# Pull Ups



## darkstar (31 Jul 2010)

Ok you may remember I posted a thread about the 'Bleep Test Challenge', well i managed to complete that. So this time around i've been challenged to complete 24 pull ups in one set (double my current max) in 6 weeks! It was issued to me by a friend in the pub after talking about PE at school, and how in Russia they complete Pull ups everyday! do people think this would be a good idea in the UK? I think schools need to start taking physical fitness more seriously. 

Also I', interested whether people do them regularly, as part of a training regime? How many can you do?


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## barnesy (31 Jul 2010)

I used to box and in training we would do 4 or 5 sets of 5, proper pull ups.

Ive always had a pull up bar on a door frame in the house and i stopped boxing 2 years ago.

A few months ago i went to use the bar and i couldnt even do 3, this was my motivation to join the gym.

I now do 4 sets of 5 quite comfortably each session in the gym, i prefer doing sets, not sure how many i could do in one go


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## darkstar (31 Jul 2010)

barnesy said:


> I used to box and in training we would do 4 or 5 sets of 5, proper pull ups.
> 
> Ive always had a pull up bar on a door frame in the house and i stopped boxing 2 years ago.
> 
> ...



Good effort, nice one for getting back on it as well! Yes proper form is a must, no leg movement is allowed.


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## Yellow Fang (31 Jul 2010)

They used to be part of my daily routine. On leaving the flat in the morning, there's a hole to the attic. I used to push away the panel and do them there, wearing gardening gloves to protect my hands. I aimed for 20.


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## Cush (1 Aug 2010)

I nearly always finish my gym work out with pull ups, If I can do ten or more I am OK if its between five and nine I accept that it has been a hard work out but below five then it's time for extra work outs. Having said that, this is what suits me. It may not be right for some one that is well above their weight.


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## srw (1 Aug 2010)

darkstar said:


> How many can you do?



None. On the other hand I have a resting heart rate of 45, despite being fat to look at and between 1 and 3 stone overweight. Arm/tricep strength is not the only measure of fitness, nor even the most useful one.


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## Garz (1 Aug 2010)

Depends on what you class as a 'pull up'.

Some would disguise them as a chin up involving the biceps/arms...




anyway.. the wide grip pull ups are what I would call 'proper' ones and without focusing on this type over a few weeks they are very hard to even complete ten (full range).

Like mentioned earlier I think I can struggle to hit about twelve in one go, although if I trained for hitting a high number you could probably get beyond twenty in no time. They are great for building upper body strength particularly the shoulders/lats (wings).

Cyclists don't really need these and would add weight which is probably not a good thing to most



.

Back on topic, I did do them regularly once when I was working away all the time with a specific tool that allows you to hook the unit over a door frame (and do other exercises too). After a few weeks you can see the difference and could do a set of fifteen, ten then eight. I dont do them at the moment but would incorporate them into a circuit session any-time as they are a great strength builder.


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## darkstar (2 Aug 2010)

srw said:


> None. On the other hand I have a resting heart rate of 45, despite being fat to look at and between 1 and 3 stone overweight. Arm/tricep strength is not the only measure of fitness, nor even the most useful one.



Never said it was, but jeez you sound slightly bitter! I have to say though, resting heart rate is equally useless when it comes to general fitness... Some people have naturally low heart rates, some the other extreme... Have to say though that i'd expect most people to be able to do at least one.


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## Nkaj (10 Aug 2010)

I try to do some chin ups every other day.I used to do small fast ones but now i try and allow my arms to become fully straight before lifting and after doing a few of these i feel like God


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## Rob3rt (10 Aug 2010)

darkstar said:


> Ok you may remember I posted a thread about the 'Bleep Test Challenge', well i managed to complete that. So this time around i've been challenged to complete 24 pull ups in one set (double my current max) in 6 weeks! It was issued to me by a friend in the pub after talking about PE at school, and how in Russia they complete Pull ups everyday! do people think this would be a good idea in the UK? I think schools need to start taking physical fitness more seriously.
> 
> Also I', interested whether people do them regularly, as part of a training regime? How many can you do?



I dont do them because its not suited to my goals, and in reality, I probly cant even do a single one (most certainly cant do a single chin-up which relies on the lats, maybe 1 or 2 pull ups which rely on biceps), I have pathetic levels of upper body strength, back when I used to do weights and I could deadlift and squat over 100kg, but bench press maxed at barely over 50kg, lmao. I am a freak, my legs are deptive (scrawny but strong) but my puny arms are pretty representative of my upper body strength !


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## Crankarm (10 Aug 2010)

Chin ups are great for not only increasing up body strength, but also core strength. They are a great way coupled with crunches to burn fat around one's middle and quickly acquire well defined stomach and rib cage muscles. I think a month of doing them 6 days a week would see one become significantly more toned and stronger. They also strengthen back muscles and improve posture. I do 4 sets of 20 when out running.


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## Garz (10 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> Chin ups are great for not only increasing up body strength, but also core strength. They are a great way coupled with crunches to burn fat around one's middle and quickly acquire well defined stomach and rib cage muscles. I think a month of doing them 6 days a week would see one become significantly more toned and stronger. They also strengthen back muscles and improve posture. I do 4 sets of 20 when out running.



Hmm the debate on whether 'burning fat around one's middle' is focused by doing a specific exercise (in this case pull-ups/crunches) is a bit of a placebo IMO. It will as you say strengthen and help look toned.

I am intrigued though how you do "4 sets of 20 when out running"...


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## Bill Gates (11 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> Chin ups are great for not only increasing up body strength, but also core strength. They are a great way coupled with crunches to burn fat around one's middle and quickly acquire well defined stomach and rib cage muscles. I think a month of doing them 6 days a week would see one become significantly more toned and stronger. They also strengthen back muscles and improve posture. *I do 4 sets of 20 when out running.*



How much do you weigh?


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## jimboalee (11 Aug 2010)

Garz said:


> Hmm the debate on whether 'burning fat around one's middle' is focused by doing a specific exercise (in this case pull-ups/crunches) is a bit of a placebo IMO. It will as you say strengthen and help look toned.
> 
> *I am intrigued though how you do "4 sets of 20 when out running"...*




At bus stops.


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## walker (11 Aug 2010)

sorry, I thought this was Huggies thread


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## Crankarm (15 Aug 2010)

Garz said:


> Hmm the debate on whether 'burning fat around one's middle' is focused by doing a specific exercise (in this case pull-ups/crunches) is a bit of a placebo IMO. It will as you say strengthen and help look toned.
> 
> I am intrigued though how you do "4 sets of 20 when out running"...



You obviously don't do these exercises because if you did you wouldn't write what you did. How big is your girth?


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## Crankarm (15 Aug 2010)

Bill Gates said:


> How much do you weigh?



For what reason do you ask?


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## Bill Gates (15 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> For what reason do you ask?




The strength to lift a lighter weight is obviously less than for a heavy one. You might be able to do 20 chin ups and me 10 chin ups. I weigh 14.5 stone at the moment and if you weigh less than 11 stone my guess is that I would be much stronger than you.


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## Ben M (15 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> They are a great way coupled with crunches to burn fat around one's middle



There's no such thing as targeted fat loss, sorry.


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## Cush (15 Aug 2010)

Bill Gates is right. I always know when I have put on the extra pounds by the way I handle the Chin Ups.


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## walker (17 Aug 2010)

Ben M said:


> There's no such thing as targeted fat loss, sorry.



do you mean area specific?


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## Ben M (17 Aug 2010)

walker said:


> do you mean area specific?



Yes. You can't chose to lose fat from one area before another, it just doesn't work that way.


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## darkstar (17 Aug 2010)

Well I'm now doing 3 sets; 16/15/14, which is a huge improvement. Not tried to do my max yet, but reckon it'll be close to 20


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## Bill Gates (17 Aug 2010)

Crankarm, on 10 August 2010 - 22:33:05, said: Chin ups are great for not only increasing up body strength, but also core strength. They are a great way coupled with crunches to burn fat around one's middle and quickly acquire well defined stomach and rib cage muscles. I think a month of doing them 6 days a week would see one become significantly more toned and stronger. They also strengthen back muscles and improve posture. *I do 4 sets of 20 when out running.



*


Bill Gates said:


> How much do you weigh?



Well?


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## walker (17 Aug 2010)

Bill Gates said:


> Crankarm, on 10 August 2010 - 22:33:05, said: Chin ups are great for not only increasing up body strength, but also core strength. They are a great way coupled with crunches to burn fat around one's middle and quickly acquire well defined stomach and rib cage muscles. I think a month of doing them 6 days a week would see one become significantly more toned and stronger. They also strengthen back muscles and improve posture. *I do 4 sets of 20 when out running.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Crunches won't nessisarly burn fat around your middle or strengthen your intercostals


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## Ben M (17 Aug 2010)

walker said:


> Crunches won't nessisarly burn fat around your middle or strengthen your intercostals



He wasn't posting that, he just quoted someone else and mucked up the code.

There's no necessarily at all, as I said; losing fat specifically from one place is a load of bollocks.


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## jimbut (17 Aug 2010)

I can do about 300 at one go. Is that good ?


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## darkstar (17 Aug 2010)

jimbut said:


> I can do about 300 at one go. Is that good ?



Not quite to Bruce Lee standard, but it's OK I guess.


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## Garz (17 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> You obviously don't do these exercises because if you did you wouldn't write what you did. How big is your girth?



What an idiot. Not going to bite to such childish school yard riposte.





Judging by others replies I think your on your own crankarm.


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## Garz (17 Aug 2010)

Ben M said:


> There's no such thing as targeted fat loss, sorry.



Yes. This is what I was angling Ben but being a tad more diplomatic but what would I know I don't do these exercises because if I did I wouldn't write what I did.


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## SonofSid (17 Aug 2010)

+1 re; targetted fat loss. My understanding is that you can't burn it from specific areas. It just don't work like that. Wish it did...


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## darkstar (17 Aug 2010)

I didn't think it was even necessary to say that targeted fat loss is not possible, it's a no brainer. Does Crank not mean that you can tone up certain areas, but got his words slightly muddled up?


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## walker (18 Aug 2010)

Ben M said:


> He wasn't posting that, he just quoted someone else and mucked up the code.
> 
> There's no necessarily at all, as I said; losing fat specifically from one place is a load of bollocks.



got ya


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## walker (18 Aug 2010)

jimbut said:


> I can do about 300 at one go. Is that good ?




ha ha, prove it


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## Crankarm (18 Aug 2010)

I get the impression that those taking issue with me do not actually do what I do 1) because they can't 2) are armchair athletes 3) are keyboard warriors or 4) are themselves lardy .

To all you doubters get off your butts go run some miles, preferrably 7-8 miles a day, and do some chin ups and crunches preferably 4 sets of 20. Do this 5/6 days out of 7 for a month. Then report back  . I also do 4 sets of 20 squat thrusts and 50 press ups. Feeling tired? Any lower lips quivering???? I also do a whole lot of stretching exercises and massage.


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## Crankarm (18 Aug 2010)

SonofSid said:


> +1 re; targetted fat loss. My understanding is that you can't burn it from specific areas. It just don't work like that. Wish it did...



As against targetted fat gain ............. .


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## RedBike (18 Aug 2010)

3/4 years ago I used to lift weights. I could easily do a pull up. In fact I used to think nothing of doing 5-10 in a row. 
I've just started going to the gym again; and one of things i've been trying to manage is a pull up. So far I haven't even managed one.


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## Eoin Rua (18 Aug 2010)

RedBike said:


> I've just started going to the gym again; and one of things i've been trying to manage is a pull up. So far I haven't even managed one.



Same with any form of exercise really...just takes a while to get back into after a break. Nothing stopping anyone from easily doing 20+ except a bit of hard work! I used to do 100+ in sets of 12s when I would be in the gym, and I could easily manage 40+ in one go, although I would seriously struggle at the moment because I've stopped focusing on that exercise...best exercise for a ripped back though!


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## amnesia (18 Aug 2010)

So for someone who can barely manage 3 'good form' pull ups, how do I go about improving ? 

I have a wall mounted chin up bar with wide, narrow and parallel grips that I have never been able to get to grips with (excuse the pun).
Is it just a case of trying to do as many as I can every day and when I can do 8 or so, start doing more sets ?


Presume a wide grip is the best exercise, but I think I will sort out basic chin ups (with palms facing me) before I try anything more difficult.


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## amnesia (18 Aug 2010)

Holy moly !!!


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjFN-m2VOM&feature=related


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## Garz (18 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> I get the impression that those taking issue with me do not actually do what I do 1) because they can't 2) are armchair athletes 3) are keyboard warriors or 4) are themselves lardy .



You are not just my hero but our hero! 

As I said earlier.. wide grip pull ups are far harder than the chin ups, and none of these exercises will strip fat off a specific area. They may add to some calorie burning effect and speed metabolism to an extent but wont remove fat. 

If this were true crankarm (what your implying) then all those adverts for sit-up machine home equipment would have everyone ripped and skinny waists.


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## darkstar (18 Aug 2010)

amnesia said:


> Holy moly !!!
> 
> http://www.youtube.c...feature=related



Yeh those guys are so sick, amazing strength. They are not small guys either!


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## Ben M (18 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> I get the impression that those taking issue with me do not actually do what I do 1) because they can't 2) are armchair athletes 3) are keyboard warriors or 4) are themselves lardy .
> 
> To all you doubters get off your butts go run some miles, preferrably 7-8 miles a day, and do some chin ups and crunches preferably 4 sets of 20. Do this 5/6 days out of 7 for a month. Then report back  . I also do 4 sets of 20 squat thrusts and 50 press ups. Feeling tired? Any lower lips quivering???? I also do a whole lot of stretching exercises and massage.



Excuse me for being blunt, but get off your high horse and stop talking out of your arse. The reason that everyone has jumped down your throat is because what you said was categorically wrong, it is often said, and often repeated, and always wrong. Doing exercise will result in fat loss, doing specifically sit ups or pull ups or anything else will not result in you losing fat from around your middle any faster than any other exercise. You cannot chose where on your body to lose fat from; where you gain and lose fat from first and last is down to genetics.


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## darkstar (18 Aug 2010)

amnesia said:


> So for someone who can barely manage 3 'good form' pull ups, how do I go about improving ?
> 
> I have a wall mounted chin up bar with wide, narrow and parallel grips that I have never been able to get to grips with (excuse the pun).
> Is it just a case of trying to do as many as I can every day and when I can do 8 or so, start doing more sets ?
> ...



You could try the twenty pull up challange, http://twentypullups.com/

It seems to be a pretty decent regime.


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## Crankarm (18 Aug 2010)

amnesia said:


> So for someone who can barely manage 3 'good form' pull ups, how do I go about improving ?
> 
> I have a wall mounted chin up bar with wide, narrow and parallel grips that I have never been able to get to grips with (excuse the pun).
> Is it just a case of trying to do as many as I can every day and when I can do 8 or so, start doing more sets ?
> ...



Give it a go. What's the worst that can happen - you manage one? Then the day after you manage two. By the weekend you can do 3 and on it goes. The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.


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## Crankarm (18 Aug 2010)

Ben M said:


> *Excuse me for being blunt, but get off your high horse and stop talking out of your arse*. The reason that everyone has jumped down your throat is because what you said was categorically wrong, it is often said, and often repeated, and always wrong. Doing exercise will result in fat loss, doing specifically sit ups or pull ups or anything else will not result in you losing fat from around your middle any faster than any other exercise. You cannot chose where on your body to lose fat from; where you gain and lose fat from first and last is down to genetics.



What a charming individual you are. Perhaps you could harness your aggression by trying to do a pull up. I wouldn't want to be one of your family on your tandem when you throw a tantrum because some one isn't pulling (no pun intended) their weight ..........

What's with the horse????


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## Ben M (18 Aug 2010)

I like the way that when you realise that you were wrong about the topic under discussion you decide to speculate about my fitness. Which, I will have you know, is just fine thanks granddad


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## darkstar (18 Aug 2010)

This is jokes, keep providing the entertainment people!


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## Bill Gates (19 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> What a charming individual you are. Perhaps you could harness your aggression by trying to do a pull up. I wouldn't want to be one of your family on your tandem when you throw a tantrum because some one isn't pulling (no pun intended) their weight ..........
> 
> What's with the horse????



OK so for the third time. How much do you weigh? Any danger of a reply?


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## amnesia (19 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> Give it a go. What's the worst that can happen - you manage one? Then the day after you manage two. By the weekend you can do 3 and on it goes. The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.



Not afraid of failure (I've gotten used to it over the years




)

I guess it's just do them regularly and always aim for n+1... just like owning a bike


I am going to dip out of this thread now, before the war starts... have fun with Crankarm


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## Crankarm (19 Aug 2010)

Bill Gates said:


> OK so for the third time. How much do you weigh? *Any danger of a reply*?



Nope, no danger at all  .


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## Bill Gates (19 Aug 2010)

Crankarm said:


> Nope, no danger at all  .



Ok then we'll assume that you are 7 stone and weak as p1ss.


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## walker (19 Aug 2010)

Going back to pull ups, My simple back strengthener is supersetting Weighted Pull ups with bent over cable flys. 3 sets of 10 with minimal rest in between


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## ChrisBD (19 Aug 2010)

darkstar said:


> Ok you may remember I posted a thread about the 'Bleep Test Challenge', well i managed to complete that. So this time around i've been challenged to complete 24 pull ups in one set (double my current max) in 6 weeks! It was issued to me by a friend in the pub after talking about PE at school, and how in Russia they complete Pull ups everyday! *do people think this would be a good idea in the UK? I think schools need to start taking physical fitness more seriously*.
> 
> Also I', interested whether people do them regularly, as part of a training regime? How many can you do?



I think its a shambles the way physical fitness it "embraced" in schools. I was at my daughter's spors day this year for the first time; granted at 7 years I was not expecting to see hurdles, javelin etc but I was astounded to see no competition or values of physical effort being promoted.

The day (morning) was split in two.

Part one a series of "sports" tasks with points being awarded to each house based on individual performance. Tasks included hula-hoop, skiping, jumping on the spot etc with everyon who participated getting 10 house points and those who "opted-out" getting 5 points. Regardless of effort, or success.

Now this I scoffed at; but ok, its PCdome going a bit far. Not an egg / spoon race or sack race in sight.

Part two was a series of 10, 20, 40 yard runs based on class / age group. Again points to each house. Top three finish was 10 points, everyone else 5 points!!!!!!

This make me choke.

The icing on the cake? Prior to the "races" the deputy head presented to the children and anounced that competing was not the aim, there was no onus on them to "race", it was not a "competition" and joining in and having fun was the priority!!

The cherry on the icing? During one "race", my daughter's best friend was cheering for her elder brother and managed to get the rest of her class to join in. Said teachers told her off in front of everyone for cheering him on. "We have to support everyone, no favourates...."

In all fairness this brother and sister are not academically hot, not slow but not top of the class either. Good children, and from a very sporting family.

What the hell message does a day like this convey to children (aged 7 - 14 in this case) about physicall fitness and competition?

So yes, in my book schools need to buck up their ideas and it starts with the facts that in sport / excercise (just as in academia) there are winers and losers. Some are better than others.

As for chin-ups; yes. Pyramid sets three to four times a week.


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## Crankarm (19 Aug 2010)

ChrisBD said:


> I think its a shambles the way physical fitness it "embraced" in schools. I was at my daughter's spors day this year for the first time; granted at 7 years I was not expecting to see hurdles, javelin etc but I was astounded to see no competition or values of physical effort being promoted.
> 
> The day (morning) was split in two.
> 
> ...



We're doomed ................


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