Triple Threat

Workout 22 March 2009:

For time:

Walking lunge 100 ft.
21 Pull-ups
21 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
18 Pull-ups
18 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
15 Pull-ups
15 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
12 Pull-ups
12 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
9 Pull-ups
9 Sit-ups
Walking Lunge 100 ft.
6 Pull-ups
6 Sit-ups

Results: 24'52
Previous best: none

New workout today. I was aiming for completing it in the 20-30 minute range, so I ended up right on target. Since I didn't have access to a regular pull-up bar, I did the pull-ups on my rings. This of course made the workout a bit more difficult. I could probably do this sub-20 with regular kipping pull-ups. I did USAF-style sit-ups on an AbMat.

When doing lunges, there are a couple of points to remember. First, keep your chest up the whole time; no slouching forward. Second, as you lunge, the knee of your back leg should just "kiss" the ground; put barely any weight on it. Finally, when stepping out of the lunge, concentrate on pressing through the heel of your forward foot. This allows you to properly recruit your glutes and hamstrings.

The AbMat is the newest piece of equipment in my home gym. It's a rather unassuming piece of foam and wood. However, in my opinion, it greatly improves the standard sit-up. First, it supports your back and spine and eliminates pressure points on your lower back. More importantly, it increases the range of motion and doesn't allow your abs to relax as you lay back. I can normally do about 30 sit-ups before my abs start to feel uncomfortable. With the AbMat, my abs were burning 15 sit-ups into my first set. If you have about $30 to spend, I'd recommend picking one of these up.

Mark Rippetoe Quote of the Day:
"The bulk/cut approach holds that you can either add muscle or lose body fat, and that all training should be concerned with one or the other. This assumes that aesthetics is the criterion by which progress is measured, that pictures therefore tell the story, and that picture magazines can be the arbiters of success. This type of thinking completely ignores the performance aspects of training, and performance is much more easily and rapidly influenced. Rapid, quantifiable progress keeps motivation high, much higher than waiting for a six-pack that may or may not show up."