I always have tried to be transparent here on my blog. Somethings in my workouts  I do fairly well and others…well, let’s just say that there is room for improvement. The following is potentially embarrassing but I’m trying to show you what can be done with patient training.

Pull ups have always been a real challenge for me. From when I was a youngster trying to pass the Presidential Fitness test to now. Frankly, I really can’t remember ever doing a pull up from the 6th grade to the age of 47. I’m not exaggerating. This exercise is one I’ve avoided like the plague. I didn’t do them well so the solution was to not do them.

Avoiding working on your weak links isn’t the best idea when you goal is total fitness but that seemed to be my pull up strategy.

Last April, I first heard about the Tactical Strength Challenge and I was intrigued by the event what with Dead Lifts, RKC Snatch test and Pull Ups. I set a goal right there to avoid it since there were pull ups involved.

Around July, I started dead lifting with Marty Gallagher and I realized that I wanted to participate in the TSC. At the time, I had a dl of around 245 or so and a pull up one set max of THREE. Still, I planned on showing up in October and competing. Obviously, I had work to do.

The snatch test wasn’t going to be the problem. Raw strength and strength relative to my bodyweight were going to attempt to humble me. So I went to work.

Did a lot of deadlifting and lots of “grease the groove” style pull ups. Kept at it and deadlifted once a week after building a base. After a could do 5 pull ups I started in on ladders. I got 7 pull ups at the Fall TSC.

After the event, I backed down and started a new dead lift cycle and also began Will  Williams, Sr. RKC Pull Up program. Lots of pulls and never to failure. Finished it and started Pavel’s Fighter Pull Up workout, which I believe borrowers from the ReCon Ron Pull Up program.

So I tested my one set max today and got 10 reps. All the way to my collarbone. Real tactical pull ups in otherwords.

So here we are in December. In 6 months, I’ve gone from 3 reps to 10. My goal in April is to hit 14. I think it will be easier to add to a better base than add from nada, which is where I was before. That may be counterintuitive but I was terrible at the movement pattern and keep improving it.

Also, by April and the Spring TSC, I am pulling 415 on the dead lift. Count on it. MG and I just put together the programming and it rocks. Not bad for 180 pound 48 year old:)

So what are your main goals for 2010 in your workouts? Share them and let me know if you have any advice for me either! Can’t wait for your comments.

Train With Purpose,

Sandy Sommer RKC