Last second strength gains

Strength gains in 4 days...

Seriously?

I've been working at it but I wasn't notified I had a deadline this close until today. I was expecting to have time to build up all the way through march, by which I should have been able to do 10 instead of 3. I know there's no STRENGTH gains to be gained in 4 days but I guess its more of a...

Would crash weight loss improve my pull-up count? (dehydration, etc.) I know its not the healthy at all but 7-8 pounds of water... if that means +1 on the count then yes.

Or any ways to get that count up to 4. Would absolutely demolishing my arms today, tomorrow and saturday then resting sunday/monday help?

I'm fine on the other aspects and pass with flying colors. I just don't have much in the pullup function. This is the only section I'm worried about.

1. Get a DeLorean

2. Install Flux Capacitor

3. Accelerate to 88mph

4. Go back 5 weeks and start doing pull ups.

Lastly... the triceps don't affect your ability to do a Pull Up. That muscle straightens the arm.

Pull Ups are the back, core, deltoid, traps, and biceps.

Yes it is pretty accurate. I was planning to take this test in March, not in five days. Life just has a way of throwing curveballs don't it?

Hah. Well I guess I should rephrase the question.

Other than hoping for luck and body superstrength at the time, will crash weight loss, as unhealthy as it is, improve my pull up count? I'm not wary of other portions of the test. Just pull ups.

I have a letter of assurance, so as long as I hit the minimum, then yes they will take me. And the class size is about 1050 with an applicant pool of roughly 13,000 :P

Not likely.

I'd focus on it today, and today only, though.

Go do pull ups, as many as you can.  Focus on doing QUALITY pull ups with prescribed form.

Rest 5 minutes.  

Do it again.

Rest 5 minutes.

Do it again.

Rest at least 6 hours. Eat well.

Repeat the three set attempt.

Rest from then until the test.  At the very least, the body will receive the signal that you intend to use those muscles a lot and will begin to trigger some adaptations.

Thanks. I've done general upper body strengthening at least once or twice a week for about 8 weeks but it hasn't been what I needed to really perform well. I'm kind of in stress mode right now, and I apologize to everyone because I know I'm coming off sounding like a dumbA in a panic mode 'cuz thats well. what it is.

Praying for the best...

Quite honestly, the above is not likely to make any difference whatsoever... but on the off chance that with you being younger your body may adapt a little quicker and perhaps those muscles just need to be "woken up" (early gains do tend to come quickly), it *might* -- with a healthy dose of HTFU -- get you to four.

All I can say is, during the test on Tuesday... go until muscle failure.

G'Luck.

5 days till the test?

Don't work your back or arms at all in the 4 days leading up to the test. That should give you the best possibility to eak out 4. 

No, starving yourself is a poor idea, will hurt your performance more than the weight loss will help.

I am going to advise you look into supplements. Go get yourself a sample pack of 1.M.R, stands for one more rep. It is a pre-workout that gets you amped up and increases performance during a workout. I have taken it in the past and it does help you to be able to do a bit more than without it. Eat clean with lots of protein between now and then. 

Try out the 1.M.R. today if possible. It will affect people differently so it would be best to try it out first. 

If you can do 3 pull ups now, I think with enough rest, a good diet and the 1.M.R. and a healthy amount of determination you should be able to get 4 done.

What are the rules? How much movement of the legs is allowed? If you can kip slightly it will help a lot. 

I'll look at 1.M.R today before I do the second set. To answer what I bolded: It's all subjective based on the grader. It says no leg movement, but I've seen a cadet to a hip-drive technique to get a few more in without getting penalized.

Well I guess the kipping is out then. But try the 1MR and talk to the guys at your local supplement shop, they should be able to help you find some stuff to take that will boost your performance enough to get that last pullup.

DanielG - 2013-01-17 12:20 PM

odpaul7 - 2013-01-17 12:49 PM I apologize to everyone because I know I'm coming off sounding like a dumbA in a panic mode 'cuz thats well. what it is.

S'okay, you're practicing for when you've got a butter bar.

Hopefully that'll get whipped out of me before then.

It won't make you stronger in this short timeframe, but it just might be enough neuro-muscular activation to help.

You want to make sure you are activating and firing with your lats to get the most out of yourself.

Try this:  Stand with your back against a wall, palms facing the wall. Keep your elbows straight and push your palms into the wall.  What you feel firing, is your lats.  This is the main muscle you want to use when starting your pullup ( not your biceps or triceps ).

Perform the activation exercise now ( and few times between now and the test ) to find it, and then do it also just before you do the actual test. During the pullup test, focus on feeling the muscles (your lats) that you feel during the activation.

If you can do 3 now, then with some activation exercises, and a bit of rest between now and the test, you should be able to knock out 4 good ones ( or 5 ).

Good luck!

-Chris