"Pull Ten": A Simple Solution To Obesity*

by RICK OSBOURNE M.S.

Our school kids are fat and getting fatter according to many recent studies. (1) And, as the problem grows, the solutions to the problem have been conspicuously absent.

I have a simple solution to the problem that I would like to recommend to anyone interested in the problem of obesity in this country. I suggest that we require all students graduating from junior high, high school, and college to be able to do 10 pull-ups in order to graduate.

The reason for this recommendation is very simple. First and foremost, it has been my observation that obese people cannot do pull-ups. So if "PULL 10" was a graduation requirement, we would be rewarding healthy eating habits, regular exercise programs, and all those things we talk about in physical education class. Furthermore, we would not be graduating obese people from our nation's schools.

The health and economic problems related to obesity by this date are too numerous to list. But this simple 10 pull-up requirement would decrease the problem of obesity in our nation's school children (recently dubbed couch potatoes) dramatically. This is where the obesity problem generally begins. Secondly, pull-ups are psychologically, physically, and economically accessible to anyone. For certain people resistance training can be both intimidating and confusing. But pull-ups are familiar and understandable to virtually everyone. Furthermore, if approached correctly, almost anyone has the physical potential to learn to do pull-ups.

Economically speaking, pull-ups take very little out of the budget and very little room in the house. Actually the closest tree limb will serve as a first class pull-up bar. Probably the least expensive yet "sophisticated" exercise unit on the market today is a simple pull-up bar. A pull bar also takes up almost no space when placed at the top of the kitchen or the bedroom door. Pull-ups are also relatively safe. With no plates, and no weight stacks, and the body weight as the only resistance factor, pull-ups are very unlikely to cause injury. And the natural hanging produces a decompressing of the spine that is actually good for the lower back.

The functional feedback potential of "PULLING 10" after graduation is also very significant. Once you learn to do 10 pulls, you can use this exercise as an accessible and functional guideline to body composition. To explain, chins are a member of a family of exercise known as Somatatrophic Exercise. Somatatrophic Exercise includes all exercise activity in which the body weight is the major resistance factor (i.e. pulls, dips, hand stand push ups, running, gymnastics and dance).

One of the most important characteristics of somatatrophic exercises is that they offer a natural performance payoff for fat loss, and natural performance penalty for fat gain, and a natural proportionality if weight is gained but performance is maintained.

Take, for example, a person who weighs 150 lbs. and can do 10 pull ups. If this person can manage to maintain his strength (muscle mass) yet lose 10% of his body weight (in fat because muscle mass is maintained), he will soon be doing more pull ups (payoff). On the other hand, if he maintains his strength but gains weight (again in fat), he will soon be doing fewer pull ups (penalty). The third possibility comes into play when the person gains 10% in body weight but is still able to do his 10 pulls. If this occurs, it simply means that the participant has increased his muscle mass proportionally in the weight gaining process.

Thus, the three P's of somatatrophic exercise can be used in conjunction with pull ups for the rest of your life as a functional acid test when it comes to body composition. If you can maintain the ability to do 10 pull-ups the rest of your life, you can rest assured that you will never be significantly overweight. Finally, pull-ups work the arms, the shoulder girdle muscles and the large muscles of the back. These upper torso muscles have been found to be particularly weak in the student population of this country and they simply need the training.

To take this suggestion one step further, if each employer, public or private, would screen his potential employees with a simple "PULL 10". Obesity and related health costs, absenteeism, and turnover would all decrease dramatically. On the other hand, self esteem, production, sociability and the ability to work with other employees would increase in a similar fashion. (2)

Therefore, to offer a simple solution to the growing problem of student and employee obesity in this country, I suggest that each should be required to "PULL 10" before he can graduate or be hired. If we required "PULL 10" in this fashion, we would be graduating and hiring a much healthier, happier and productive individual. We would also be encouraging a much healthier economic climate in the process.

1. Dr. Wm. H. Dietz, American Journal of Diseases of Children, May, 1987 issue.
2. Not to discriminate of course we will presume that ownership can do much better than just "PULL 10".

* PELINKS4U welcomes ideas, contributions, suggestions, content and materials, etc., in order to share techniques, information, methods, etc., between physical educators. This does not necessarily mean that PELINKS4U is in agreement with what was contributed, but is willing to SHARE the opinion/perspective of the person who contributed.