I’ve got a buddy who is a long time instructor at the local police academy. He has always been in charge of administering the the fitness tests to potential recruits. We were discussing the fitness tests applicants have to go through (ie. x amount of push-up in 60 seconds, etc, etc) and I was surprised to find that recruits aren’t asked to do any pull ups. He said it used to be a requirement that one be able to do at least 5 pull ups but they drooped pull ups from the test altogether because in two years there had never been a female applicant who could do a single pull up.
Fortunately, no one in that police force will ever be required by law to protect a citizen of the jurisdiction, no harm, right?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304746604577384021387990452.html
Her regimen is a brutal, six- (sometimes seven) day-a-week mix of roller skiing, biking, running and strength training. Pull-ups are a fairly unpleasant experience for most humans, but the ones Ms. Randall does resemble a form of medieval torture. She straps on a belt with a chain dangling from it and attaches a 60-pound weight to it. Or she’ll pull herself up with such power that she is able to clap her hands above the bar and then grab it to slowly lower herself. Eight is her record.
All of that and a very nice smile!