The Git's Coronary Bypass Bypass

I don't blame you. "Harry Potter" makes me want to hit things as well.

Could be worse, though. They could have been watching "Twilight"!

 

Nowt like dead hang chins as a reality check!

You know the progression though, right? Dead hang for time, jump up and static hold at the top, slow negatives, etc? You could just get a lot stronger, then you could keep eating pies (pies are delicious) easier said than done...

 

Could you elaborate on that one, Harry?

 

Sure

Set a goal of a number of full range of motion pull ups (dead hang at the bottom, no leg swing, chest to bar without shoulders rising up, controlled and held at the top for a 1 second pause, controlled lowering).

Let's pick 5 as an example.

If you can't do a single pull up, you grab the bar and hang for enough time to complete your set of 5 (30s should be enough). This is to train your grip and prepare your body for hanging from your hands for that long. If you can do 30s, do a few 'sets' of 30s, if that's not challenging, try 45s. This is a dead hang, there should be a little tension in your muscles so you're not just hanging from your joints (ligaments).

Once you can hang on to the bar for long enough you're ready for the next bit - hanging at the top of a pull up!

Use a box/stool/chair to put you at a height where you can grab the bar (or rings) and jump so you're at the top of a pull up (bar at chest, shoulders down (no shrugging), neck neutral (look forward, no sticking your chin forward (make double chins)).

Try to hold that position for 1-3s without letting your shoulders shrug up! This is a pause at the top.

As you lower yourself down, do so slowly and under control back to the dead hang. If you can make the lowering last 5 seconds without your shoulders shrugging up or your chin sticking forward you're doing well! This is a slow negative.

Remember your rep goal of 5? Good

Start off your set from a dead hang, pull up chest to bar, 1s pause at the top, controlled lowering over 1-2s. This is a regular rep. Do as many regular reps as possible until you can't put your chin over the bar without sticking your chin out or shrugging your shoulders up.
This might be 1 or 2.
Have a short rest while you get in position to jump up to hold and pause at the top (aim for 3s) and do a slow negative (aim for 5s).
Do twice as many of these hold/slow neg reps as remain in your "ideal" regular set. So with your goal of 5 reps, you did 2 regular, with 3 left, so do 6 hold/slow neg reps.

Once you get the hang of it (lololol), add more sets. This is a skill, so if you can do 2 sessions every day (basement gym for the win) you'll get better much than 1 set per week when "back day" comes around

Good luck, keep at it, no shoulder shrugging or sticking your chin out!

Remember that: movement quality > reps+sets > load, so one perfect rep is better (in my eyes) than 3 shoddy ones with extra weight.

 

Thank you kindly, Harry. I thought you were meaning something along these lines but this gives a very complete programme with correctives and tips!

 

Harry's suggestion is great! I have watched in the past some good videos of Charles Poliquin about the slow eccentric method Harry is talking about.
You can check them out here and see if they are of any help to you https://www.youtube.com/results?sea...n+on+How+to+improve+your+Chin-Up+performance+

 

Thanks much, Madao. Is there a specific video that you are referencing? The link go's to a search page and looks to be several videos utilising different methods.

 

01.01.2015

Another 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' day - With the wife, kids and me being home all these last two weeks, its very difficult to plan and adhere to any sort of scheduled work-out plan.

It usually amounts to me realising I've maybe 15 minutes and then ad-lib something on the fly.

I really need to put together routines ahead of time for just such occasions so I won't end up inadvertently working on muscle groups that I've already hit the previous days or being too narrow with regards to the cardio routines that I do.

I've a good many resources as far as books, mags, MAP and the like. Its a matter of sorting through the data and putting together a good progressive plan and outlining the routines that will make up the plan.

That takes time - my 15 minutes are up
​

 

01.01.15

Stretches.............................................................................reps

• neck flexion and extension, lateral flexion and rotation.............6
• shoulder circles...............................................................6
• arm swings - overheads and crossovers................................6
• hip circles......................................................................6
• lunges with rotation....................................................6 per leg

Routine...............................................................Reps/Sets/Time

• Single leg squat..................................................10/3sets per leg
• plank hand changes....................................... 3/3 sets per upper/lower
• gluteal bridge.................................................20sec hold/10reps/3 sets
• side plank......................................................20sec hold/10reps/3 sets each side
• 10 lb medicine ball single leg squat to shoulder press..... 10/3 each leg
• Plank to single leg raise........................................hold 20 sec/10reps/3 sets
• 10 lb medicine ball lunge (wood chop)......................5reps/3 sets

​

Bagwork was done with maximum power/energy expenditure with each strike - went at it as if I was in the fight of my life with each blow intended for a KO.


Didn't last long


70lb Bag........................................................................Time/Rest

• stiff head jabs.....................................................3 min/30sec
• head jab/body cross.............................................2 min/30sec
• jab/body cross/left hook........................................2 min/30sec
• jab/cross/left hook/right hook................................2 min/30sec
• Straight right/left hook/right hook/left uppercut..........2

Lungs feel like they are coming out of my throat. Quick check of heart rate.


Cardio is not improving maybe getting worse...but I've gained weight over the holidays.


Time to loose that.

• Box Jump.............................................3 min

​

 

The videos that demonstrate the slow negative method, (the one Harry suggested among other things) are the ones named "Coach Charles Poliquin on How to improve your Chin-Up performance".
I linked the search page, because it has a few more videos from Poliquin about pull ups with some extra tips.

 

I'm still blown away you can do single leg squats... :wow:

 

We're talking about the same, garden variety single leg squat, right??

One has to 'get into the zone' with regards to balancing - if that's what you're meaning - sort of a meditative approach; but once you're "there" with balance...(plus, I've kept up all my physio-taught corrective routines after I snapped a hamstring early last year)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5gcX4AItbs"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5gcX4AItbs[/ame]​

 

My garden doesn't grow single leg squats

That's still pretty impressive!

Keep at it and maybe you can work your way up to this bad boy:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEBol54EjVE"]Pistols - One Leg squat... CompleteStrength! - YouTube[/ame]

I've been trying for about a year and I can maybe get a quarter as low as this guy...and that's on a good day...on a month with a "Q" in it.

 

Oh, what that fellow is doing is freaking brutal! I canna go near that low and my back isn't even as straight as in the vid I posted.

To the extent I can do them is prolly due to many years addiction to staircase lunges, walking lunges, split lunges, jumping lunges - literally an obsession, lol.

 

Basically. I have awful ankle flexibility and just can't get the knack of it to save my life. Regardless, it's impressive you can do it .

 

I guy showed me a great way to cheat without cheating (similar to Bruce Lee's "fighting without fighting"): Use some kind of support...a table, chair, youngest kid...as a support when you squat down. Go all the way down and then use the support to help pull yourself back up.

As your body gets used to the motion, you'll find that you rely less and less on the support.

At least, that's what I've heard. I still haven't been able to do it with out the "training wheels", so to speak.

Nice. I don't think there's a support group for "Lunge Addiction"!

 

Oh, I found the Twelve-Steps to Completely Snapping the Hamstring programme offered a complete cure.

 

I'd more than be happy to swap it for your ability to go 15 minutes of kickboxing on a bag without needing to update your will beforehand.

But thanks!

 

03.01.2015

I'm finding myself in the unenviable position of having to note on today's log that I'm unable to perform any of what was planned to be a nice continuation of the previous day's routines.

I awoke very stiff and after tottering straight-legged out of bed, had the first of what would end up being a number of increasingly debilitating 'seisures' in the back of the thighs. Muscle spasms in each leg grew worse as the day progressed ... unable to even bend over to lace my boots. The pain did not stay localised to the backs of the legs but progressed to the anterior portions of the legs, but the almighty muscle lock-downs occur in the posterior thighs. Squatting down seems the trigger for the worst of the spasms.

I'm thinking it to be a potassium deficiency - I know its not a popped hamstring as I've that before.

Even after ibuprophen, can barely move about.

Tomorrow, surely will be better as I've began taking potassium supplements.

 

Haha, you're welcome. For what its' worth, you haven't seen me on the bag

Ouch!

I hope you feel better soon.

Do you take any fish oil or anything similar? Also, foam roller?