Thursday, January 21, 2010

Still Hanging on the Pull Up Bar

When I was in elementary school we had P.E. everyday. I loved it. We got to play kickball, tag, and run around on the play ground. But once a year we had to do the Presidents Physical Fitness Challenge. As I remember the Challenge composed of running a mile, sit and reach, a skin fold test, sit ups and pull ups. To pass the challenge you had to run the mile in so many minutes, do so many pull ups, and do ONE Pull Up.

Being a skinny little kid I loved running the mile in the Challenge. I can remember running the mile around the softball fields as fast if not one of the fastest kids in my P. E. Class. But I hated doing the Pull Ups because I couldn’t do it. All I had to do was one pull up to pass the Physical Fitness Challenge. I can still hear my over weight P.E. teacher telling me that I need to eat more Ham Sandwiches if I wanted to do a pull up. It would make me so mad. I would just hang on the bar struggling to pull up in front of all my classmates.

Fast-forward about 20 or so years and I’m still hanging on the pull up bar. You see, I bought a pull up bar about a year ago and from time to time I get it out and try to do pull ups. I’ve been on a push up, sit up, and pull up kick. Right now I can only do two pull ups. I just don’t get it. How can I run and bike for hours but only do two pull ups. What do I have to do? Keep at it? Eat Ham Sandwiches? If someone has a secret please let me know.

One day I hope to be “Fit”.

7 comments:

Kellie said...

Do the amount you can every two days and in 2 weeks my guess is you will be able to do 6 :) This is a challenge...are you willing to accepts it? If so, get on that bar starting tomorrow!

Lara said...

That's a great challenge, Kellie! I never thought of it that way. I don't know if I could do a pull-up either, though honestly, I haven't tried since elementary school. Next time I'm at the gym I'll give it a shot.

Jay said...

Don't bring ham in our house, please. yuck!

Bless your heart, I had no idea you couldn't do a pull-up. How did I miss that?

Colin Hayes said...

Do just one pullup at a time a few times a day, spread out. In other words, do fewer than your current max a few times a day. Then every few days, test your max. I was able to max out at 20 in one set a few years ago (when I wasn't running. I can only do 10 now).

Lindsay said...

i have never been able to do these... even when i was on the rowing team and we worked out allll the time! i wish i could!

Tony said...

The simple solution. Do 3 sets 3 days a week of about 50% of your maximum repetitions. Then every 3 weeks test your maximum and then rinse, condition, repeat. Or something like that. Good Luck.

Whitney said...

Start P90X! Robby is doing it for the 2nd time, and I'm not sure how many he can do (if any), but I know a lot of girls that can do them now after that program!