Fatbusting: Kirwan's log

Kirwan

Another session under the belt, 20min WOD of 5x incline pressups, 10 x Evil one legged squats, 15 x pullups. Was a bit of a eye opener of for "workons". My pullups are still terrible, can get to four in a row now, but that's it. 
 
Needed to swap out the pullups (after stepping down in the various assistance ways you can do them) to 15 x 16kg kettlebell overhead things. The one legged squats (which nobody could do, even the instructor) got modified to a halfway down to a set height, still bloody hard. 
 
Got through 11 rounds in 20mins, and was sucking in oxygen at the end. So got a good workout. 
 
To increase the pullups, I've been doing them as part of the warmup in every session, and there's this rubber band thing he has to reduce your weight, so I then crack out some more of those. First target is double figures. 
 
Oh and some of the strength work was those plank holds for 3 x 1min. Lots of sweat and failing here! 
 
Have stopped recording my weight now, stomach is getting smaller by the minute, shoulders, back and legs are getting bigger so weight is actually going up. Jeans I could barely fit months ago are too baggy now, about to buy a new pair.

Duluth

[quote name='Kirwan']To increase the pullups, I've been doing them as part of the warmup in every session, and there's this rubber band thing he has to reduce your weight, so I then crack out some more of those. First target is double figures.[/QUOTE] 
Try doing some negatives.. jump up and then try to take 10secs to lower yourself down.. repeat

Kirwan

[quote name='Duluth']Try doing some negatives.. jump up and then try to take 10secs to lower yourself down.. repeat[/QUOTE] 
 
Sadly, I have been (not ten seconds though). Also, the instructor pointing out I wasn't gripping the bar correctly, so was not using any forearm strength. 
 
Bastard has my "PB" up on the board, so am pretty motivated to get it improved.

Hooroo

What is the correct way of gripping the bar Kirwan?

Kirwan

[quote name='Hooroo']What is the correct way of gripping the bar Kirwan?[/QUOTE] 
 
With your full hand, not hanging by your fingers like a doofus (Like I was...)

MN5

[quote name='Kirwan']With your full hand, not hanging by your fingers like a doofus (Like I was...)[/QUOTE] 
 
Yeah to get a few pull/chin ups going you have to grip the absolute shit out of the bar. It increases the muscle flexing/tension like no ones business and hence increases the amount/quality.

Paekakboyz

experiment with the width of your hand spacing as well... Pull ups are evil but very, very good. Good luck!

Kirwan

[quote name='Paekakboyz']experiment with the width of your hand spacing as well... Pull ups are evil but very, very good. Good luck![/QUOTE] 
 
Is closer together easier? At the moment I have them spaced slightly wider than than my shoulders, I figure any wider is tougher?

JK

I love pullups. 
 
Use to be able to only do 3 or 4 of own body weight and now about 6 months on I can comfortably do 20 with a narrow grip but only about 10-12 on the wide grip. 
 
Wide grip is definitely alot harder but makes sense to do em that way if can do 12 or so easy enough with the narrow grip. 
 
I will often do 10 or so wide grip followed up by 5 to 10 on the narrow grip.

Paekakboyz

if palms toward you then closer grip (just in line with shoulders) is easier - pretty much biceps and back through that action. 
 
palms away from you - hands just outside of your shoulders is pretty much spot on - you'll be driving right through your lats/centre of your back. I always tried to mimic the spacing I use on my Lat pulldowns so you take advantage of the strength you are building. I agree that pushing even wider makes them harder!! 
 
Not sure about the form you are being taught but for non-crossfit pull ups I got told to keep core as stable as possible and to drive up through your hips/glutes. You are trying to go straight upward with as little swing as possible. 
 
One other thing re grip - Do they have different sized bars for the pullups? if you struggle to get your hand fully closed around the bar it can make things tougher.

Kirwan

Am OK with the bar size. I'm doing the palm away as most of the later crossfit exercises are like that. They have a couple (that I remember), one being the deadhang pullup with no momentum (which I'm talking about) and the other being the kipping(?) pullup where you do a hip thrust/kick motion to get up. 
 
Deadhang is obviously harder, but the kipping ones are difficult to do correctly if that makes sense. 
 
At least I'm now doing them right, just a case of getting stronger now.

MN5

Anyone able to do a one armed pullup ? Definitely on my lifetime "to do" list. 
 
Palms facing are my favourite cos they work the guns best. I figure deadlifting works the back enough so don't do palms out as much.

Kirwan

[quote name='MN5']Anyone able to do a one armed pullup ? Definitely on my lifetime "to do" list. 
 
Palms facing are my favourite cos they work the guns best. I figure deadlifting works the back enough so don't do palms out as much.[/QUOTE] 
 
Deadlifts won't be working your lats though will they? A one armed pull up is just crazy talk <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />

JK

As a kid I remember doing those cheat one arm pullups where you hold the bar with one hand and the other hand around the wrist of the hand holding the bar. 
 
Aint tried one of those for ages but reckon still be easy. 
 
A true one armer would be a struggle!

Paekakboyz

There's only one thing men were designed to do with one hand. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
drink! dirty buggers!

BartMan

yeah JK, I recall those, but with on hand hanging free, I reckon THAT'd be a challenge!

Kirwan

6am session today, pleased to get through this one pretty well. Strength training was back squat, setting the max score for three reps. I got up to 100kg x 3, very happy with that. Puts my 1 rep max somewhere around 115/120kg apparently, so that's getting up to my deadlift max, so that must have improved now too. 
 
WOD was 12mins AMRAP fo 2 pullups, 4 pushups, 8 x 20kg kettlebell which I think I did 9 or 10 rounds. The kettlebell suuuuucked.

MN5

[quote name='Kirwan']Deadlifts won't be working your lats though will they? A one armed pull up is just crazy talk <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />[/QUOTE] 
 
Not directly but they are great in terms of the amount of muscles worked in "stabilising" I'm bloody frustrated I can't do any at the moment with my sore shoulder. That's why experts call them and squats the ultimate exercises. They also help your other lifts to go up. 
 
Yeah a true one armer would be a farkin hell of an effort. Tough to get 100kg up with one arm !

Duluth

Good progress.. you're starting to use grown up weights now <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />

Kirwan

[quote name='Duluth']Good progress.. you're starting to use grown up weights now <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />[/QUOTE] 
 
Yeah, yeah. 
 
Helps having a few guys PBs on the boards as targets. The instructor has some crazy weights to get too, but everyone below him is getable. Ticking them off quietly before they notice...

The Silver Fern

Fatbusting: Kirwan's log