Fitness Junction

This week:

• Knowledge Corner: Pull-up progression

• Monthly Challenge Update: January - The Two Day Rule

• Meme Center: Offending crossfitters

Knowledge Corner: Pull-up Progression

Pull-ups are a challenging exercise to improve. With any weightlifting movement, you can lower the weight if you’re having a hard time achieving the volume you need to progress, but that isn’t an option for pullups (unless you shave your head and/or do them naked). Moreover, unlike most bodyweight exercises – push-ups, squats, sit-ups, etc. – pull-ups require a significant amount of starting strength to accomplish even 1-2 reps. So how do you work around these obstacles and improve your pull-ups if you’re stuck in the 0-3 rep range? Here are some options:

• Use an assisted pull-up machine

• Use a resistance band as another form of assistance

• Do pull-up negatives: Use a box or jump up to the pull-up bar to get your chin over the bar and then lower yourself down as slowly as possible

• Do other exercises to improve your back strength, such as lat pull-downs and rows

Utilize these tools until you can do 4-5 unassisted pull-ups. At that point, pull-up ladders will become your best friend. The ladder method enables you to do a surprising amount of volume within in a single workout and results will follow quickly. I still use ladders that cap off at sets of 7-8 to maintain a 20+ max set of pull-ups.

Trivia

Last week, we learned that the first modern Olympics had two weightlifting events: The one hand lift and the two hand lift. What weight won the gold medal in the two hand lift?

• A. 111.5kg (246lbs) - Viggo Jensen of Denmark

• B. 112.5kg (248lbs) - Launceston Elliot of the UK

• C. 115kg (254lbs) - Sotirios Versis of Greece

• D. 228kg (500lbs) - Teddy Roosevelt of the USA

January Challenge: Two Day Rule

Spanish practice is going well! I missed a few days, but with the Two Day Rule (never miss a habit two days in a row), I've been more consistent in working on this skill. To learn more about the idea of the Two Day Rule, check out this thread.

P.S. The binging of food and drink this holiday season was taken to another level by me and my wife. As a result, belts were loosened by a hole. To counteract that extravagance, we decided to not drink for Jan and Feb unless we are with company. So no quite the full "Dry January" experience, but still a reduction in the booze for a bit to start 2023.

Meme Center

Speaking of pull-ups...

Trivia answer: A. 111.5kg (246lbs) - Viggo Jensen of Denmark. Launceston Elliot also maxed out at 115.5kg but Jensen's technique was ruled to be superior by the judges, giving him the tie-breaker and the gold medal. For perspective on how far weightlifting has come since then, the 2020 gold medal winner Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia clean and jerked 265kg (584lbs).

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