20 Pull-ups Challenge – Test Time

Friday-Friday-Friday!

If you successfully completed week 8 of the  20 Pull-ups Challenge you’re ready for the final test. Take two days off. Eat well and remember to drink water. Now you should be able to do 20 pull-ups. If you couldn’t, don’t give up. Repeat week 7 and then 8 and retest yourself.

Due to a technical difficulty paired with depleted glycogen stores I will be repeating week 7 again.  It’s not all bad though, because of last week’s debacle I accidentally found out that I can do 12 pull-ups!

Let me know how your week goes.

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 8 – The Workout

Here is the final week’s workout of the challenge!

Week 8 20 Pull-ups Challenge workout.  Remember that you must have successfully completed last week’s workout before progressing (I am a week behind you).

Week 8: 20 pull-ups challenge workout and a little motivation to keep us going…

“We will either find a way, or make one. “ – Hannibal

Day 1: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 5 pull-ups

Set 2: 6 pull-ups

Set 3: 7 pull-ups

Set 4: 8 pull-ups

Set 5: 9 pull-ups

Day 2: Rest 90 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 8 pull-ups

Set 2: 9 pull-ups

Set 3: 10 pull-ups

Set 4: 11 pull-ups

Set 5: 12 pull-ups (holy crap)

Day 3: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 13 pull-ups

Set 2: 11 pull-ups

Set 3: 9 pull-ups

Set 4: 7 pull-ups

Set 5: max pull-ups

Good luck my friends I know that you can do it!  Next week is test week…gulp.

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 7 – The Workout

TGIF!  If you have reached this point you only have 2 training weeks to go.  Before you do anything give yourself a big hug and a pat on the back.

Here is the week 7 20 Pull-ups Challenge workout.  Remember that you must have successfully completed last week’s workout before progressing (I will be hanging back this week to perfect my week 6).

Week 7: 20 pull-ups challenge workout and a little motivation to keep us going…

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” – Friedrich Neitzche

Day 1: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 4 pull-ups

Set 2: 5 pull-ups

Set 3: 6 ull-ups

Set 4: 6 pull-ups

Set 5: 7 pull-ups

Day 2: Rest 90 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 8 pull-ups

Set 2: 7 pull-ups

Set 3: 8 pull-ups

Set 4: 7 pull-ups

Set 5: 8 pull-ups

Day 3: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 5 pull-ups

Set 2: 6 pull-ups

Set 3: 8 pull-ups

Set 4: 9 pull-ups

Set 5: 10 pull-ups (double digits baby!)

Remember also that what doesn’t kill you makes you freaking awesome!

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 6 In Review

After squeaking through last week, I knew that this week’s pull-up workout was going to be a bit of a challenge.   Now don’t get me wrong, each week has challenged me in it’s own special way, but last week was different and with all that had been going on, I really had to dig deep to pull it off (ba-dum-dum-chsh).

Rested and ready to go, day 1 was ok until the final set of 7 pull-ups.  I was good until I hit 5, 6 was a grunt and 7 was plain old pitiful, but the set was completed.  My arms vibrated for the first 20 minutes of my spin class that followed.

I was feeling a pretty anxious as I went into day 2 because the total pull-ups for the workout went from 27 to 31.  I had hoped for a miraculous weight loss over the weekend because I knew that was the only way I was going to be able to get through the session, but that didn’t happen and neither did my final 7 pull-ups.  Well 5 did, the 6^th was questionable and number 7…I had nothing left.  I even tried to repeat the last set but only managed to do 4.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t screaming mad.  The difference between failure and completion was 1 freaking pull-up.  To top it off I knew that I would make it through day 3 because the number of pull-ups decreased instead of increasing and would finish off with a rep max and it wouldn’t matter the number, as long as there was a number, which I knew that there would be. GRRRRRRR!

After a moment or two, ok five of berating myself in my mind as I walked around the gym with my head down, life according to D gave me a little bitch slap…first world problems…if this is the biggest problem that you have today.  Yes, I was behaving poorly and somewhere between sets 4 and 5 I had seemed to forget that this is a challenge, it is supposed to challenge me.

So fueled by tenacity and with a big smile on my face, I am happily (she says with grit teeth) going to repeat week 6 while you all progress to week 7, and if I don’t make it next week, I will repeat it again damn it.

How did your week go?

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 6 -The Workout

Happy Friday friends!

Here is the week 6 20 Pull-ups Challenge workout.  Remember that you must have successfully completed last week’s workout before progressing.

Week 6: 20 pull-ups challenge workout and a little motivation to keep us going…

“From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached.” – Franz Kafka

Day 1: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 5 pull-ups

Set 2: 4 pull-ups

Set 3: 5 pull-ups

Set 4: 6 pull-ups

Set 5: 7 pull-ups (gulp)

Day 2: Rest 90 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 7 pull-ups

Set 2: 6 pull-ups

Set 3: 5 pull-ups

Set 4: 6 pull-ups

Set 5: 7 pull-ups

Day 3: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 8 pull-ups (double gulp)

Set 2: 6 pull-ups

Set 3: 5 pull-ups

Set 4: 4 pull-ups

Set 5: max pull-ups

No turning back now!

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 5 – In Review

Logic would say that if one wants to increase the amount of pull-ups one does, one’s weight should not also increase during the process (and believe me when you are trying to finish those final few sets, arms quivering, eyes closed, face beet red, making that grunting sound from the back of your throat that you may have mocked people in the past for doing, EVERY pound or portion of a pound of the weight you are trying to pull-up counts). As my husband will tell you, I checked logic at the door long ago, and with no help at all from the Easter bunny, I made it through week 5 only by the skin of my teeth. But I did make it!

The way the week worked out, days 2 and 3 were done back to back, and boy did I pay for it, y-ouch. And I was a bit disappointed that my rep max for day 3 set 5 was a pitiful 5 pull-ups, but I am owning it.

Now back on track and with 62 hours of rest before, some well placed cardio and a belly full of spinach, look out week 6 I am coming for you!

How did your week go?

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 5 – The Workout

I hope that your Friday is good!

It would seem that since the Tough Mudder posted on their Facebook page that less than 25% of their participants make it across the Funky Monkey (TM’s equivalent of the monkey bars) a few more of you have jumped on this challenge. For those of you that still haven’t, it’s not too late.

Here is the week 5 20 Pull-ups Challenge workout.  Remember that you must have successfully completed last week’s workout before progressing.

Week 5: 20 pull-ups challenge workout and a little motivation to keep us going…

“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.” – E. Joseph Crossman

Day 1: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 4 pull-ups

Set 2: 3 pull-ups

Set 3: 4 pull-ups

Set 4: 3 pull-ups

Set 5: 4 pull-ups

Day 2: Rest 90 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 5 pull-ups

Set 2: 3 pull-ups

Set 3: 4 pull-ups

Set 4: 3 pull-ups

Set 5: 5 pull-ups

Day 3: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 6 pull-ups (yikes!)

Set 2: 5 pull-ups

Set 3: 4 pull-ups

Set 4: 3 pull-ups

Set 5: max pull-ups

You know that you don’t want to be part of that 75%.

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 4 in Review

Well, I am continuing to battle through the challenge and week 4 is complete!

Thought I might include a pull-up proof of life from my workout this evening. They are far from perfect but they are certainly coming along. Setting the scene, 20 Pull-ups Challenge, Week 4, Day 3, Set 3…

And for my final set of the week, I max’d out at 7, so I am getting there.

How did your week go?

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 4 – The Workout

Spring is finally here and you know what that means?  T-shirts, tank tops and dare I say bathing suits are in the foreseeable future, so I am not stopping now!

Here is the week 4 20 Pull-ups Challenge workout.  Remember that you must have successfully completed last week’s workout before progressing.

Week 4: 20 pull-ups challenge workout and a little motivation to keep us going…

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun

Day 1: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 3 pull-ups

Set 2: 2 pull-ups

Set 3: 3 pull-ups

Set 4: 2 pull-ups

Set 5: 3 pull-ups

Day 2: Rest 90 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 3 pull-ups

Set 2: 3 pull-ups

Set 3: 2 pull-ups

Set 4: 3 pull-ups

Set 5: 3 pull-ups

Day 3: Rest 120 seconds between each set (longer if required)

Set 1: 3 pull-ups

Set 2: 3 pull-ups

Set 3: 3 pull-ups

Set 4: 2 pull-ups

Set 5: max pull-ups

Let me know how it goes!

20 Pull-ups Challenge: Week 3 In Review

And just like that, there goes another week. With the kids out of school for Spring Break, I took the week off from the Studio. I spent a few days playing and eating in Seattle with my gang (I never get tired of that city) and the rest of the time playing and eating with my gang in Maple Ridge. It hasn’t been entirely no work though, I did teach a few classes at the Leisure Centre and got my 3 days of pull-ups in.

Over the last couple of weeks, the challenge has been evolving for me. Last week I changed my grip and this week thanks to a tip from one of my Friday morning spinners, I have now changed my choice of pull-up bar. The bar that I had been using in the weight room is right in the middle of all of the machines so it can be a bit of a challenge when the facility is busy to spend 5-7 minutes there without getting in way of the other patrons, and it is right in the middle of the weight room, which wouldn’t be such a big deal if I were already doing my 20 perfect pull-ups, but my 2 here, 3 the next time…let’s just say I would much rather be doing them in a less conspicuous spot, which I now have.

While my arms are completely fatigued by the time I have completed my 5 sets, I am not feeling the stiffness and soreness the day following that I was when I started 4 weeks ago. I max’d out at 5 pull-ups with good form for my final set this week, and am feeling pretty proud of myself. I have to say, I am very tempted just to see how many I can do without the 4 sets before, but promise to play by the rules and wait until after I finish week 8.

It’s been kind of quiet out there with the comments, but I know that some of you are playing along too. So how’s it going?

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