Day 80 - 84: Still pushing, further clarification and a new practice

By Dale L. Roberts (One Jacked Monkey, LLC
January 30, 2015

The days are starting to close in on my goal to complete 100 pull ups in 100 days.  Have I been successful so far?  Mmmm...yes.  However, have I met my goal?  Not by a long shot!  It has been tougher than I thought and I believe that I do need to take time and do a bit more research on how the successful people have achieved this goal.

It was quite funny that in my pursuit I found this video --->>> HILARIOUS

Okay, so I'm not shooting for the form that this gentleman shows in this video.  He's using quite a bit of kipping and I really cannot differentiate between one rep and the next.  His pull ups are closer to incomplete muscle ups (see this exercise here), almost as if he gets just about at the pressing point, but then drops back down.

No disrespect is intended toward the gentleman in the pull up video.  He is displaying great endurance, speed and strength.  My point is that his form is NOT what I'm shooting for and I believe that during my journey to 100 pull ups that I was starting to look a lot like this gentleman.  I do NOT want that in my end result.

I want 100 solid pull ups that are paced evenly with no momentum as in this video.  You may get a laugh out of the Stephen Hawking voice over in the video.  The form I am shooting for his called a "dead hang" (decent video with a great description)

Over the past 4 days, I have alternated days on and off for pulling up.  I'm sticking to performing 10-15 pull ups straight followed by a brief rest until I reach 50 reps.  Generally this takes me about 6-7 minutes to complete.

Last night, however, I did something completely different.  I loaded and unloaded with each repetition.  First, I reached up and grabbed the bar, pulled myself up off the ground, brought my chest to the bar, then slowly released myself back to the ground and let go of the bar.  I did 15 reps on my first attempt, 10 reps on my second attempt, 15 reps on my third attempt and 10 reps on my last attempt.  Whew!   This was a lot harder and I felt a bit more challenge in gripping this time.

Check back with me again soon as I close in on my 100 day mark.

Days 74 - 79: Writing books, pull ups and knowing my priorities

By Dale L Roberts, One Jacked Monkey, LLC

January 25, 2015

This is a blog that's been a long time in the making.  I was going to go on a rather detailed accounting of the past week, however, this post would become a novel.  So, I'm just going to highlight what I did since staying super busy with travel, writing 2 new books and rewriting 1 old book.

1. I did 2 priority pull up training routines over the past week.  It consisted of 5 sets of 10 pull ups in under 7 minutes and 30 seconds
2. I stretched a lot and continued my neck work using the Denneroll
3. I added rope skipping to my routine and my calves have hated me for it
4. I added bridging to my routine to aid in neck development and spinal decompression

That's my synopsis thus far.  I will get back on here a bit more frequent now that I have 2 of my books off to the editor.  Stay tuned!

Day 66 - 73: Vacation days, a low ceiling and plenty of rest

By Dale L Roberts (One Jacked Monkey, LLC)

January 19, 2015

I realize it has been awhile since the last post, but I had to check in and leave my thoughts on the past week, my progress (or lack thereof) and my on-going pursuit to performing 100 pull ups straight.  

Day 66 & 67 were two days I took off with my usual morning cardio, stretch and increased time on the Denneroll from 4-5 minutes up to the 10 minutes.  Thankfully I had vacation coming up to get a little time respite time away from the usual routine.  Though I travel frequently, I still keep active as possible and hit the gym when I am able.  

Day 68 I arrived in Las Vegas at the New York New York Casino/Resort and checked in long enough to see the gym and spend the rest of the day walking the strip.  

Day 69 I got up, threw down some food and a pre-workout then hit the gym.  I focused on a quick, intense push/pull workout:

------

-Pull Ups x10

-Push Ups x10

-1 minute rest

5 sets

------

-Lat Pulldowns x10 (170, 175, 180, 185, 190)

-Machine Chest Press x10 (90, 110, 130, 150, 185)

-1 minute rest

5 sets

------

Dumbbell Curls dropset 10 reps each

35s, 30s, 25s, 20s, 15s, 10s, 5s

------

About 4 inches between the pull up bar and the ceiling

Day 70 - 72

Other than walking a ton and resting little, I was in full vacation mode.  No excuses, I just cut loose.  Rest and relaxation.  On Day 71 I flew home then slept all the way through 72.

Day 73

I was feeling great today and hit the gym for a quick pull up routine.  My focus was quality pull ups.  If you watched last week's video post (here) you will hear my commentary on the quality of my pull ups.  One of the criticisms I share on my pull ups is the fact that I was not opening up all the way at the elbows and shoulders AND on every first rep, I was jumping up grasping the pull up bar with my elbows already bent.  Therefore the reps I was pushing out were not as good as I THOUGHT.  With a little less than 30 days left in my challenge, this is going to be a hard correction.

BUT, today, I got in, reached up without the jump and pulled up without the jump.  Then, I watched my form on every rep in the mirror across from the pull up bars.  I was able to do 10 quality reps for 5 sets.  The fifth set was most difficult as the last 2 reps were a struggle.  I did this routine in 8 minutes and 15 seconds.  I only had 1 minute rest between each set.  

I'm going to go back into the gym later tonight and repeat this routine.  

That's all I have for now.  Hit me up in a couple of days with the update...for sure this time.

Days 61 - 65: Busy days, staying active

By Dale L Roberts (One Jacked Monkey, LLC)

January 11, 2015

Woo!  It's been a long time since I last posted and it was not my intentions to get this far off track.  I will cover each day very briefly.

Day 61 - This was an off day and I focused just on a little extra cardio (30 minutes on treadmill, elliptical & bike) and 2 stretch sessions.  A tool that I have reintroduced to my arsenal is something called a denneroll (that I never knew how to spell until now).  My chiropractor turned me onto this tool that is used for traction at home.  I find when I am diligent with using it everyday, I feel better and have less tension in my neck.  Long story short - my spine is all kinds of jacked up and I have to exercise, stretch and take corrective measures to keep my quality of life at it's best.  

     If you want more info on the denneroll, click on the link below the picture.

Link to the info

     Essentially, I place the (gray) denneroll just below my shoulders on the spine and I lay on my back.  Slowly, my head tilts back and my neck begins to relax.  It is super awkward, but man, does it feel good after I have finished.  With all that said, if I reference the denneroll, now you know.

Day 62 - This was my secondary priority training day and I usually record my video right after my workouts, but this time I just didn't have it in me.  I did 100 pull ups straight on the assisted pull up machine at -85 pounds on the wide grips.  Whew!  Once again, it was not too bad till I got past 50 repetitions.  Then, my forearms and back were screaming to stop.  But I pushed through!  

      Right after, I got into a great leg workout.  After I was complete, I was a glutton for punishment and hit the assisted pull up machine and cranked out an additional 100 pull ups on the assisted pull up machine at -100 pounds on the narrow grips.  I was dead tired after that and headed home for a quick protein shake then sleep.

Day 63 & 64 - Literally, all I did on these 2 days was 30 minutes of cardio/15 minutes of stretch/5 minutes of denneroll each.  My neck was doing everything in it's power to slow me down.  I was going to tough it out and squeeze in my normal Saturday priority training routine, but I wanted to test out a morning routine for a change and pushed it to Sunday morning.  More about that below.

Day 65 - Priority training day - I got up, ate 1.5 cups of oats, threw back some BCAAs and Spark and read for 30 minutes before I headed into the gym.  My wife came along to capture the footage that I have posted on YouTube.  I didn't time myself this workout, because I just forgot in the process of getting someone to video the workout.  My first attempt only saw 25 pull ups straight on the inner grips.  Not a good start to me.  That's a bit of a back step from last week, so my theory of early morning workout did not payoff today and I'm okay with this development.  My body certainly needed the rest.  The subsequent attempts ranged from 10-15 repetitions.  I would rest for exactly 2 minutes between each attempt.

     I love videoing the process, because now I can evaluate form and see what I need to work on next.  As of this post, I haven't edited the video yet, so I'm not sure how it turned out.  The video should be up by late afternoon on Monday, January 12th.  I will not have another post again until next Saturday's routine as I will be knee deep in finishing up the upcoming books I will be releasing by spring 2015.  

     Thanks for tuning in.  Would love to hear from you, so please feel free to comment, subscribe and share this blog post.

Day 58, 59 & 60: Day Off, Chiropractic Care & Secondary Training Day

By Dale L Roberts (One Jacked Monkey, LLC)

January 7, 2015

It's funny every now and then I have to record and post the video the day after my workout because I hit it so hard that all I can think about is getting my shake in me, showering and hitting the sack.  I was whooped last night.  But, before I get to that, I'll give a brief overview of the days before day 60.

Day 58 was my day off and I focused on cardio, stretching (primarily upper body) and a great legs workout.  I was thankful that Day 59 was just cardio and stretching.  My body was beginning to feel a bit rundown and the old neck was giving me issues.  So, thankfully, day 60 I was already booked to see my chiropractor and get a much needed adjustment.  An instant fix and I could feel a ton of tension release from my left shoulder blade and neck area.

The neck adjustment was just the fix I was needing going into my day 60 workout.  I hit the treadmill for a great warm-up for 10 minutes and immediately attacked the assisted pull up machine.  Wide grips at -100 pounds for 100 repetitions came with...ease. I say that cautiously, because I don't want to jinx myself.  Next:

Superset 1:
Inverted rows 4 sets @ 25 reps
Dumbbell standing straight arm kickbacks (rear delts) 4 sets @ 25 reps (15s, 20s, 25s, 30s)
Superset 2:
Machine Lat Pulldowns 4 sets @ 25reps (130 pounds)
Machine Reverse Flys 4 sets @ 25 reps (85 pounds)
Superset 3:
Lateral/Rear Delt Cable Raise 4 sets @ 15 reps (17.5 pounds)
Dumbbell Zottman Curls 4 sets @ 25 reps (10s, 15s, 20s, 25s)
Set 4:
Assisted Pull Up Machine (inside grips) -100 pounds @ 50 reps

And, I was cashed in!  So, I hit the treadmill for 10 minutes then stretched for an additional 10 minutes right after.  I didn't want this workout to adversely affect my Saturday priority training day.

Catch me in 2 days!

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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Day 56 & 57: Off Day & Priority Training Day

Dale L Roberts (One Jacked Monkey, LLC)

January 4, 2015

     Day 56 was a day off from my pull training with just cardio and stretch training in the morning.  Admittedly I have some spinal issues stemming from my years in professional wrestling and I should have had surgery a number of years ago.  Thankfully, decompression therapy helped stave off surgery and ongoing exercises kept up my quality of life.  Every now and then my neck or low back will come rearing it's ugly head to let me know that I haven't been diligent enough on my corrective exercises and chiropractic maintenance.
     The issues I'm having are neck related as I'm having some left shoulder blade pain and discomfort sleeping.  All this to share that you should ALWAYS pay attention to your body and seek medical attention before an issue becomes a full-blown problem.  So, I'm back into see my favorite chiropractic clinic (InTouch Wellness in Phoenix) and I'm already feeling better after one treatment.  Now, I just have to stick with it and stay to the exercises I'm prescribed by the good doctor (Angelo Pissano, DC).  I'm super excited to get back in on Monday and continue treatment with them since I slept like a baby the first few nights after treatment this past Monday.
     Day 57 was priority training day and I felt like a million bucks.
     I performed 100 (inside grip) pull ups in 15 minutes (on the mark) with 30 pull ups straight on my first attempt followed by 15 repetitions for four attempts and 10 repetitions on the last attempt.  I'm not sure if it was the rest or the pre-workout (2 scoops of SuperPump Max Fruit Punch), but I was real happy with my efforts.  Then, I did the following:

-Assisted Pull Up Machine @ -100 lbs. for 100 repetitions - wide grip (this killed me)

-Machine Lat Pulldowns - drop set 5 lbs. @ 10 repetitions each set - start at 100 lbs.

-Single Cable Pulldowns with Rope Attachment - 32.5 lbs. @ 100 reps

Superset
-Cable Front Pulldowns with Rope Attachment - 4 sets @ 25 reps each set - 32.5/35/37.5/40
-Dumbbell Biceps Curl - 4 sets @ 25 reps each set - 15s

-Behind the Back Barbell Shrugs - dropset for 4 sets at 25 reps each - 135/115/95/75

Then, as per usual, I did a 10 minute cooldown on the treadmill (please remember that I always do a 10 minute warm-up/cooldown without exception).

     That's all I have for today!

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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Days 54 & 55: Rest and Flexibility Training Day

Day 54 was a day off from my pull workouts, but I did get into the gym for morning cardio and stretching then a later workout on my legs.  My back and shoulders were feeling a bit sore, so I really focused on primarily stretching my upper body.

Day 55 should have been my secondary priority training day for pull ups, but I was feeling REALLY sore in my shoulders.  So, I thought I would take it a bit easy.  I took the morning off and relaxed a bit.  A little later into the day I hit the gym for 15 minutes of cardio followed by 15 minutes of deep upper body stretches.  Sadly, my legs were tight, but my upper body was tighter.  I decided that the upper body deserved more of my attention.

Taking the day off was, in my mind, the best idea for a better priority training day on Saturday.  I believe that I will be able to push my personal best in pull ups to 30 repetitions.  We will see, so stay tuned.

-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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