the top of the move and lowering down slowly and in control.

Are you doing kettlebell every day?
Click to expand...

I'm going to follow the pointers expressed in the video - I was wondering what the rational is behind not going to failure - anybody care to weigh in? My mistake is not doing that and not doing them often enough.
 
You...are...AWESOME! Thanks so much for posting that!

I'm thinking that working your muscles daily but NOT going to failure is really, really significant. To me that builds strength and endurance, but not big muscles.

Years ago I di the FIRM every day, working the same muscles every day, but given the type of workouts I wasn't going to failure. That was when I got in my best shape....ever.

Since then I've second-guessed myself, trying heavy weights, and I just need to smack myself in the head and go back to that. For me, working to failure doesn't work.
 
cakebaker said:
I'm going to follow the pointers expressed in the video - I was wondering what the rational is behind not going to failure - anybody care to weigh in? My mistake is not doing that and not doing them often enough.
Click to expand...

Good question, and one I have been thinking about, a lot, since yesterday. Since the advice is coming from Pavel/kettlebell, perhaps it is a safety issue.

If you are swinging a bell and go to failure you increase the risk of losing control of the bell or dropping it. Into the t.v. comes to mind, onto ones head, onto a foot or toe. With chin-ups and pull-ups going to failure could set you up for injury too.....bad form, wrenched shoulder, strained joints....

Just my working theory.

I'd like more information too!
:D
 
cakebaker said:
I'm going to follow the pointers expressed in the video - I was wondering what the rational is behind not going to failure - anybody care to weigh in? My mistake is not doing that and not doing them often enough.
Click to expand...

The rationale is a method that Pavel calls "Grease the Groove", a.k.a. GTG. Here's an article about it. The method has been used for a long time by those who train for strength and performance.

http://humanmachine.wordpress.com/2007/06/22/grease-the-groove-for-strength/

Pavel also has a book called "Power to the People". The PTP program works on a similar/same concept. You train two lifts frequently (deadlift and press) at sub-maximal loads, with PERFECT FORM to build strength.

In it's most simplistic sense, frequently working to failure burns out the central nervous system and impedes strength progress, so you don't do it all the time.
 
cakebaker said:
I'm going to follow the pointers expressed in the video - I was wondering what the rational is behind not going to failure - anybody care to weigh in? My mistake is not doing that and not doing them often enough.
Click to expand...
In a book that I had peeked at (can't remember the name of the title just now) the comparison was made between weightlifters and chimpanzees. Chimpanzees spend all of their time pulling their own body weight up trees, swinging around, jumping from limb to limb. Weight lifters are definitely able to lift very heavy weights, but there is a huge difference: chimps are a gazillion times (okay, he didn't say gazillion) stronger than even the strongest weight lifter is, they don't get tired pulling themselves and their young around and they are thinner. A weight lifter, though strong, can't lift anything past his max rep and he is bulky. He tires quickly. So frequency + consistency = strength and few + failure = mass. That isn't saying that we could be as strong as a chimp, but that animals don't work out and they do the same things over and over again and have small muscles but incredible strength, so the same method is applied to conditioning people.

The girls in the check-in I am part of here are able to dead lift numbers that absolutely make my eyes pop out of my head (I think Gayle was over 200# the last time she posted a DL workout) and they use this method. I don't understand the science behind it, but the common sense part I have just been able to start understanding recently (and I really feel that they can explain it better than I can so please feel free to chime in! ;))

It starts to make sense to me as to why I have been able to increase my weights so quickly with kettlebells in general with swinging, windmills, tactical lunges, etc: because not a single AOS or Lauren workout I had ever done trained to failure. I can't get past 10# for bicep curls or overhead presses in a Cathe w/o (I still love you Cathe!), but I could press 20# over my head with one arm after only a month of kettlebell training (Providence). The theory stated ^^^ makes sense to me after experiencing what I have. :)

Did I make any sense? :p

Melissa
 
Gayle said:
The rationale is a method that Pavel calls "Grease the Groove", a.k.a. GTG. Here's an article about it. The method has been used for a long time by those who train for strength and performance.

http://humanmachine.wordpress.com/2007/06/22/grease-the-groove-for-strength/

Pavel also has a book called "Power to the People". The PTP program works on a similar/same concept. You train two lifts frequently (deadlift and press) at sub-maximal loads, with PERFECT FORM to build strength.

In it's most simplistic sense, frequently working to failure burns out the central nervous system and impedes strength progress, so you don't do it all the time.
Click to expand...
HA! I must have just started when you clicked "submit!" I am so happy you shared, thanks for the link!!! :D

Melissa
 
WOW!

Melissa, thank you so much for your video! I learned a lot, and BTW you look great.

Thanks to everyone else for your contributions, too. I'm really having some Eureka! moments today.

Jane
 
Gayle said:
The rationale is a method that Pavel calls "Grease the Groove", a.k.a. GTG. Here's an article about it.

In it's most simplistic sense, frequently working to failure burns out the central nervous system and impedes strength progress, so you don't do it all the time.
Click to expand...

Gayle, great article! Thanks for posting the link.

pink_fortitude said:
frequency + consistency = strength and few + failure = mass. :p

Melissa
Click to expand...

The formula makes a lot sense Melissa!

Once my shoulder is better I am going to begin my pull up/chin up journey.
Very inspiring!
 
Melissa!

Wow, what an inspiration you are. I visited your website and it blew me away! I will definitely look into this ETK, because, it will be my next level. I am trying hard to master push ups, but haven't been very successful so far. I think it's because of my lack of consistency! Thank you so much for posting

linda
 
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