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.
