Dear Diary, If I Fell Into a Pit of Snakes… I would Surely Die
If you fell into a pit of snakes? Could you pull yourself out? This is both hilarious and horrifying context to the Infinite Pull Up Challenge, of which the goal is to test and improve your pull ups!
Falling into a pit of snakes is seriously my worst nightmare. I’m dead serious when I ask, if you fell into a pit of snakes, and could reach the top edge of the hole, could you pull yourself out?
Or a more practical, similarly horrifying example, if a building was on fire and you had to pull yourself up and out of it, could you? Could you pull someone else out?
These are two - yes, extreme - examples of why being able to perform a pull up as an able bodied human is important!
As a cornerstone functional movement, pull ups translate to many real world scenarios that are less life or death. They are an important link in our posterior chain; central to having great posture; improve cleans, snatches, deadlifts, and many other in-gym movements; as well as counter-act many daily movements that predominantly utilize the anterior (in the front) muscles of our bodies.
PULL UP CHALLENGE
There are two ways to complete this challenge, and depending on your strength levels now, you may be able to do it in 10 seconds or less.
OPTION A
Complete 5 Strict Pull Ups (women) or 10 Strict Pull Ups (men).
OPTION B
This is the test-retest option. If that many (or more) strict pull ups are unavailable to you, what you’ll do instead is pick a modified variation, test it, and then in 30 days retest it with intent to achieve a higher score. To help you along in this process are four different workouts to follow and complete two days per week. For best results, maintain this schedule for the next four weeks.
Each of these workouts you’ll do twice; they don’t necessarily need to be in order, but as humans we thrive in routine; therefore, I’d recommend following along in order.
Workout #1 & 5
*Workout 1 ONLY: Pull Up Test (how many can you do?! attempt after the warm up)
Use any variation you need so that you have a number greater than 0.
Warm Up
3 x 6 Tennis Ball T-Spine Release
Reads as 3 spots x 6 reps at each spot, 3 reps clockwise and 3 reps counterclockwise.
10 PVC Around the Worlds (5R/5L)
10 Forearm Scap Push Ups
Strength
E2MOM: 5 Rounds
6 Ring Rows @ 3:0:0:0
Reads as complete 8 ring rows using a 3 second eccentric count (on the way down).
Add any 20 - 30 second accessory movement you’d like.
Workout #2 & 6
Warm Up
Hug of Death (see workout #4)
2 Rounds
5 Scap Pull Ups
10 Ring Rows
10 PVC Around the Worlds (5R/5L)
Strength
EMOM: 10 Rounds
Minute 1
Max Eccentric Pull Ups
Lower down as slow as possible, as many times as possible, in 1 minute.
Minute 2
Rest
WORKOUT #3 & 7
Warm Up
3 x 6 Tennis Ball T-Spine Release
2 Rounds
5 Cuban Press
5 Scap Pull Ups
Strength
6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4
Bench Assisted Pull Ups
30 - 45 seconds
Rest
Reads as complete 6 Bench Assisted Pull Ups, then rest 30 - 45 seconds, complete 6 BAPU again, and then rest, then in the next round drop down to 5 reps of the BAPU, and so on.
Workout #4 & 8
Warm Up
Hug of Death
5 DB Cuban Press
3 Rounds at increasing weight:
5 Romanian Deadlifts
5 Bentover Barbell Rows
Strength
E2MOM: 5 Rounds
6 Pendlay Rows
8 Deadlifts
3 Move: Solo Shooting Workout
Working out isn’t as fun as with other people, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil. When you can’t drag anyone else with you to the gym, here’s a great workout for you to get in solo.
Working out isn’t as fun as with other people, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil. When you can’t drag anyone else with you to the gym, here’s a great workout for you to get in solo.
The three moves broken down in this short video increase in difficulty, and there is a point system so that you can make your workout more challenging and play a mini-game with yourself.
Ways to Level Up your workout even more
Set a time goal to score the 11pts in.
Mix up the 3 moves at random.
Didn’t make your goal? Hold yourself accountable by working on your weaknesses:
Down and backs
Push ups
Wall sits
Core
Defensive slides
Squats
Lunges
Find this workout helpful? Leave a comment!
Build Your Bunnies! Two Week Jump Rope Workout
Jump rope is one of the best low impact ways to improve bounce, foot speed, and improve stamina. It is a common misconception that jump roping is hard on a person’s body. Because most people run heel to toe, jumping rope is actually easier on our joints because it forces us onto our mid-foot and our joints stay stacked over one another the entire time. In turn, this can assist in becoming a mid-foot runner, which is exceedingly better for your body than being a heel-striker.
Jump rope is one of the best low impact ways to improve bounce, foot speed, and improve stamina. It is a common misconception that jump roping is hard on a person’s body. Because most people run heel to toe, jumping rope is actually easier on our joints because it forces us onto our mid-foot and our joints stay stacked over one another the entire time. In turn, this can assist in becoming a mid-foot runner, which is exceedingly better for your body than being a heel-striker.
Reap the benefits of this two week program by using it as a warm up to whatever training you have planned that day.
Week 1
Day 1
5 Rounds (5 Minutes)
20 Seconds Single Unders
20 Seconds Skip Steps
20 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
Day 2
4 Rounds (6 Minutes)
30 Seconds Single Unders
30 Seconds Skip Steps
30 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
Day 3
2 Rounds (2 Minutes)
20 Seconds Single Unders
20 Seconds Skip Steps
20 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
3 Rounds (4 Minutes)
20 Seconds Scissor Hops
20 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
20 Seconds Lateral Hops
20 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
Week 2
Day 1
3 Rounds (3 Minutes)
20 Seconds Single Unders
10 Seconds Double Unders
20 Seconds Skip Steps
10 Seconds Double Unders
3 Rounds (4 Minutes)
20 Seconds Scissor Hops
20 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
20 Seconds Lateral Hops
20 Seconds Two Feet Alternating
Day 2
2 Rounds (3 Minutes)
30 Seconds Single Unders
15 Seconds Double Unders
30 Seconds Skip Steps
15 Seconds Double Unders
4 Rounds (4 Minutes)
30 Seconds Three Step (right)
30 Seconds Three Step (left)
Day 3
2 Rounds (3 Minutes)
30 Seconds Single Unders
15 Seconds Double Unders
30 Seconds Skip Steps
15 Seconds Double Unders
4 Rounds (4 Minutes)
30 Seconds Three Step (right)
30 Seconds Three Step (left)
1 Rounds (1 Minute)
30 Seconds Double Unders
30 Seconds Skip Steps
30 Seconds Double Unders
Make sure to super charge the benefits of this workout by also using the following mobility hacks to keep all the tissues of your lower leg happy. Click the image below for videos and descriptions of all three!
