I'm naturally a very obsessive person with an addictive mindset when I set my mind to task. This can work for me, but it also can work against me. Some time ago I had a psychologist diagnose me with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and offered me 2 choices. My decision was to be medication to manage my diagnosis or set to task with exact guidelines, calculated, premeditated and exact. I chose the latter of the 2 options, because I really didn't want to pump my body full of pharmaceuticals if I could help it.
Naturally, I embraced the process of having to physically write out an itemized list of actions that needed completed, scheduling my day planner and filling my time with meaningful activities. To this day, I keep to this methodology, but every now and then, my ego gets the best of me as I allow myself to fall off the proven and beaten path. Simply put, I just don't stick to the gameplan of writing it out and implementing.
A goal is great to set since it gives me a target to aim at in my many life conquests. But, unless I define how I plan on hitting the bullseye, or completing my goal, I'm just leaving a blindfold over my eyes and blindly aiming into a darkened room where my target may or may not be. To remove the blindfold, I must give into the proper process that has gained me many victories and far less tribulations. This process includes, writing down the goal, then working my way backwards from that point to the present situation. My map.
This map will turn on the lights, focus my eyes directly on the target and have me aiming with precision. This is my plan to complete 100 pull ups straight in the next 60 days:
1) Saturday is training day when I focus on nothing but pull ups and complementing movements to push me toward the goal of 100 pull ups straight
2) Tuesday and Thursday are secondary priority training days with quick workouts focused on the movement of 100 repetitions
3) A strict sleep schedule will be adhered to of going to bed and getting up at exactly the same time every day with 7-9 hours of sleep
4) Carbohydrate intake will be increased on Saturday to provide extra fuel for the workout
5) Documenting progress and completed tasks on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday on YouTube and Blogger. This holds me strictly accountable and on task.
6) Daily stretch implementation of 5 minutes of the 15 minute daily routine is devoted to upper body stretching (I normally skip my upper body flexibility training)
Day 37 and 38 were complete rest days for pulls. I had a great leg workout yesterday, but nothing pull specific (trust me, I wanted badly to do deadlifts, but they were skipped for the reason that it is a pull specific movement).
Day 39, today, was tremendous. I went to the gym, warmed up for 10 minutes on the treadmill, looked at the pull up middle grip bars and thought, "I'm gonna own you, bitch!"...and I did!
With strict form of allowing my lower body to dangle and pull with zero momentum, I completed 25 pull ups straight. Admittedly the last rep was toughest, but I did it and I felt like a million bucks.
Directly after, I went to the assisted pull up machine, set the pin select at 100 pounds and did 100 pull ups (on the middle grips) without rest. The first 25 were easy to complete, but by 75 repetitions, I was starting to feel a bit exhausted. This is when I dug down deep, and mentally fought through this challenge. And, I did it.
How fitting? I placed the pin select at 100 pounds (off my weight) and completed 100 repetitions straight. I loved it and afterward I felt a slight runner's high. Whew! So, I hit the treadmill for a cooldown and called it a night. My biceps were singing and blood was pumpin' big time through my arms.
Hit me back on Friday and I will give you an update on how successful I am with my plan. This Thursday, I will be doing the same pull up model as today, but this time, I plan to do alternating single arm pull ups for 50 repetitions each side. What are your thoughts on this approach? How would you tweak this model to gain bigger victories? What have you been most successful at in your pull ups?
-Dale L Roberts
One Jacked Monkey
You should consult a qualified medical professional before starting this or any other health & fitness program. As with any exercise or diet program, if at any time you experience any discomfort, pain or duress of any sort, stop immediately and consult your physician. The creators, producers, participants, advertisers and distributors of this program disclaim any liabilities or losses in connection with the exercises or advice herein. Any equipment or workout area that is used should be thoroughly inspected as free of danger, flaw or compromise, ahead of use and the user assumes all responsibility when performing any movements contained in this blog.
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