Our body is built in such a way that it has more pushing strength rather than pulling. That’s the reason why mentally & physically our body chooses to push a object &throw forwards rather than back. This makes our back muscles comparatively weak compared to our chest & shoulder muscles. Due to this phenomena we see more injuries on our posterior (back) part compared to anterior (front) part of the body. This is the reason why many of us learn push-ups more quickly compared to pull-ups. Even at this moment many of us have got good pushing strength but weak to moderate pulling strength.
This makes the pull up challenging & important exercise to learn & master. Doing pull ups regularly is beneficial not only in sport but to improve your overall posture & keep you strong as well as injury free for a long time.
Here are my 5 simple ways with which you can start/improve your pull ups:-
1) Hang on the pull-up bar:-
This is the beginner way to start and challenging also if you hold the bar for a long period of time. If you are just someone who is about to start then prefer hanging with the help of a resistance band. This will decrease the resistance by helping you lift your body up against the gravity. Once you are able to hang for
20-30 seconds you can add a new progression to it.
2) Australian pull-up :-
Also known as the inverted rows are a good way to develop strength in your back muscles which will eventually help you with achieving pull ups. One more advantage of this exercise is that you don’t need to have any other assistance
equipment such as resistance bands (although they are a must have for any person according to me). A parallel bar with some motivation will do the job for you.
3) Pull-up negatives:-
Even if you cant pull yourself up you can at least stop yourself from coming down quickly from the top position of the pull up. This is called the negative pull up. This exercise will build you the strength to achieve even higher number of pull ups. To perform this exercise you would require a box, chair or table so that you can get to the highest position on the pull up bar.
Progress with just lifting your leg up and come down till your arms are totally straight. Just as a guideline it should take your 5 seconds to reach the bottom most position from the top most
position of the exercise.
4) Pull ups with resistance bands:-
Some individuals cant get more than 3-5 pull ups in one set. This is where resistance bands come very handy to us (most versatile equipment available on the market). You can achieve more repetitions using the resistance band and
slowly your muscles would adapt to doing more number of repetitions without the band or with lower level of resistance band than earlier.
5) Pull up to a next level:-
You can certainly start doing more advanced variations which are amazing to watch and are quite challenging to the body. One thing to remember before you try these variations is that you must be able to do at least 10 to 12 repetitions in one set of the standard pull ups.
My favourite picks for advance pull up exercises are archer pull-up, typewriter pull-up, L sit pull-up, clap pull-up, etc. That’s all for this article, I hope that this article turned out to be helpful for you and I have been successful in encouraging everyone of you to start/improve with the pull-up exercise.
Double hundreds are always special at a young age as they mark an introduction of a player in the cricketing world and helps you kickstart your career with a high. Such was the case with this youngster Arpit who scored a brilliant double hundred as his innings came into notice of everyone in the cricketing circle.
Shantibhai Seth CC after electing to bat first at Oval Maidan notched up 457/5 dec in 94.1 overs out of which their opener Arpit Dhadve scored more than half of the team runs. Arpit smashed 235 off 279 balls laced with 28 fours as he kept the scoreboard ticking batting confidently while Kunal Vatari who came at no.6 scored an unbeaten 107* off 123 balls (15 fours) further solidifying his team’s position in the match.
Payyade SC in reply were bundled out for 141/10 in 43.4 overs as Shantibhai Seth boys grabbed a big win by 316 runs.
As it has been for many chapters over the last 12 months, the last chapter which was held at Umesh Patwal sir’s ithink Sportz Academy at Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali West witnessed a similar footfall of enthusiastic participants with many even coming from Kalyan and other parts of Mumbai. There were also a few participants in the last chapter who were so pumped up about the event that they attended all the chapters of the 2nd Edition.
The last chapter started at 8:30 am in the morning and as expected there were hundreds of young boys from schools and colleges registering their names to win the coveted contest. Afghanistan Team’s National Batting Coach Umesh Patwal who is also the head coach of ithink Sportz Academy & Sanjay Dogra former Ranji Player and one of the State teams’ chief advisor were the Guest of Honors in the last chapter of Mumbai ka Accurate Bowler.
From the College category, fast bowler Mohit Meena from Thakkur College of Science and Commerce was spot on with the ball maintaining impressive accuracy with good line and length as he won all the 3 rounds surpassing numerous participants. Mohit became the “Nataraj Pens-Mumbai Ka Accurate Bowler” for College Category in the Kandivali chapter where he was awarded a Trophy, Certificate, Spike Shoes by SASA & a Nataraj Pens set.
16yr old Shubham Inkar who studies at Shivaji Vidyalaya won the School Category Round of “Nataraj Pens-Mumbai ka Accurate Bowler”. He had a tough fight from the other boys but he eventually went on to bag the coveted title. 16yr old Shubham was also awarded a Trophy, a winners Certificate, Spike Shoes by SASA and Nataraj Pens Set.
The last weekend witnessed a thriller of semi-finals between DY Patil vs MIG and Payyade vs Fort Vijay. All the 4 teams who have been impressive in the tournament and have some in form players to boast of.
In the match between Payyade and Fort Vijay at the MIG Ground, Payyade after being made to bat first scored a decent total of 158/8 in 20 overs. Payyade perennially had suffered a collapse had it not been their opener Akhil coming up with a blazing 67 runs. Akhil opening the innings took only 28 balls smashing 5 fours and 6 sixes as his 67 proved to be very crucial as the 2nd highest score in Payyade’s innings was 23*. All-rounder Pankaj Jaiswal came up with 3 wkts being the pick of the bowlers. Fort Vijay in reply managed only 140/9 in 20 overs thanks to some really tight bowling by the Payyade bowlers as they won the semi finals by 18 runs.
On the other hand, DY Patil dominated MIG on their home ground, MIG after being put to bat first could not muster more than 134/7 in 20 overs which was chased down with ease by DY Patil batsman as their experienced campaigner KP anchored the chase with a 61* off 50 balls (8 fours, 1 six) opening the innings. DY Patil won the semis by 8 wkts and 3 overs to spare and it will be an interesting battle to watch as Payyade and DY both seem to be very strong units.
Often, a sports player in the pursuit of improving performance does too much of “hard work” with too little “recovery. In this article I would like to share some valuable recommendations to follow divided into 3 Phases (Off season, In season, Post season). Although hiring a fitness expert will help you build a much better performance enhancing program but if you cant afford it then these recommendations are a good way to start bringing a change into your training programs.
1) Training in Off- Season:-
The first thing to remember before starting off season training is this phase prepares you for the rest of the coming season. Consider it as your foundation building process for the upcoming season. In Mumbai cricket this season starts in the month of June & ends in September. Consider these 4months as your acceleration period where you need to maximize your gym sessions. If you are in a proper workout & nutritional routine training for even 5-6 days a week would be beneficial. Increasing you overall muscle strength & size will be the primary goal in this season. A way to start would be to “read my article on 5 basic exercises” and add weights to those 5 exercises as you progress. This is also a best time to inculcate some flexibility and mobility training so that you don’t suffer from stiff muscles during matches. One last thing to include in this would be a good certified fitness expert who can help you with one-on-one sessions. Exercise duration during this phase can be longer (1hour to 1.30 hrs).
2) Training In-Season :-
This is the most important period for any sportsmen as this is the time when the player actually sees the results of training on the field. Here, its important to maintain the fitness level that has been achieved in the off-season. Therefore, training days will be less (2-3 days a week) or depending on the matches scheduled throughout the week. Training duration will also be less (45mins to 1hr) and training intensity will be high 80-90% of Maximum Aerobic Power/1 Repetition Maximum(1RM). Due to regular matches being scheduled injuries also need to be taken care of during this period. Therefore, as soon as the match day ends athlete must have good nutrition & a recovery training routine which prepares for the next game. The peak cricketing season in Mumbai would be from October to February. On field performance matters more in this season than training performance that’s the reason more mental preparation is required during matches than physical preparedness.
3) Training Post-Season :-
This is the rewarding phase for all the hard work that you had put in the previous two seasons. Consider taking off sometime from cricket (or your professional sport) and going on vacation for 1-2weeks. Spend this time to refresh yourself physically & mentally. It is not necessary to get back to training as soon as possible but consider indulging in different sport activities such as swimming, lawn tennis etc. This will keep you active and having fun at the same time. Try to keep the intensity low and avoid being foolish during this period as you have to get back to achieving greatness in sport. It is also a good time to have a full medical check-up which will help you in knowing whether you are having a nutrient deficiency or any injury that is predicted to occur.
I hope this article helps everyone reading this & if you have any questions just write me a email or text me on my social media accounts. I will be happy to help you. As the field of sports is evolving with more & more science being added to it every year it’s a need to have a sports medicine team to look after every athlete to help him excel in his/her career.
Aziz Shaikh has been one clean hitter in the T20 format and has smashed some really fast fifties in this season. In the match vs Trafigura Global he just continued what he does best, i.e-hit, hit and hit!
Super Strikers after being made to bat first scored a very healthy total of 178/7 in 20 overs. Opene Aziz Shaikh opening the innings created the positive momentum with his aggressive batting and power hitting as he score 55 off 29 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of almost 190.00! The rest of the batsman chipped in with scores of 20’s and 40’s as Super Strikers ended up posting a decent total on the board.
Trafigura Global despite their opener A.Bhalala’s blazing 38 ball 84 fell short of 14 runs as no one below him could convert their starts or even chip in with 30’s or 40’s which Super Strikers did nicely. Super Strikers were 164/9 in 20 overs with some good death bowling. Manish Yadav with 4/17 was simply impressive with the ball. Super Strikers won the match by 14 runs while Aziz was declared ‘man of the match’
Rising Vision who boast of a strong batting line up rightly elected to bat first at the Western Railways Ground where in they notched up 206/1 in 20 overs. Openers Shashank Shekar and Sagar Shah took on the bowlers with absolute ease as both the openers stitched a massive 194 run stand in 18.2 overs. Shashank went on to score a breezy 103 off 61 balls (11 fours and 2 sixes) while Sagar continued good form with a 54 ball 90 (9 fours, 3 sixes). Sagar who has been scoring runs consistently with a ton already in this tournament also scored a match winning 54* off 31 balls while chasing 67 in the Bombay Junior Shield Tournament.
Powai Panthers in reply were all out for 90 runs thanks to some tight bowling by the bowlers especially Deepak Vishwakarma who came up with an impressive spell of 3/5 in 3 overs.
It was a commanding win for the Rising Vision team while Shashank, Sagar and Deepak stood out with their individual performances.
Played at the Acharya Aatre Maidan at Pant Nagar in Ghatkopar, it was the all important finals between two promising teams who have been impressive throughout the tournament. Vijay Indap Cricket Academy after electing to bat first suffered a batting collapse as they were all out for 78 runs where in Libin Kuriyapam top scored with 22 runs. Riyansh was the pick of the bowlers taking 4 wkts giving crucial breakthroughs.
A target of 79 is a mere formality in most of the matches but PT’s Academy recieved a tough fight from the bowlers not allowing any batsman to settle. It was a nail biting thriller where Vijay Indap Academy managed to almost nail it sending 9 out of the 11 batsman of PT’s academy back to the pavilion. Eventually, PTCA managed to cross the victory line winning the match by one wicket where in Deep Madavi was the highest scorer with 33 runs. It was Deep’s valiant fight which brought PT’s academy back into the game as they win the tournament in style.
Man of the Match:
Riyansh Shah of Pravin Tambe Cricket Academy took 4 wickets for 14 runs in 4.5 overs.
Coach:
Pravin Tambe Cricket Academy: Vinod Mhaskar
Vijay Indap Cricket Academy: Vijay Indap
Awards-
Best Batsman : Yogesh Tiwari (Pro Kings Sports Academy)
Best Bowler : Sheet Rambhia (Vijay Indap Cricket Academy)
Best Fielder : Hardik Goswami
Man of The Series : Prasad Gangurde
Runner Up: Vijay indap Cricket Academy
Going into their second league matches, both SHM and India First Insurance were high in confidence, as both these teams had won their opening encounters with great aplomb. Going by how All Saints pitch behaved on the first day, both Captains were skeptical at the toss, pondering what they will do if they won the toss. On 2nd day as new wicket was used, it certainly created more doubts in the captains mind. India First Insurance , won the toss and decided to field first. SHM being the side they are, began in style, attacking from the ball one. First ball of the match was dismissed by Nanha for a maximum over long off fence. Both Simit and Nanha play like theirs no tomorrow. Going for the leather from ball one. Both batsman gave solid pasting to opening bowlers of India First Insurance. 50 was reached in no time. Simit was first to go being castled by Pushkar. Nana again did it for his team scoring 46 runs of just 18 balls which included 7 fours and 2 sixes. This guy is a real deal. Bat’s and bowls attackingly and is a live wire in the field. A solid asset for any captain and team. After Nana’s departure, Praveen and Sanju carried on the good work as the platform by the opening batsman was there for them to capitalize. Both batsmen very extremely positive in their approach. Running their singles hard, converting them into two’s. And boundary’s and sixes followed continuously.
The new strip turned out to be a belter and batsman were making full use of it. Praveen and Sanju built a good partnership. Praveen was stumped off Wasim’s bowling. Wasim bowled an outstanding spell of 3 overs, 19 runs and 1 wicket. SHM is great side packed with premium allrounders. Hemant, who is a keeper/batsman also bowls with decent pace. He stamped his authority on the proceedings, by scoring a classy 56 runs off just 28 balls. He played with lots of freedom and authority, hitting 4 boundary’s and 4 sixes during his knock. Hemant 46 and Demba 13, kept the momentum going for the SHM innings. If Hemant wouldn’t had not been runout by Sanket, SHM would had surely crossed the 200 run mark. SHM ended their innings on 178 off their 20 overs. A stiff chase indeed for India First Insurance. Sanket 3/30 and 1 wicket bowled with good pace. He was able to extract a lot’s of bounce from good length, which certainly put brakes on the scoring. Rammanna and Wasim were the pick of the bowlers for India First Insurance .
India First Insurance got of to a worst possible start, as their opening batsmen Ajish was caught off the first ball that he faced. Bowler was none other than SHM star all rounder NANHA. Who did a double whammy as he accounted for Javed also who was bowled off an inside edge. Two telling blows by Nanha and India First Insurance were immediately on the back foot. Rammanna was also dismissed soon dragging India First Insurance further into the abyss. But Pushkar who scored 50 runs off 30 balls, entertained all with his elegant and stylish stroke play. He was accumulating runs steadily from one end. Some of the back foot drives through offside and lofted shots that he played were simply orgasmic. He got solid support from other end, as Babli Sharma who scored 29 runs, also played extremely well along side Pushkar. The track had become flat as a board. No side ways movement, no spin and no swing. Batsmen were teeing off at will. Once the ball was past the fielder, it reached boundary line in a jiffy. The quick outfield didn’t help SHM’s cause too.
Babli and Pushkar both got a life each, as SHM fielders couldn’t hold on to a couple of difficult catches. Afternoon cool breeze, flat track, wonderful ground stokes and humungous maximums provided spectators with great viewing treat. Ajish and Babli got out in a quick succession. Nanha hit the bulls eye running out Ajish and Hemant had Babli caught plumb in front. Akhtar and Wasim took over from where their previous batsmen left off. Both played sensibly and attackingly at the same time. Wasim was the accumulator and Akhtar was the attacker. Akhtar sored 50 runs of just 19 balls with 4 fours and 6 sixes. Wasim also remained not out on 22 off 16 balls. None of SHM bowlers other than Nanha were effective on the day. In an high scoring affair India First Insurance edged out SHM quite convincingly. What a run feast and entertainment for all who witnessed it.
All the hoopla and excitement for the Progressive Trophy was worth it’s while I guess. Certainly very intriguing day’s play was witnessed on the first day of the CPC 2019. At All Saints Challengers won the toss and put MP into bat. As usual the All Saint wicket in the morning was little damp and too paced from at least one end. As ball was often stopping and coming onto the bat. Batsman were finding it extremely hard to make stroke play from that end. Shirke blasted 3 boundary’s at the start of MP’s innings. Nice blazing start by MP. But it was short lived as a frenzy of great fielding saw MP lose their top 3 batsmen for next to nothing. Aakash took 2 astounding catches off Ashutosh’s bowling. Ninad also took a blinder at short third to jolt MP’s charge. All in all MP couldn’t get partnerships going. Note worthy contributions by Rahul/35, Shreyas/19, Shirke/26, Brajendra/15 and Harsh 18 took MP to a respectable 123 runs in 20 overs. Ashu took 4 wickets for 25 runs. Certainly a good come back by him after leaking 3 boundary’s in first over. Pratik also bowled an excellent spell but was very unlucky not to get any wickets.
Challengers didn’t get off to a good start as Aakash and Slyvi both were dismissed to mis-timed shots. Pratik and YM were trying to steady the innings but MP bowlers were bowling an excellent line and length backed up buy good fielding, which didn’t allow Challengers to get going in their chase. The leg spinner Nishant was the best bowler for MP. Bowling with good loop and guile, giving away just 12 runs in his 4 overs. Great effort by Mayank too. Giving away just 8 runs in his 3 overs and picked up 2 wickets. Things started looking very gloomy for Challengers. Increasing run rate put extra pressure on their batsman. Same old problem of not rotating the strike, and loosing cluster of wickets cost challengers dearly. Run rate reached above 12 runs per over. Match was good as gone. Satya’s 2 back to back boundary’s made a positive impact on the chase proceedings but as he got out the hope of victory for challengers all but extinguished. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, new boy Satish had other things on his mind. Scoring 38 runs of just 13 balls, studded with 4 sixes, knocked the wind out of MP. The onslaught was very precise. Satish’s body language, didn’t display any tension otherwise as he went about his six hitting spree very casually. Especially the flat six straight over the bowlers head was a classic gem. Last ball, one to win, all the field was brought up. But Satish didn’t panic, he just nudged the ball on the off side and ran like hell for that famous single run, which not only made Challengers win from an impossible situation, but also catapulted Satish to a rising STAR status in CCD ranks. Superb knock by Satish, who was ideally supported by Ashutosh from the other end. A memorable win for Challengers and Satish.