Maximus - pullup question

B

briee

Cathlete
I want to know how you worked up to your 3 sets of 10 pullups and can you ALWAYS do these sets. I ask because on certain days...I just can't do it. It took me months of work, but I did a set of 10 (two weeks ago) right before I had my week and half of tooth pain last week. This morning I could barely get 5 out during my P90X chest and back workout. Some days I can get up to 8 in a set, but I only did 10 once and it was at the end of a leg workout so my arms were NOT fried. I can't imagine doing an upper body workout and then completing 3 sets of 10. When do you fit these sets in and, like I said, can you ALWAYS complete these sets or do you have off days where you can't get that many out? (regardless - you are amazing - I need people like you to keep me motivated and "pushing"). Thanks.

Briee
 
Thank you Susan, very interesting site!!

Quote "If the thought of being ogled by ogres doing curls in the squat rack is enough to make you lose your lunch, this style of training may not be for you" referring to the PTP style of training.

IT DOES!!!! This is why I can't work out in a gym, but I DO wish I had access to some of the machinery!! Many great tips in this article.

Maximus...are you out there?? I'd still like to know your thoughts...I will continue to bump. :) :)

Briee
 
OK.... i don't get it? she talks about the bands.. but doesn't tell us HOW to use them? i don't get it???????????


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cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
Sorry guys....for what it's worth she can tie her bands up in knots, hang plants from them, or better yet use them as waterballoon slingshots (I got this one from my kids - aren't they creative???). I'm severely band resistant, band intolerant, anti-band, contra-band....but who asked for my opinion right???}( }( }(

Briee (sorry...I was born a snot, I'm trying to do better though)

Max....where are you?

Ima....have I told you that you look great...believe me girl you don't need bands...get goin' on that pullup bar!!
 
I think I figured out how she's using the bands after seeing the word "assisted".

You would tie the two ends of the bans at the two ends of the bar forming a "U". It would have to be long enough for you to kneel onto the bands and short enough that the bands will "assist" you upward.

Does this make sense?

A fellow personal trainer swears by the assisted pull-up/dip machine at the gym and she has great arms and upper back. I hate doing these because they are so hard, but after reading this article I think I'll use that machine more often.
 
Oh wow....now that's interesting. I just blew off the band thing, but your description seems to have some merit. Some days when I do the P90X I simply feel like crap, and this would help me endure the chest and back day when I come to one of those yuck days - thanks!!

I just may have to buy a band (I can't believe I said that).

Briee (continually learning ;) )
 
Hi Briee--jeez, I don't know where I was, sorry! :eek:

First, congrats on reaching sets of 10! Pushups are the %#$)@$^ hardest back exercise there is IMO, & you have definitely accomplished something major. And sets of 8 are still pretty darned impressive.

Anyway, I worked my way up by starting w/5 sets of 6, then 6 sets of 5, etc. etc. I always did 30 no matter what.

No, there are definitely days when I do less. My weight is so sensitive--I can gain like 5 lbs in 2 days if I carb out--& it can be a struggle w/the extra weight. And if you're feeling really exhausted you could always do like 4 sets of 8 or something like that.

I only work my back once a week immediately after my bicep workout. In fact, I superset my last bicep exercise (concentration curls) w/my first back exercise, the dreaded pushups. I do them first b/c they're the hardest & I know if I tried to do them after all those lat pulldowns & rows I'd probably have to do like 15 sets of 2. :p

BTW, thanks for the compliment--I hardly think of myself as amazing, I'm struggling & plodding through all this like everyone else. I've just been doing it for a really really long time so have gotten to the point where it's habit.
 
Thanks so much Max. Regarding the carb weight gain. If I've had some bad days, I can barely get out 4 pullups, but if I've been good and keep the weight down and all else is right, the wind is blowing in the correct direction....then I can get out 10 and I've only done that twice now. Food has a lot to do with my progress and I was wondering if this affected you as well. Also, it seems like if I don't keep at them consistently I loose it quick!!! We have a pullup bar upstairs in our school room and also one in our workout room, so for a few days I'd try to do a few every time I walked through the doorway....this helped sooooo much. This past week I've eaten junk and worked out not as much and I'm sure I've lost it again.

Thank you for explaining your system. I'm amazed that you do them AFTER your bicep work. Seems if I do ANY upperbody work prior to pullups, I can't do quite as many. I was wondering if you did them on a separate day, but no.....now your even more amazing!! Do you do various hand positions or stick to primarily reverse grip? Thanks again!!

Briee
 
I don't use reverse grip--I use a wide grip hands forward. Don't know why but I've always done it that way. Guess I'm just a masochist. }(

The food thing makes a difference in pretty much every aspect of my workout. It's kind of ironic too. Like, I look so much better when I stick to low carb & of course the pullups are easier b/c I'm lifting less body weight. On the other hand, when I eat carbs I feel much stronger, & on the weekends when I do most of my lifting I definitely increase my carb intake--even junk food, b/c pretty much any increase in carbs increases my strength. It's a double edged sword.
 
Briee,

Thanks so much for the compliment, you are very sweet, but I think I need the bands! My all time best is 2 reverse grips in a row! How sorry is that! I refuse to quit!

I keep hoping it is a matter of getting a *feel* for them and then I will just pump them out...at least that is what I dream about (literally). One night I had a dream that I got the *feel* and pumped out 17 before feeling a little burn!!! Woke up to doing 1-2!!!x( x( x(
 
Oh wow...I've had the same dream...reoccurring in fact. It's like I'm weightless and can just pump them out and it's SOOOOO REAL. One time I stopped at 30 only because I was bored. OBVIOUSLY this was a dream.

Max....sheesh, wide grip overhand. Now that is in my dreams! This is good though...I need you to keep challenging my dream!! Man...wide grip...how cool is that. OH my.

Briee
 
>Hi Briee--jeez, I don't know where I was, sorry! :eek:
>
>First, congrats on reaching sets of 10! Pushups are the
>%#$)@$^ hardest back exercise there is IMO, & you have
>definitely accomplished something major. And sets of 8 are
>still pretty darned impressive.

Did you mean pullups, Maximus? I thought that's what Briee was asking about, but SETS OF 10!! You've got to be kidding me. Push ups make more sense given that number!!

Kerrie
 
howdy IMA!

we're liking P90X so far... i mean.. it's not cathe! lol! doesn't have her fun factor! and i DREAD yoga.. just don't really care for it (today was a yoga day... i slept 10 minutes late and took too long getting ready to workout.. so i was late for work! good thing they are nice about that! even though i'm catching on to the moves and did them all today (including a 3 second crane hold! woo hoo!) i still just don't care for yoga! and i have to do it TWICE next week! UGH!!!!!!!) and actually... once i get into it.. i don't hate it as much as i dread it before doing it (does that make sense?) but i degress!

i love the shoulders and arm workout! plyo is "fun" (except the last sports part.. you should see me "throw" with my left hand!) cathe got me in great shape so that it's not an awful workout for me like it would be a non-catheite! (shhhhh hubby almost puked the first time we did it! guess it's a lot different than riding a bike!)

pulling this back to on subject.. i can't do unassisted pull ups yet... when will i be able to do at least one??? *cry* i use a chair or my high step... depending on if i use the door thingy (chair) or the weight cage bar thingy (high step with other leg bent) (now that i've read how the bands work.. it sounds interesting!)

i'm anxious to try core synergistics.. i haven't even previewed it yet... that's on schedule for monday! so i'll preview it over the weekend!

oh... were doing the classic (is that what it's called?) but i guess really it could be considered a modified "double" for me (and now him) cuz i ride my bike each night after work.. which could be considered a replacement for their cardioX (he's just starting to ride again... recovering from a strained itilia or something like that band on his knee) i did the 15 reps the first 2 weeks.. but yesterday tried to heavy up and do the 8.... i think i liked it better.. felt harder (but no DOMS)... so i think i will try that on the other ones after recovery week next week!

i will say that i'm gonna be SOOOO excited to do cathe again after the 90 days! i'll be like a kid in a candy store picking out which to do first! (bootcamp probably! lol!)

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cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
You guys are making my head spin....okay so that's not an exceptionally hard thing to do....Max meant PULLUPS, right???? I just assumed she mistyped herself. Both times! But, when you can do 3 sets of 10 pullups...you are allowed typos, right???

WE ARE TALKING PULLUPS HERE. I've seen pix of this woman...she could probably do like 70 pushups (if we were talking pushups) on her toes one handed with a rose between her teeth.

Briee
 
Oh lord have mercy just send me home now--yes I meant PULLUPS!!!!! PULLUPS DAMMIT!!! Sheesh!

LMAO at the pushups! My chest is my weakest body part. I remember I used to train w/this college football player & we'd superset 4 sets of pushups w/bench presses. Man it was hard. I'd do like 40 my first set & be down to 10 on my last. But I wore the rose behind my ear, not between my teeth. :7
 
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