Over the past three and a half years, I’ve done more than 70,000 pullups. I do 110 pullups every other day as part of my regular exercise regime. The only time I didn’t do them these was for a few weeks when I was recovering from my two hernia surgeries.
I love doing pullups.
Obviously.
As I was doing them the morning, I was thinking about the results of doing so many pullups.
- I have great biceps at 54 years old (and am damn proud to have them).
- I practiced patience. In the beginning I could only do 5 pullups in a row and 25 in a workout. Over time this has grown up to sets of 10 in a row and 110 reps in a workout.
- I feel exhilaration. When I’m in the groove and breathing hard, it feels like I am floating through the air. It actually makes me ecstatic. (I think it’s a combo of exertion, oxygen, and caffeine).
- I am more focused. When working out I can’t just through the motions. I have to warm up carefully, pay attention to my grip, my elbows, my shoulder and my core.
- I’ve been able to control my weight better. The lighter I am, the easier it is to do pullups. When I put on 5 extra lbs (of fat – always), I feel it in my workouts and am quick to eat less to get back to my ideal weight.
- I don’t binge eat the night before my pull-up workouts. These workouts are so demanding, that no matter how tempted I am to run to the store to pickup ice cream or chocolate or a pizza, I never do because I know the rough night and morning will not be worth it.
- I feel strong and self reliant. For many years, I was too fat and too weak to do more than a few pullups. Now I can pull myself up and manipulate my body with ease. I experience a level of physical mastery and autonomy I never had before.
I spent 30+ years lifting weights. I always wanted to have big biceps and a lean, muscular body. The irony for me is that I achieved this only after I quit lifting weights altogether.
I’m a skinny, little guy. My arms will never be big like a bodybuilder or an athlete. No one will ever confuse me for one.
That’s perfectly fine with me. I’ll settle for being an unremarkable man who can float through the air any day.