Greetings all! Quite a bit has happened since last night's searing hot NHL action. Nurse Alpha hit another PR this morning and I have two Muay Thai coaches/trainers in NYC who are about to enjoy a sunny season of lots of pulls. Please take about 7 minutes from your day to educate yourself as to how Pavel's pull up ladder system and my own experience is meshing with Gym Movement biofeedback testing.


Nurse Alpha was tasked to perform as many 12kg kettlebell Double Clean and Presses in 10:00 as she could. The rules were simple. If you make a funny face or the movement becomes distorted, cut the set, rest naturally without looking at the clock, and enjoy yourself. Last Monday she hit my favorite new challenge, the 50 reps DBL Clean and Press in 10:30 with a pair of 12kg. That was a volume scale that will now be trained for density if she test well for it. This morning, needless to say that she tested well for it because we trained it, her 10:00 density for the 12kg DBLC&P went like this:


Reps x5 x5 x5 x5 x5 x5 x5 x5

Rest :40 :35 1:00 1:04 1:03 :57 :40 DONE


VOLUME = 40 double KB reps over 8 sets and 2,080 lbs.

INTENSITY = 75% of 1RM weight used

DENSITY = 40 reps in 10:00


Previously from 23 April 2010

Reps x7 x3 x4 x4 x3 x4 x3

Rest :50 :20 1:00 :50 1:00 1:40 DONE


VOLUME = 28 reps and 1,456

INTENSITY = 75% relative to her 16kg double press 1RM

DENSITY = 10:00
And if you did not know this from the previous posts, none of my students are watching the clock during rest. They have to gauge it naturally.
And then some!  Captain Burgess of 5 Points Academy in Manhattan's Soho, trained his deadlift yesterday alongside RKC II Steven Milles.  160 lbs. of bodyweight and many years of salt on his shoulders, this man should be less creaky and of dilated confidence with regard to his pull ups and barbell work soon.  Here is what I communicated to him.

More homework.  You have a mission, and it is to test your one-set maximum for the pull up.  Be sure to TEST the movement with a toe touch or grip test before you set out to crack the sky.  Here is what I want you to do:

Baseline toe touch with a pen, mark it when the first STRETCH or RESISTANCE begins
Test the pull up simply by standing up straight and moving your arms through the pattern, followed by a toe touch with pen
If you test well, do 3 pull ups, clearing the bar each time, and test your toe touch again.
If you have tested well again, rest until you are ready, get on the goddamn bar and do as many as you can until you
-Cannot clear the bar
-Have horrible form
-Become too tight or move slower than previous reps
-Change your breathing unintentionally

Once you have gotten as many excellent reps as you can, use this formula:
Example: 1 set max = 12 reps
You will perform descending ladders of pull ups set upon your 85% intensity and 60% Intensity level.
85% intensity of 12 reps = 10 reps.  60% Intensity = 7 reps.
If it tests well train it, and on days which include the pull up you may include other drills.

Help yourself by hitting the higher volume sessions whilst most fresh and consider other overhead training when making time for the pull up. You should perform these four workouts maybe twice each over the course of the month, then we'll retest your 1 set maximum.
Descending from 85% Intensity Even # Ladders
10-8-6-4-2
85% Intensity ODD # Ladders
9-7-5-3-1
Descending from 60% Intensity Even # Ladders
6-4-2
60% Intensity ODD # Ladders
7-5-3-1

As always, record your REST times and your TOTAL times.