77 replies to this topic

[Maecenas]

Interesting to know how fit are the members of this forum.
I think pull ups is the best strength exercise ever. I do a minimum of 300 pull ups per training. 35 in one set.

[mustardseed41]

Sounds like your bragging...woopie

Edited by mustardseed41, 21 January 2014 - 02:35 PM.

[mikeinnaples]

Dead hang or kip ?

Body weight is a factor too regarding actual strength. Pullups is not an indicator of overall fitness....

Edited by mikeinnaples, 21 January 2014 - 02:47 PM.

[maxwatt]

80 to a hundred push ups before I get bored, but 3 pullups on a good day and have to kip.
My legs are very heavy, according to my massage therapist.

[nowayout]

Being able to do lots of pullups is often a marker for those guys who only work out what they can see in their medicine cabinet mirror. Nice upper body. Legs like matchsticks. You know who you are.

[Maecenas]

That's a video of me doing 31 pull ups. I'm not in a very good shape here.

[Maecenas]

Btw, if anybody needs inspiration to improve their pull ups (and to become... vegan)

Edited by Maecenas, 21 January 2014 - 04:10 PM.

[Deep Thought]

I can do so many.

[niner]

I could do a lot more before I fried my biceps tendons. I think pullups are not a very good exercise because you're stuck with whatever your body weight is. It's better to work the weight that's right for your muscles.

[Maecenas]

I could do a lot more before I fried my biceps tendons. I think pullups are not a very good exercise because you're stuck with whatever your body weight is. It's better to work the weight that's right for your muscles.

I think body weight is all you need if you have no psychological problems. If you want to be maximally attractive you'll not want to have huge muscles unless you have a distorted self image. If you want to be maximally strong - your way is powerlifting. If you want to have ideal muscles and strength balance you should choose calisthenics.
Being on a high protein diet and doing bodyweight workouts you can achieve very big muscle gains, in fact, much bigger than you'll need for any practical or aesthetical reasons.

Edited by Maecenas, 22 January 2014 - 06:23 AM.

[Maecenas]

Dead hang or kip ?

Body weight is a factor too regarding actual strength. Pullups is not an indicator of overall fitness....

Dead hang.
Pull ups and running are the best indicators of overall fitness. That's the main reason why they are used for training in the army.
Also these are the most natural kinds of physical activity. Our ancestors were very good at pull ups and later at running

Edited by Maecenas, 22 January 2014 - 06:57 PM.

[mikeinnaples]

Dead hang or kip ?

Body weight is a factor too regarding actual strength. Pullups is not an indicator of overall fitness....

Dead hang.
Pull ups and running are the best indicators of overall fitness. That's the main reason why they are used for training in the army.
Also these are the most natural kinds of physical activity. Our ancestors were very good at pull ups and later at running

The US Army is pushup, situps, and a 2 mile run for their fitness tests.

Speaking from personal experience, the USMC is pullups, situps, and a 3 mile run. When I was in, the pullups were dead hang only but it was switched at some point to allow kipping to better simulate the movement that may need to be performed on the battle field. And no ....pullups is not the best indicator for physical fitness. Hell, the USMC minimum requirement is only 3 pullups.

[Maecenas]

Then, what is the best indicator for physical fitness?
I do only bodyweight workouts, pullups, dips and different freestyle elements. When during one very cold winter I visited a gym for the first time, I could bench press 120 kg in my first try. I could do all kinds of exercises with dumbbells on the same level that most of gym guys did. But those guys couldn't do even half of my reps on the bar. I think pull ups is a superior kind of exercise. It requires minimum of time and gives maximum results.

[Hebbeh]

I've always loved pullups and dips but I tend to alternate workouts with body weight one workout followed by weighted the next. I do weighted pullups and dips by hanging a 45# plate from a chain attached to a heavy leather double buckle lifting belt. My body weight pullups and dips really took off after training with the 45# plate. Actually, in the beginning I started with a 25# plate and eventually worked my way up. If you haven't tried it, weighted pullups and dips are awesome. I've been training this way for probably 20 years...but I lose track of the years being 56 now....can't believe I'm not still 45....

[xEva]

In my entire life I managed once 2.5 pull ups and that was only when I trained for it daily for a stretch of couple of months. My norm has always been 0.5 at most, even though I was a star athlete in track and field back in school (and very flexible). They said tall females can't do'em damn pull ups, and I'm not that tall, only 173. What gives?

[JohnD60]

The US Army is pushup, situps, and a 2 mile run for their fitness tests.

Speaking from personal experience, the USMC is pullups, situps, and a 3 mile run. When I was in, the pullups were dead hang only but it was switched at some point to allow kipping to better simulate the movement that may need to be performed on the battle field. And no ....pullups is not the best indicator for physical fitness. Hell, the USMC minimum requirement is only 3 pullups.

I have never been in the military, and the information I have is second hand, but weren't the military requirements for pullups 'dumbed down' considerably because few women could meet the old requirement?

Edited by JohnD60, 24 January 2014 - 09:31 AM.

[mikeinnaples]

The US Army is pushup, situps, and a 2 mile run for their fitness tests.

Speaking from personal experience, the USMC is pullups, situps, and a 3 mile run. When I was in, the pullups were dead hang only but it was switched at some point to allow kipping to better simulate the movement that may need to be performed on the battle field. And no ....pullups is not the best indicator for physical fitness. Hell, the USMC minimum requirement is only 3 pullups.

I have never been in the military, and the information I have is second hand, but weren't the military requirements for pullups 'dumbed down' considerably because few women could meet the old requirement?

When I was in, women had different requirements than the men. If I recall correctly, they did hangs from the pullup bar. I never really saw that first hand because I was infantry and there were no women in my company... or hell, even my battalion. There may have been a couple doing staff work at the regimental level though.... but they would have been desk jockeys.

The Army was always a different beast though than the Corps. My company did a lot of work with the Army between deployments acting as OP4 for the 82nd and other units at Bragg. They had a mix of men and women it seemed everywhere and that was a completely foreign concept to us at the time.... among other differences.

[mikeinnaples]

Then, what is the best indicator for physical fitness?

Endurance, speed, flexibility, balance, and strength.

Pullups are indeed a superior exercise, I agree with you there. In fact, if I had a very limited time in which to get a work out in, they would make my short list of must do exercises. They absolutely are not, however, an indicator of overall physical fitness. They aren't even a complete measure of overall strength.

[nowayout]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BYf7PTNZd0 That's a video of me doing 31 pull ups. I'm not in a very good shape here.

You are cheating there, though. How many strict pullups can you do without kipping? (Not that it is not impressive anyway.)

[Maecenas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BYf7PTNZd0 That's a video of me doing 31 pull ups. I'm not in a very good shape here.

You are cheating there, though. How many strict pullups can you do without kipping? (Not that it is not impressive anyway.)

I am not cheating there.You can't cheat in such slow tempo. These are strict pull ups. This video shows what cheating and skipping are:
https://www.youtube....h?v=tAZaHzd6qAY
My personal record is 37 pull ups, I can also do up to 70 dips, 15 muscle ups in one set on a regular training.

Edited by Maecenas, 24 January 2014 - 04:49 PM.

[nowayout]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BYf7PTNZd0 That's a video of me doing 31 pull ups. I'm not in a very good shape here.

You are cheating there, though. How many strict pullups can you do without kipping? (Not that it is not impressive anyway.)

I am not cheating there.You can't cheat in such slow tempo. These are strict pull ups. This video shows what cheating and skipping are:
https://www.youtube....h?v=tAZaHzd6qAY
My personal record is 37 pull ups, I can also do up to 70 dips, 15 muscle ups in one set on a regular training.

I see some kipping. They are definitely not all strict pullups, but whatever, dude. I am not saying you're doing badly, just that it doesn't count as 31 strict pullups.

Edited by nowayout, 24 January 2014 - 05:57 PM.

[mikeinnaples]

Yeah those are kips and not dead hangs.... but I think pullups with kips is way more of a test of functional strength than dead hangs.

[nowayout]

Yeah those are kips and not dead hangs.... but I think pullups with kips is way more of a test of functional strength than dead hangs.

Maybe. It's the crossfit philosophy. But if the function is rock-climbing kipping might just be functional into getting you into a 50 foot fall. In any case kipping is easier, so you cannot compare the number of reps with a strict pullup sequence.

Edited by nowayout, 24 January 2014 - 06:07 PM.

[JohnD60]

Then, what is the best indicator for physical fitness?

There is probably an absolute answer to that involving a decathalon of individual exercises. I think the 'cross fit' events come close to something like that. The problem with such an actual test is that, if you create it, people will train to the test and it will cease to become an effective measure. Of more interest to me is the psychology of different opinions that different types of people have when asked that question. "Marathon guy" will think running is the best indicator. "weight lifter guy" will think bench press is the best indicator, "yoga guy", flexibility and balance, "basket ball guy", jumping ability, so on and so forth.

Edited by JohnD60, 24 January 2014 - 07:44 PM.

[blood]

Hi Maecenas,
I see you're located in the Ukraine. What's your take on what's happening there, now?

[Maecenas]

Hi Maecenas,
I see you're located in the Ukraine. What's your take on what's happening there, now?

I strongly dislike russian orcs.

Edited by Maecenas, 26 January 2014 - 04:23 PM.

[chemicalambrosia]

You are cheating there, though. How many strict pullups can you do without kipping? (Not that it is not impressive anyway.)

I am not cheating there.You can't cheat in such slow tempo. These are strict pull ups. This video shows what cheating and skipping are:
https://www.youtube....h?v=tAZaHzd6qAY
My personal record is 37 pull ups, I can also do up to 70 dips, 15 muscle ups in one set on a regular training.

I see some kipping. They are definitely not all strict pullups, but whatever, dude. I am not saying you're doing badly, just that it doesn't count as 31 strict pullups.

Most of those are pretty strict, but he does have a little bit of body english at the end. If he was doing kipping style crossfit pull ups and practiced them a little I bet he could easily do twice as many...

Anyways, impressive pull ups, but how much can you deadlift? Many people seem to think that their favorite type of exercise is ideal and/or a great benchmark for overall fitness. There are so many types of fitness and different goals that one or two benchmarks alone will miss the mark. Pullups are a great exercise for all around fitness, but calisthenics generally aren't very good for lower body strength. I'd say you need a couple dozen or so tests to get a fairly good idea of overall fitness level.

[chemicalambrosia]

I could do a lot more before I fried my biceps tendons. I think pullups are not a very good exercise because you're stuck with whatever your body weight is. It's better to work the weight that's right for your muscles.

How long ago did you hurt your tendon, and did you ever get it sorted out? I've had some tendon problems. Quite a pain in the ass.

[nowayout]

You are cheating there, though. How many strict pullups can you do without kipping? (Not that it is not impressive anyway.)

I am not cheating there.You can't cheat in such slow tempo. These are strict pull ups. This video shows what cheating and skipping are:
https://www.youtube....h?v=tAZaHzd6qAY
My personal record is 37 pull ups, I can also do up to 70 dips, 15 muscle ups in one set on a regular training.

I see some kipping. They are definitely not all strict pullups, but whatever, dude. I am not saying you're doing badly, just that it doesn't count as 31 strict pullups.

Most of those are pretty strict, but he does have a little bit of body english at the end. If he was doing kipping style crossfit pull ups and practiced them a little I bet he could easily do twice as many...

Anyways, impressive pull ups, but how much can you deadlift? Many people seem to think that their favorite type of exercise is ideal and/or a great benchmark for overall fitness. There are so many types of fitness and different goals that one or two benchmarks alone will miss the mark. Pullups are a great exercise for all around fitness, but calisthenics generally aren't very good for lower body strength. I'd say you need a couple dozen or so tests to get a fairly good idea of overall fitness level.

I don't think pullups are a good absolute gauge even of just comparative upper body strength, since lower body build plays a big role in how difficult they are. For example, the OP has short legs relative to his upper body and will have an easier time with pullups compared to a guy with comparatively longer and thicker legs. Someone more big-boned will also have a more difficult time reaching the same numbers.

Also, ironically, someone neglecting their leg training may actually have an easier time with pullups as a result.

Edited by nowayout, 26 January 2014 - 07:03 PM.

[DukeNukem]

Without doubt, deadlifts are the best overall exercise, and perhaps overall strength indicator.

Half of the pull-ups in that video were with a rest in between each one, making them far far easier. Non-stop I can do about 13-15 pull-ups, with a palm facing me grip. (I never do them palm out.)

Another tremendous fitness indicator is 10-seconds of sustained powered (measured in watts by most machines). I like to shoot for 850 watts sustained for 10 seconds.