[murbot]

This is insane. I can't even do one full rep with one arm.


(click for 4.6MB video)

I can do 12-14 controlled reps, chin right up over the bar, fully extended to lockout at the bottom. I know that's not a lot, but it's enough that I don't feel like a girl.

Well, didn't feel like a girl, until I saw this video.

Jesus.

[alcimedes]

You know he's probably 4'1" tall.

[Kickaha]

Jesus Christ, mur, do you *have* to keep posting crap that makes me feel like a wuss? I just hit the gym last night for the first time in... um... a long time. It was sad.

[Luca]

My friend in the Air Force managed to beat a bunch of Marines in a pull-up contest. He did over 20 in a row, I think. I'll have to ask him next time I see him (he's on a few weeks leave right now and I've been having a blast hanging out with him for the last week or so).

[Kickaha]

One-arm??

I mean god, in high school I could do 20 pull-ups on a doorjamb with two fingers from each hand, but that was with two arms.

[Luca]

No, not 20 one arm pull-ups. I remember it was over 20 he said he did... somewhere between 25 and 30 I think.

Considering I can't even do one...

[MBHockey]

I wouldn't think that 20-30 would be good enough to win a marine pull up contest. I dont know how many pullups i can do, but i can do 50 push ups in a minute.

[Kickaha]

Yeah, that's why I was asking, because 20 regular pull ups isn't really anything. I've seen guys do 50+.

[murbot]

It takes a while to progress at them. I could barely do one full rep in January, and my best set recently was 14. I can do a few more with my palms supinated (facing me).

My goals for the end of the year are 25 regular pullups, and a single 1 arm pullup.

Right now I'm just doing controlled 1-arm negatives to start. Even they're bloody hard.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure you have to do 20-25 pullups at a minimum to pass the physical requirements in the military. That's odd.

[Luca]

Well, at the time my friend hadn't really done any in several months. He's not required to exercise much since he has a desk job. I was surprised that he was able to beat anyone in the Marines too. Like I said, I'll have to ask, but I don't recall any really big numbers being thrown around.

[pilot1129]

i;m in the air force rotc and for our physical we have to ahve 50 pushups in a minute, i hit 62, 42 situps in a minute, i hit 50, and a 12:30 1.5 mile run. I kick the ass of the mile.5 run. but I manage 12 pullups, closed hand, and the best guy there manages 13. they're hard as heck

[Moogs]

About 14 two-armed, inward-facing on a good day, 10 or 11 on a bad day. Pullups is more tendon strength than muscle strength I suspect. I've always had a pretty easy time with them but when it comes to benching anything approaching 200+lbs or even curling more than about 35 lbs per arm I am useless. I'm all fore-arms pretty much. Good for the wrist-shots though.

Jagr once said about Mario that the guy never worked out much and wasn't that built but was always the strongest guy on the ice when it came to man-handling other players with fore-arm / tendon strength. I think I kind of fit that bill for some reason. Just the way I'm built.

There was a time when I could probably eek out three one armed pull ups with my right arm, maybe one with my left but there's no way I could do it right now. If I worked out hard for a couple months I probably could do it again. I'm not that heavy.

[BuonRotto]

Yeah, when I weighed 125 in high school, I could a lot of apparently impressive things like that. I have found that losing weight helps you look stronger with stuff like that. However, after doing a lot of running, and a lot of stuff like pushups and pulups in the spring, I went into the gym where my firm has a membership today, and used some of the free weights. If you ever need your ego checked, work out on machines for a while, then switch to free weights and watch observe how you are suddenly a total wimp again. I mean, I had to cut my weights almost in half to get through a set. I still think that variety is more beneficial than any single kind of exercise, despite my preference for cardio and calisthenic stuff. But it does mean you look like a puffed up nobody again when you switch things up.

[ohara]

i have 13% body fat and an ok build (although not in the arms)... i still can't do a single two-handed pullup, nor have I ever been able to :-(

that's maybe why I didn't win all those presidential fitness badges in elementary schools

[Wrao]

I just tried to do one on my door, nope.

[Bryson]

I can just about get out of bed. Is that good?

[sunrain]

If you added up all of my attempts at a one-arm pull-up (probably three), they would likely equal one sixteenth of a pull-up. I'm satisfied having the upper arm strength of a fourteen year-old girl though. I still get laid on a regular basis. I've got no one to impress.

I think I can do around 7-10 palms facing pull-ups, so I guess that's probably not too bad.

[sunrain]

Originally Posted by ohara i have 13% body fat and an ok build (although not in the arms)... i still can't do a single two-handed pullup, nor have I ever been able to :-( that's maybe why I didn't win all those presidential fitness badges in elementary schools

ohara: This font is really hard to read on my screen. Is there any reason you chose it? You might want to stick to a sans-serif font on the forums. They're much easier to read on a computer screen.

[low-fi]

When I was rock climbing 3 times a week (eeek, that was 18months ago...really need to get back into it), my fitness was such I could do 19 two fingered pull ups.

Maaaaaaaaaaaaan, I miss those days

[Wrao]

Originally Posted by sunrain I still get laid on a regular basis. I've got no one to impress.

heh, exactly. The thing that spurred me into getting into shape again was breaking up with my girlfriend.

[kscherer]

I think I did a pullup once . . . Nevermind, thinking of something else!

[BuonRotto]

No, no, pull-ups, not pull ups!

[pscates2.0]

I was scared to look at this video, being from murbot and all. I thought the guy's arm would come off and I'd get sick and vomit all over my PowerBook...

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I was scared to look at this video, being from murbot and all. I thought the guy's arm would come off and I'd get sick and vomit all over my PowerBook...

As an Apple Specialist, I can tell you that vomit is not covered under Apple Care!

[murbot]

Originally Posted by low-fi When I was rock climbing 3 times a week (eeek, that was 18months ago...really need to get back into it), my fitness was such I could do 19 two fingered pull ups. Maaaaaaaaaaaaan, I miss those days

Man, that's awesome. I'd love to have that kind of strength.

For kicks this afternoon, I strapped on my 50 pound hiking pack. I have a sandbag from last winter in it, so it totals 50 pounds. I tried doing pullups with it on... I can do *one*, if I get a little headstart. I couldn't even get it moving from a dead hang though.

I've seen guys doing them with 3 45lb plates hanging from a weight belt. I have a little ways to go.

[Amadeus]

I can't do any pull ups either, not good at physical items.

[Moogs]

Yah, rock climbers have some *serious* forearm and calf strength... I couldn't do it. Not built for it.

[DMBand0026]

I used to be an awesome rock climber, I'd hit the local gyms a few times a week and stay for hours. I developed a lot of leg and arm strength from water polo and a lot of core strength from swimming. Now I suck because I don't work out as much as I should.

[ast3r3x]

I used to be able to do pretty many in high school gym class

But now...

I'll tell you once I lose 25lbs...well maybe 15lbs is more healthy. Anyone suggest radically experimental and possibly detrimental to my health, but surprisingly effective drugs to aid in this?

[BuonRotto]

Sex. Lots of sex. Is that a drug? Well ,try it anyway.

Yeah, if I lose another 10-15 myself, it will get a lot easier to try this stuff.