Back today
Today’s focus in the gym was working on width of my lats, I am experimenting with volume training just for a few weeks to shocked the body, anyway the original plan was to do 8 sets of 8 on wide grip pulldown. That was the Original plan but, as I thought my goal is to be better than the day before and make sure I push myself in every aspect of my life, even in the gym. It came to me last night as I was telling one of my fellas I was doing back today, and it dawned on me what is better than using my own weight to work my back, to push myself well should I say PULL myself.
Last summer i start trying to use my own weight on pull ups and dips, I really started off crawling I used to go in the gym and literally I was just jump up and let myself down as slow as possible which was still kinda fast toying with 350 plus pounds, late fall ,early winter (in texas not so summer no real fall or winter)eventually I was able to do 1…2….3 pull ups with a wide grip. So I fast foward to the Spring and I’m up to doing 2-3 sets of 8 of wide grip pull-ups, It felt good but still I see these 180lbs dudes just reppin out on pull ups like they are nothing, after I did my 2.5 sets i am ready to call for a medic. So that is something that just stuck in my head as I would admire the strenght it took, I kept telling myself I can compete with that, when the time is right.
Well today the time was as good as any, I set to do at least 4 sets of 8 before even thinking of going to lat pull downs. As I took my time getting my focus for what I was about to do, all I can think is 4 sets is not enough, you got eight sets so that’s what we are really aiming for (sometimes i hate that innerself conversation because he is always right). As I did my 1st set of 8 I was like Yea this is more than possible. its time to go to work. Now mind you I am no longer toying with 350lbs, I am a SEXY and slim 318 baby!!! Now as I went back at it for another set and again. I did what I set out to do 8 sets of wide grip pull ups with my own body weight. On the last set I did fall short of 8 and was able to do 6 but as I viewed it I just pulled up 320 (I had shoes on) 62 times today. Look at what you can do once you set your mind….
Thru the grace of God, I am on the road going in the right direction, might not get there tomorrow but I am going to arrive!
June 12, 2007 at 3:51 pm
You are really headed in the right direction. Sooner or later you’ll be cranking out reps like no tomorrow.
Then again, do you really want to be able to do that. I like it when pullups are hard as hell to do at about rep 8-15. Doing more than that means I have to add weight and if I have to do that, its a bit more cumbersome than I’d like.
September 4, 2007 at 5:03 pm
That takes a lot of strength to do pull up once you get over 200lbs. I have read where a lot of Prof. Bodybuilders stop the pull ups after they get over 200lbs. My goal is to get to be able to do weighted push ups even though I have done them in a while. But your Blog has motivated me to get back on them pullups!