Pyramid To Success

    As mentioned last time, I hit a new max in my pull ups ,15 ,& 1 leg squats ( aka pistol squats ), 6 .  One of the best methods that got me there was the pyramid method.  Once a week I would do pull ups, going up to a certain number, then go back down.


     So a couple of weeks ago, I would go 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, then go down 6,5,4,3,2,1. I would do a 1 leg squat between each set of pull ups. Therefore, this equaled 49 pull ups & 13 pistol squats. But I would in fact go up & down the pyramid a second time, thus giving me 98 pull ups & 26 pistol squats. And I'd do an extra sets of 2  just to make it to 100 for the day!


     Yesterday I did a pull up pyramid up to 9 , and then a second pyramid up to 7. I alternated 1 pistol squat up to 9, then I did 2 pistol squats between each of the remaining sets. That's 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 . Total 130 pull ups and 51 pistol squats!


     This method can be used with most exercises. In fact, I did a similar workout with pistol squats where I went 1,2,3,2,1 alternating 5 pull ups between each set. I did this 4 times, thus giving me 36 pistol squats and 100 pull ups.



       A few things to keep in mind. Don't go to your max. 50% - 75% is good. For example, if your max push ups are 20, go up to 10, 15 at most, and even that's pushing it. Also, it's a good idea to put another exercise between each set, although it doesn't have to be pyramided. This way, you stay active and make your time more productive. Speaking of time, make sure you have the time. This is especially true of high rep workouts. That 9 pull up pyramid took over 30:00 and the total time was close to an hour. Trust me, when you go to high rep strength endurance work outs, you'll need some rest between the higher rep sets. If you don't have the time do another type of work out. Finally, I wouldn't recommend doing the same pyramid workout more than once a week. Especially when you get to higher reps. While I did do a pistol squat pyramid and a pull up pyramid this week, I didn't do them twice or more this week.


    I hope to hit 10 pull ups in a pyramid workout soon. That'll be 100 pull ups, but reached faster. Hopefully, soon I'll be doing 20 pull ups overall. So if you want more reps in a specific exercise, and you've got the time, give this pyramid scheme a try.

SEAL Museum 5k 2014 & Murphy Challenge

  Well I competed in my 7th SEAL Museum 5K.  I came in second in my age group, 23rd overall with a time of 25:51. While it was ok I should have done better. There are things like hip mobility & v02 max to work on.

   I did however set new personal bests in 2 other areas. After the awards ceremony I went to the beach and did my 100 burpees for the day non stop, then a new record for pull ups, 15, & 6 one leg squats on my right leg, 7 on my left leg! Was this tough? Need you ask?! And I won't lie, there were pauses ( but I never jumped off the pull up bar or put the opposite leg down).


    Continuing with new challenges/accomplishments, today in honor of Veterans Day, I did the Murph Challenge. It's named in honor of the late SEAL Lt. & Medal of Honor winner Michael Murphy. It's a workout he did before deploying to Afghanistan. Run 1 mile, then do 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, & 300 squats, & run 1 more mile! Yes, you read that right. And he did this all while wearing a 40 lbs vest & boots!


   I modified it a little to put it mildly. I wore sneakers on the run, no weighted vest or any shoes on the exercises, and I did them in 20 sets of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, & 15 squats. It me 59:04. The first mile was 8:55, the second 8:16. It was certainly an "interesting" way to start the week!


    While such challenges aren't for beginners they are something to work towards. Always stay motivated, work hard but smart & practical. That's how you make progress.

Update

Sorry for the long delay. I'll try to write more often. It's just that I want these posts to be informative and useful and that takes time. I often put short pieces on Facebook so if you want training info send me a friend request at facebook.com under Gopal Rajagopalan.

  Well this Saturday Nov. 8 I'll compete in the annual UDT/SEAL Museum 5k. I'm looking for my 4th win in the masters division. Wish me luck. I'm also going to look to break my 13 pull up max and set a new record. At least 14  but hopefully 15 or more. One of the training methods I've been using is intervals of pull ups. Today at the pool, on my two 30:00 breaks, I did 3 pull ups for 20:00 on the minute. That's 60 reps per break which means 120 total today! Last Friday I did the pyramid system where I went 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, once in the afternoon and once at night. I also threw in a set of 2 after I got down to 1 . That means 51 pull ups in both sessions which means 102 pull ups total for the day! I'm debating whether to raise the pyramid to 8 this week.


    Just to let you know theses methods are meant to be used no more than twice a week and certainly never day after day. Also make sure you have lots of time , especially in the pyramid system, because you're going to need lots of rest between the higher rep sets.

    Train hard and smart!