1 Month Pull-up Challenge: Workout #3

Monday, Monday... in so many ways all of us despise you... but then again, you give us the opportunity to start over. And this Monday, after indulging far too much all weekend, starting over felt good. Busting my ass felt great and working towards the pull-up was just what the doctor ordered.

Monday I started week 9 of a 12 week strength training program I've been toiling away at. It was also the third workout in my 1 month Pull-up Challenge (so basically I'm combining my original workout plan with some pull-up-related exercises).

Weeks 9-12 on the program I'm working at, are when I get around to lifting heavy. This means 3 sets of each exercise with only 4-6 reps. I have never before embarked on this kind of heavy but I was pretty psyched to get at it. After looking at what Jake had whipped together for the pull-up portion of the workout and what was already on the agenda for my regularly scheduled workout, here's how it all shook out:

• 4 sets of 3 pull-ups on the Smith Machine (rack set as high as I could reach with feet on the ground, knees bent with legs behind me, Jake providing the extra oomph assisting my ankles to get me over the hump when I started to stall)
• 4 sets of 5 lat pull downs pausing for about 3 seconds when muscles are taxed and weight is at chest / 60-70 lbs
• 3 sets of 4 bench press / 85 lbs
• 3 sets of 4 bent-over barbell row / 70 lbs
• 3 sets of 1, 10 second hang (same set up as the pull-ups above, but Jake helps me get to eye-level with the bar and then I hold the pull-up position for about 10 seconds - this was NOT pretty at this point in my workout)
• 3 sets of 4 skull crushers / 40 lbs (man, do I ever need to pay attention to my wrists during this exercise!)
• 3 sets of 4 barbell curls / 40 lbs (at this point I could barely curl the barbell and my vein in my forehead was busting out - GOOD TIMES!)

So, the wrap-up, I did not feel any stronger doing the pull-up-related work. However, I did look forward to it more than my previous outings... maybe one of these days I'll look as calm, ripped and collected as this broad above... then again... maybe I'll just stick to being me.