The Perfect Pullup 101

Teammates – check out what Julie and Julia have to say about doing Perfect Pullups over on the Perfect Fitness Facebook fan page! That would be the amazing Julia-White: Ok I finally put my PERFECT PULLUPS to the test..Uhmm..Australian pullups are FREAKING HARD!! Julie Erickson, Team Perfect’s Marketing Coordinator, agreed: They are SO awesome! The standing rows and Australians are killer but such GREAT stepping stones to doing full-on pullups. Gotta do your negatives too, those babies are clutch for working up to doing full pullups.

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about to do a Perfect Pullup by taking a look at these previously published CHARLIE MIKE blogs. Still have questions? Ask a teammate for help!

What is a negative pullup? How can knowing how to do one help me master a pullup?

Want to know how to increase the numbers of pullups you can do?

Teach your kids to do pullups.

What if you want to combine a pullup and a pushup workout?

Like I've said before, if you find yourself at a plateau, get that step ladder out and start doing negatives – I promise you – if you do the work, you will be rewarded with success – the key is DON’T EVER GIVE UP! Don't let naysayers get the better of you. Remember, misery loves company – so let’em be miserable, while you Pull your way to victory!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

How to Increase Pullups

Teammates, here's a great question from Michael G.

I keep reading about these incredibly difficult workouts prompting two questions on my part. One, what is the best way to increase my ability to do more pullups? I do about 20 to 30 perfect pushups every other day and 30 to 40 dips every three or four days and I am still having trouble doing more than 3 pullups in a row. I try to do a total of 10 pullups during the day in 2s or 3s.

Second, what is the best eating plan for recovery. I find that after my workouts it takes me at least two to three days to recover and even then I am pushing it a bit.

I am 50 years old so I presume that affects recovery time. Anyway, any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. MG

Michael! Awesome question – thanks for writing in! I’m going to answer it in two parts – Part One – Increasing Pullups and Part Two – meal plans (and I’m going to assume you do NOT own the Perfect Pullup with rotating handles):

Part One – Increasing your pull-ups. Here’s the deal – and it’s all good news – you are more than strong enough to hammer out 10 Pullups in a row. Let's set that as your first goal. Here’s how you’re going to do it in 30 days or less:

a. Conduct your Push (pushups/dips/bench presses, etc) and Pull (pullups and chin-ups) exercises on the same day.

b. Give yourself a break every other day – do no more than 4 Push/Pull workouts in one week – when you’re just starting out try 3 times in a week and work up to 4 times a week.

c. Workout: Alternate a Push exercise with a Pull exercise – e.g. conduct 10 pushups then knockout 2 pullups; then do 10 dips followed by 2 chin-ups (FYI – pullups are with hands facing away from you; chin-ups are hands facing toward you).

d. Once you can’t do any more sets of 2 pullups and 2 chin-ups, then perform negatives of both pullups and chin-ups.

e. Performing a Negative Pullup/Chin-up: jump and pull yourself simultaneously to the top of the bar (inhaling as you do it) – once you have your chin above the bar lower yourself slowly (count to 5) ALL the way down.

f. Rep goals:
1. Week one – do 3 pullups and 3 chin-ups negatives (after you’ve done as many as you can unassisted)
2. Week two – do 5 pullups/ 5 chin-ups negatives
3. Week three – do 7 pullups/ 7 chin-ups negatives
4. Week four – take an extra day off and do a one set max of pullups and let me know how you did!

Again – LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES! Look for Part II, "the best eating plan for recovery", in a few days.

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

15 Pullups/40 Pushups contest: how to be a winner

CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith

Milo P asked CHARLIE MIKE: "I would like to ask you if you could advise me on the following challenge: 15 pullups and 40 pushups, three times through in 6 minutes. Could you, please, advise me on a training routine to accomplish this in 3 months?"

And here's Stew Smith's answer: Sounds like you are on a 2 minute interval. So I would tackle this one by doing:

- 15 pullups / drop down immediately for 40 pushups - this will take 1 minute tops
- Take about 30-45 seconds to rest / stretch and begin set #2.
- Repeat with 1 minute rest on last one if needed.

But basically you have to be able to do multiple sets of 15-20 reps of pullups - make your workouts that. The two exercises (pullup/pushups) are opposing muscles groups so they should not tire you out from one exercise to the next.

Once you get good at this timed test with rest, decrease your rest time until you can roll through this workout with no rest at all. It can be done - just takes practice three days a week.

Extreme fitness challenge: 15 pullups/40 pushups x 3 in 6 minutes

Here's an extreme fitness routine request from Milo P.
"I would like to ask you if you could advise me on the following challenge: 15 pullups and 40 pushups, three times through in 6 minutes. Could you, please, advise me on a training routine to accomplish this in 3 months?

I am pretty fit and currently stand at 10 pullups + 30 pushups 2 times through & 6 pullups + 30 pushups - all in 5 minutes. I can do 100 pushups in 2 minutes. I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks a lot,
Milo P."

Stew Smith is standing by with a routine for Milo but how about the CHARLIE MIKE Teammates? What do you think Milo should do over the next three months? You know the drill: comment here or send an email to getfit@perfectpushup.com

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Marines Pulling 'Em Up in Iraq

Teammates -- Are you Fired UP to reach up and pull up some Perfect Pullups when you see these Marines? They are "Get Ripped" in action.

HOOYAH to this Marine Unit, currently deployed in Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the Counter IED (roadside bomb) section. Teammates, here's a picture from a few months back showing them working out with the Perfect Pushup Mobile Units.


CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

p.s. If you are serving overseas, send us your pictures and your story and let us share it with the CHARLIE MIKE Teammates -- getfit@perfectpushup.com

Mixed Martial Arts 101 from Max

Guest blogger: Max (with MMA fighter Forest Griffin on his left)

I get a lot of questions on exactly how does somebody get involved in Mixed Martial Arts ( aka MMA). It all starts with you. The sport is all about you and how much dedication, pain and training you can stand almost everyday.

Basics: NO! Brazilian J J is not a basic. It is a tool and a good one. Boxing, Grappling and Kickboxing are basics. How many fights start on somebody's back? They don't but they will lead there at some point. Once you are on the ground, you need grappling ( Or BJJ) training. Learning Boxing, Grappling and Kickboxing is tough enough but you must spend quality time training in them to the point you could do well in a show in each discipline. This takes time and unless you are gifted, nothing comes overnight.

OK Max, you just talked about Boxing, Grappling and Kickboxing, when and what Martial Arts come into play? I would suggest you start off in a Kempo martial Arts school. Why Kempo? Kempo is every Martial art wrapped into one, so you will train in every Art, and add"tools" to put in your "Toolbox". FYI: Kempo was the original Mixed Martial Art. Kempo sparing is hard and close enough to being in a MMA event without stepping into a cage or ring. ( If you need help finding a school in your area, just shoot me a email.)

Next is "fit shape" and "fight shape". Fit shape is your everyday training shape, and fight shape is your shape at the day of your event that you want to train to be in. Fit shape is part of the basics. Fit shape is different for everybody. I train alot of cardio, up to 3 days a week ontop of my regular Kempo training and ontop of training other Basics. (See Basics above).

How does one get into "Fit shape" for MMA? First things first, see your doctor and get their permission to train. This step is important because they know you better then anybody, and can give you much needed help when ( and you will) crack ribs or bones, or that old high school football injury comes back to say hello. I am lucky enough to train with Doctors.

Basic "Fit Shape" workout that I use.( You will need a Leather jump rope, The Perfect Pushups and The Perfect Pullups, a blow up Exercise ball and a 10 x 10 area, and a place to sprint about 25 feet, a stopwatch and a "egg or cooking timer") Your goal is to gas yourself out and time it. Make sure you are properly hydrated and have water or a sports drink of some sort very close by.

Warm up: 15 mins. of Rope work ( You can break it up into 3 -5 min.s rounds with 30 second rest in between.) After warm up, place The perfect Pushups at the end of the 25 foot run area.(Close to the 10 x 10 area that you just skip rope in). Caution: You will be in constant motion during this workout!

After the warm up,
Run to The Perfect Pushup and do 15 slow reps.
Run to The Perfect Pullups, grab the bar and "Crunch" your knees to your Chest and hold this position for 30 seconds.
Run back to the rope and skip hard for 30 seconds.
Next to the "Exercise ball" and do sit ups slowly for 30 seconds.
Run to the 10 x 10 area and do 25 squat thrusts.
Go right into Jumping Squats.
Sprint to The Perfect Pushups and bang out 15 fast reps.
Run back to The Perfect Pullups and do 15 pull ups.
Run Back to the Rope and skip very hard for 1 min.

The above was 1 overall rep. Your goal is to keep this up and see how many "Reps" you can do. Your cardio will go thru the roof and be happy for that because most fights win because of cardio. Start with 2 times a week and work up to slowly 3 times a week on top of your regular training.

Let's face it, it is not easy. if it was, everybody would be doing it. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at info@likemponews.com.

Max
TheNHBshow.com
NyMMAnews.com