Changing up the pull up strategy
2009.11.07 07:43 PM Filed in: Health & Nutrition
Good evening,
I've been noticing that the ropes used for my homebrew lat pull down jig are starting to fray. Not a big deal, rope is cheap and I bought lots because I suspected this would happen and would need to be replaced. Those of you following along know that I'm up to 130lbs, which is currently 65lbs per side. The rope is rated for 110lbs, but I'm not sure how much I want to go past the halfway mark; I'd like to leave a large safety margin. This coupled with the fact that I'm now able to lift over half my bodyweight got me thinking about a better way to go forward. You know, I've never thought of it as over half my bodyweight before; that's a big milestone!
At any rate, since I'm past the halfway mark, I need to replace the ropes anyway, and I'd have to buy yet another 25lb plate, I thought I'd take this opportunity to change it up a bit. Instead of sitting stationary and pulling the weight up, I rigged up a harness of sorts and use the weights to counterbalance my own weight. This officially transforms the exercise from a lat pull down to an assisted pull up. It's also nice because instead of 130lbs (2 x 65lbs) on the ropes, I'm only using 70lbs (2 x 35lbs), and that number will decrease instead of increase over time.
As I mentioned above, I've had to gradually buy more weights since building the pull down station. At over a buck a pound and three 25lb plates later, I've made a significant investment in this so far. It was a great investment for sure, still cheaper than a gym membership, and as I progress I'll use the weights on my barbell or even dumbbells, but if I can avoid buying another plate right now then why not?
I haven't done my usual sets on the new jig yet, but I did a few reps while adjusting the ropes to the right length. I must admit that even though it's assisted, it sure felt great lifting myself up and moving my entire body through space instead of sitting stationary!
Note that I've edited the Goal Tracker page accordingly. Looking at the goal tracker, I see that at the current rate of 5lbs per week, by my birthday (February 9) I'll be down to 5 lbs of assistance. Although I can still feel a big difference between just 5 lbs (say going from 125lbs to 130lbs on the pull down), that will be great motivation to hurry it up by a week. Yes, I can feel it now - by the time I'm 32, I'll be able to do real unassisted pull ups!
What a great birthday gift to myself that will be!
I've been noticing that the ropes used for my homebrew lat pull down jig are starting to fray. Not a big deal, rope is cheap and I bought lots because I suspected this would happen and would need to be replaced. Those of you following along know that I'm up to 130lbs, which is currently 65lbs per side. The rope is rated for 110lbs, but I'm not sure how much I want to go past the halfway mark; I'd like to leave a large safety margin. This coupled with the fact that I'm now able to lift over half my bodyweight got me thinking about a better way to go forward. You know, I've never thought of it as over half my bodyweight before; that's a big milestone!
At any rate, since I'm past the halfway mark, I need to replace the ropes anyway, and I'd have to buy yet another 25lb plate, I thought I'd take this opportunity to change it up a bit. Instead of sitting stationary and pulling the weight up, I rigged up a harness of sorts and use the weights to counterbalance my own weight. This officially transforms the exercise from a lat pull down to an assisted pull up. It's also nice because instead of 130lbs (2 x 65lbs) on the ropes, I'm only using 70lbs (2 x 35lbs), and that number will decrease instead of increase over time.
As I mentioned above, I've had to gradually buy more weights since building the pull down station. At over a buck a pound and three 25lb plates later, I've made a significant investment in this so far. It was a great investment for sure, still cheaper than a gym membership, and as I progress I'll use the weights on my barbell or even dumbbells, but if I can avoid buying another plate right now then why not?
I haven't done my usual sets on the new jig yet, but I did a few reps while adjusting the ropes to the right length. I must admit that even though it's assisted, it sure felt great lifting myself up and moving my entire body through space instead of sitting stationary!
Note that I've edited the Goal Tracker page accordingly. Looking at the goal tracker, I see that at the current rate of 5lbs per week, by my birthday (February 9) I'll be down to 5 lbs of assistance. Although I can still feel a big difference between just 5 lbs (say going from 125lbs to 130lbs on the pull down), that will be great motivation to hurry it up by a week. Yes, I can feel it now - by the time I'm 32, I'll be able to do real unassisted pull ups!
What a great birthday gift to myself that will be!