Hahah, Love the comments on this video!

Nadia Shatila completes 100 pull-ups in 2:53 - CROSSFIT.COM - YouTube

 

"Not a single pullup was done that day."

LOL! You have to say that in a deep, semi-british voice.

Seriously though, while I do have a problem with anyone calling those pullups the results in fitness speak for themselves. All too often, iron game veterans get tied up in the specifics (this exercise is better than that) vs. the end result, which is strength and fitness.

 

Hey, If running around in circles for 7½minutes a day makes you fit and strong I'm the first one saying go for it! We're all different, some people might get better results with crossfit than the regular gym-routine and some might get better results of hard manual labour. Do what's the best for yourself, in the end of the day that's the only thing that matters (and doing pull-ups, not kipping kip kips! ).

 

Not to beat a dead horse on the pull up subject but this vid is a guy named Chris Spealler. He is pound for pound one of the strongest guys in the world. He is a Crossfit Competitor (top 10 in the world) and also does USAW comps which are probably the biggest Olympic Lifting comps in the States. He won gold last year with one of the top USAW totals of the year. He's 5'6" and 140lbs. Squats 345, Deadlifts 400, Clean 255, and can snatch 200. As Strebo says ..... some people will get the results they are looking for and some won't.

CrossFit Chris Spealler does 106 Pullups in 1 minute, 36 seconds - YouTube

 

So, we all agree that CrossFit will kick the living shit out of you.

The one thing my mind can't grasp is; We've been debating for a couple of pages about how CrossFit kicks your ass and that professional CrossFitters and instructors are very strict about form, yet one of the best crossfitters in the world does his "pull-ups" like some sort of rowing exercise?

1. If you're not going to do pull-ups don't call it pull-ups 2. If you are going to call it pull-ups, do pull-ups 3. If you're going to modify pull-ups, call it "pull-ups bananaswings" or whatever

And Yes, I'm impressed with his performance and there's no way in hell I would be able to do 20% of that.

 

I'm sure I can't do it... but I'm not going to lie - watching that doesn't nothing for me. Not impressed, and I'm not even sure why. I'm more impressed by this one trainer at my gym who does full lock-out pull-ups in the most incredibly slow manner. He only does sets of 12 or so, but he does it so slow [both on the way up, and the way down], and I personally think it's mind boggling.

I'm sure I can find a youtube video of the same nature.

 

This is relatively the same thing... except the trainer gets his chin well over the bar when he does it and maybe a tidbit slower than this guy...

Back workout: slow pullups - YouTube

 

Dead Hangs are brutal and I like doing them as I'm not all that great at kipping. I can do a few (5-6) sets of 15-20 unbroken Dead Hang Pull Ups if I haven't worked arms/back for a few days. I can typically knock out sets of 20 kipping a little easier. Some workouts call for DH Pull-ups and some allow for "variations" such as a kip or butterfly. The funniest part is, contrary to a lot of the opinions in this thread, many find the kipping pull up harder than the dead hang. One is a true pull up movement and the other requires additional muscles and some coordination on top. They all achieve a different goal and that's the beauty of it though.

I will say that watching people try to learn how to kip is damn funny in itself.

 

I have seen enough of that kipping bullshit to conclude that it is not what I consider a real pull up. If I did a pull up like that, my trainer would throw a 45lb plate at my nuts.

Who's stronger? Someone who deadlifts 400x5 or someone who can do 4 sets of 10 full pistol squats?

As strebo said, YMMV, so whatever works best for the individual is obviously the correct answer when it comes to any kind of training.

 

Check usa powerlifting's records. He's not within 200 lbs of the p4p max strength guys in his weight class in DL for example. He's strong, no doubt about that, but not insanely so. Guys that that are more impressive in that they can also likely have a good 40 time and do endurance racing while at that strength level.

That's the thing about CF, to get back to specificity. I believe the CF methodology does lead to incredible all round athletes and I love that. But if you want to be strong at an elite level, you must give up endurance and other fitness to an extent. Same thing with endurance, if you want to win the TDF or ironman you cannot be pulling 400+ lbs.

I something like this myself. In one year (in my 20's) I pulled 385 dl@160ish BW, had a consistent 18 minute 3 mile and did an oly distance tri. Conventional methods, I found that you can be fit in all areas despite thoroughly average genetic just by following through on a set program.