[April 14 to May 30] Armstrong Pullup PVP

[Endor]

Hey folks

 

Ready for 6 weeks of pullups? Time for Armstrong! 

 

This challenge (starting 14th April 2014) a few people will be following the Armstrong pullup program anyone is welcome to join in and you can join at any point in the 6 weeks.

 

Rules:

1. Test your max reps for pullups (and/or pushups) and post here. 

 

Deciding the PVP winners:

Those doing pullups will be measured on two things:

1. Who improves by the largest number of reps in a 6 week period 

2. Who can do 15 consecutive pullups at the end of the 6 week period (If you can do 10 or more already then who can do 18)

 

If you can't do a pullup yet, you can follow the Armstrong Pre-Pullup Program

 

Those doing the beginner program will be measured on:

1. Max death by pushups (1 then 2 then 3 then 4 etc. until you can't do any more) 10 secs rest for each rep in the previous set.

2. Who can do 15 Max pullup substitutes (as per what is listed in the armstrong pre-pullup program for substitutes)

 

The prizes:

OK time for some reverse psychology

1. Anyone that improves their max reps by 50% has to donate US $5 to a charity of their choice.

2. Anyone that can hit the 15 in the second goal has to donate US $5 to a charity of their choice. 

 

Come on you don't want to let your favourite charity down do you? Pull your finger out they need your help!

[Endor]

It's on! Join the party

 

@Lycan Thom

@barefootdawsy

@suguru

@blaidd

@choronodon

[Quickdraw]

I'm in.  I'm like the Prophet of Armstrong.  (Doubled) Armstrong took me from 9 to 18 pullups in 9 weeks, as verified by my official fitness test yesterday.

 

Now that the test is over for the year, I'm dropping the morning round and going down to 1x/day. I will be doing the program with weight: 10# worth of brick in a pack, to start.  Every time I confirm my Training Set is back to 6 reps (as verified on Thursday's session), the next Monday I'll add another 5#.

 

My ultimate goal is to be doing 20 pullups with 35# in the pack.

[Endor]

I've got an image of quickdraw with a tubby Yoda on his back  doing pullups!

 

Great to have you along, we might need to draw on your experience along the way

[Quickdraw]

I've been coaching a few classmates along this whole time, so I'm absolutely here to help!

(I may have to get a stuffed Yoda to tuck in the top of the pack, now that you mention it. That's too perfect not to do.)

[Endor]

I've been coaching a few classmates along this whole time, so I'm absolutely here to help!

(I may have to get a stuffed Yoda to tuck in the top of the pack, now that you mention it. That's too perfect not to do.)

That would be so cool

 

Seen this before? Maybe I'll get one until I can do pullups with a pack! 

 

[Endor]

I'm off the mark with 3 x sets of 20 pushups this morning, pullups later today

[BarefootDawsy]

Yep, I'm in. Starting at a negative number of pullups will give me the edge, I'm sure!

[ORazor]

Hi guys, I'm in.  I did 32 today.  Managed 10 straight for the first time in years.  Hope to hit 15-18 by the end of the challenge!

[Endor]

Yep, I'm in. Starting at a negative number of pullups will give me the edge, I'm sure!

heh heh, hopefully you can get a few by the end of the 6 weeks

 

Hi guys, I'm in.  I did 32 today.  Managed 10 straight for the first time in years.  Hope to hit 15-18 by the end of the challenge!

Welcome 10 is a distant dream for me, 7 was my best ever, currently at 3 but I'm hoping this PvP is going to improve that. 

 

 

 

Got my day 1 done last night, 

5 sets max reps: 4, 2, 2, 2, 1

 

Got my 3 sets of 20 pushups this morning. 

[ShadowLion]

Count me in!

 

Beginner - Just did 3 sets, 7 decent form knee-pushups (Don't laugh - I'll improve quickly. Especially I as start to drop weight with the No Soda PVP.)

Am putting up a pullup bar tonight, will report back with the number of assisted pullups I can do then.

[Endor]

Count me in!

 

Beginner - Just did 3 sets, 7 decent form knee-pushups (Don't laugh - I'll improve quickly. Especially I as start to drop weight with the No Soda PVP.)

Am putting up a pullup bar tonight, will report back with the number of assisted pullups I can do then.

Very cool, going to be great to see you progress

[BarefootDawsy]

So I think I'm going to have to pull out of this one for a bit. In typical 6 week challenge tradition, everything has gone pear shaped...I'm currently on the road with 2 sick kids and a pile of overdue work. I'm hoping to rejoin late next week. Will keep you posted.

[Endor]

Slice of humble pie to table 6 with a side of modify your signature you puss

 

Sorry to hear that mate, hope things come good. If you're still doing the quidditch pushups just try to get some pull work in somewhere, all push will leave you unbalanced. Armstrong is less than 10 mins a day, find a tree

[BarefootDawsy]

Don't worry, quidditch is still on and I'll still.be working on strength. Armstrong is just too structured ATM. Watch this space...

[ShadowLion]

Got the pullup bar up and (with one leg on a chair for assistance) did 5 wide grip, 5 neutral grip, and 5 chins. Better than I thought I'd do!

 

And it was extra fun, because I did it outside while watching the lunar eclipse. Balmy 60 degrees in Phoenix in the middle of the night...

[Thom Stépan]

I am here, and ready to set new personal records here. 

 

Yesterday was day one on the beginners for me. 3 sets of 7 push ups. 

I did rows with a 30kg weight as my beginner's alternative this week. max rep set was 9.

 

Hopefully I will be able to get hold of a pull up bar [or decent alternative] before the end of the challenge.

[Quickdraw]

Yesterday: +10 lbs in the pack, got 9, 7, 6, 6, 6.

[Ba'sini'on]

*peeks in* Mind if I join? I can only do 2 pullups so far.

[Thom Stépan]

Hah you accepted my challenge then LostOne! Welcome aboard, you can do two more pull ups than I can, so you can join. 

 

This will be perfect for you tough lady, you need lots of pull ups to become a marine.

 

How many is considered good Quickdraw?

 

Just thinking I may have to look around and check out the Fitness Test you need to do. I think it would be a good guide for fitness. Even for a 40yr old Australian. *hmm ponders long term fitness goals*

[Endor]

*peeks in* Mind if I join? I can only do 2 pullups so far.

Good to have you along

 

I can only do 3 so we'll see where we get to

 

 

I'm on day 3, finding it a little tough already but I'm sure once I have my schedule down I'll continue to get them out. The great thing is it's actually not a massive time commitment but is still quite hard. 

Mon: 4,2,2,2,1

Tues: 1,2,2,2

Weds: 3 sets of 3x1 normal, underhand, wide

 

These are proving very hard on my right forearm tendinitis Seeing the physio next Tues so will see what he says, I probably shouldn't be doing them but I want to!

[Quickdraw]

Hah you accepted my challenge then LostOne! Welcome aboard, you can do two more pull ups than I can, so you can join.

This will be perfect for you tough lady, you need lots of pull ups to become a marine.

How many is considered good Quickdraw?

Just thinking I may have to look around and check out the Fitness Test you need to do. I think it would be a good guide for fitness. Even for a 40yr old Australian. *hmm ponders long term fitness goals*

The standards for male Marines is 3 pull ups as an absolute minimum (you fail the entire test otherwise) through 20 as a perfect score. For female Marines it's currently being phased in: they have the option of doing 3-8 pullups, or they can do a flexed-arm hang.

"Good" starts at around 3/4 of the max score. The only male Marine who's happy with 9-10 pull-ups is one who was starting from 4-6. I had 9 when I decided "I need to kick this into high gear." Most of my female Marines elected to do pull ups this year and maxed out; one did 15, because she is Super Beast Mode.

As far as workouts go, yesterday I laddered to 6 with the weight. My performance right now is steadily on track with where I was, unweighted, in late January.

[Thom Stépan]

The standards for male Marines is 3 pull ups as an absolute minimum (you fail the entire test otherwise) through 20 as a perfect score. For female Marines it's currently being phased in: they have the option of doing 3-8 pullups, or they can do a flexed-arm hang. "Good" starts at around 3/4 of the max score. The only male Marine who's happy with 9-10 pull-ups is one who was starting from 4-6. I had 9 when I decided "I need to kick this into high gear." Most of my female Marines elected to do pull ups this year and maxed out; one did 15, because she is Super Beast Mode. As far as workouts go, yesterday I laddered to 6 with the weight. My performance right now is steadily on track with where I was, unweighted, in late January.

 

I found the information I was looking for, apparently the PFT score for a 40yr old male is 88 for a 3rd class rating [whatever that means]. Hel, even though I am not fit enough to score yet, I would not settle for 88 points. I would aim for at least 150. Although 175 would give me a 1st class rating for my age. 

 

I have looked at Australian military requirements and I can see some long term goal planning for over all fitness. Just because I am not military [and won't be because of my depression] does not mean I can't be military fit. 

 

Anyhoo, back on task.

 

5 sets of 9 rows with my 30kg weight.

3x7 push ups

1x4 burpees

5x12 bicep curls 5kg

51second plank.

[Quickdraw]

I found the information I was looking for, apparently the PFT score for a 40yr old male is 88 for a 3rd class rating [whatever that means]. Hel, even though I am not fit enough to score yet, I would not settle for 88 points. I would aim for at least 150. Although 175 would give me a 1st class rating for my age. 

 

I have looked at Australian military requirements and I can see some long term goal planning for over all fitness. Just because I am not military [and won't be because of my depression] does not mean I can't be military fit. 

 

Anyhoo, back on task.

 

5 sets of 9 rows with my 30kg weight.

3x7 push ups

1x4 burpees

5x12 bicep curls 5kg

51second plank.

The scale goes 1st/2nd/3rd class/Unqualified.

 

As long as you hit the minimum mandatory score in each separate event, then 3rd class means "meeting minimum standards across the entire test". (You can still "unq" the test by failing a single event). It's difficult to progress in rank with a 3rd class, if you're in the "career force" who has reenlisted after their first 4-5 year contract.  The events are always scored the same, and the breakdown of what "class" you are is adjusted based on age.  As a 29 year old, my 203 last year was a 1st class...  But would have been a second class if I was 26 or younger.

 

It gets complicated, basically, and is much simpler to just be in shape.

 

Anyone curious where they stand right now should hit up The PFT Calculator.

[A banana]

Yay pull ups!