As a researcher, I should know better.
You wouldn’t buy a car, then start to do some research on it…like for instance you wouldn’t purchase a 94 diesel Jetta, then do some research to find out they have a hard time starting in the cold, and that the fuel can gel up while driving—leaving you stranded on the way home from the ski hill on the coldest day of the year. The same concepts should apply to exercise.
Prepping for a ski trip involves training; training your legs, lungs, and liver. But lets just deal with the first today. One technique I’ve heard of using to prepare your legs for the burning pain of decending a mountain is the ever dreaded Wall Sit. It’s torture technique equivalent is bamboo under fingernails: simple, painful, and gets the job done…but does it?
Training for a few days with wall sits I worked my way up from 45 seconds to the awe inspiring number of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. For mortal men that is probably unobtainable…but I consider myself blessed with tree trunk thighs. In order to verify this feat at the international level I went to the internet to find out how I scaled against the world record. Record = 11 hours and 51 minutes. Are you $%^&ing kidding me!!! As far as I am concerned that is just not possible with out a chair. This record was set by a Dr. Theinna Ho, and I am not at all surprised at all that this record is held by a woman. I once challenged a female nurse to wall sit stand off (no pun intended) to prove that men have just as high a pain threshold—sorry mankind, but I lost very badly, and learned my lesson.
After learning the world record I tried to check up on other peoples modest personal records to compare against…but all I could find was article after article telling me that wall sits don’t do much to help train for skiing…And now that’s my excuse why I don’t do them anymore…and they hurt.
11 hours and 51 min?? I could write a novel in that amount of time.
the part time athlete
Maybe she got stuck and just couldn’t get up. Maybe she’s still sitting against that wall.
I remember in grade 12, Mr.Johnson our gym teacher said that whoever could “wall sit” the longest got to pick the class. Mailman won that day. We played ringette. And we rejoiced.
Maybe I’ll see how long I can do it right now……………….
15 seconds, not bad.
How’s 1:25? This woman has leg work to do!