Pull-Up Competition - 19Feb09

They had a pull-up competition on base today. The rules are simple: any grip, full extension at the bottom, chin over the hands, no body part can touch the machine other than the hands, kipping is allowed.

The gym sets up a stand alone dip/pullup station (that wobbles if you pull too hard) in the hallway outside the gym entrance and we get started.

Andy, another CrossFitter with 50 pull-ups on a normal bar, managed 31 with a very minimal kip. I was 3rd from last and was forced to stop at 31 when my knee hit the back pad on the machine. Since Andy and I were tied, we had to go again (after about a 5 minute rest for each of us). This time he got 28 - again with a VERY minimal kip. I found a good circular kipping rhythm early and managed to get 40 (which is a PR, since it's only the 2nd time I've ever tried to max out).

I think there might be something to this CrossFit stuff...at least when it comes to pull-ups. ;-)

Deadlift Competition - 22Jan09

Things didn't go as well as I'd hoped. At the last minute, I decided to enter the DL competition on base, thinking that I should be able to set a new PR. My first pull was an easy 370. On my second pull, I wanted to do 405 (a new PR), but the collars added an extra 5-lbs, for a total of 410...I easily could have asked them to change it but I thought, "What difference will 5 pounds make?" Big mistake. I pulled the weight to my knees, but couldn't drive the hips through to lock out the weight. I'm confident that 405 would've gone up though. Chalk one up to inexperience. Moving on....