Born in 1963

Tag: over60calisthenics

  • Perfect pairing of Pull-ups with Dips.

    If you have been to Korea, you may have noticed that there are many places in Korean cities with outdoor exercise equipment. They are free, open-air public gyms.

    Such places are not just in cities. They are also on the hiking trails around the cities. And we Koreans humorously call them ‘Sansjang.’ Literally, it means gyms(‘jang’) in the mountains(‘san’).

    Last Sunday, I went to Gubongdo Island, which has walking trails where people can enjoy the forest and the beach at the same time.

    As expected, I found a mountain gym, and there was a parallel bar among the exercise equipment.

    I have done dips from time to time, but I recently made up my mind to add them to my exercise routine to pair them with pull-ups, which I’ve been doing for a couple of years.

    My pull-ups statue: Stuck at 11 pull-ups for nearly a year

    What Dips and Pull-Up Have in Common

    * Both are highly effective, compound body-weight exercises. Calisthenics in other word.

    * Both are closed-chain movements. Your hands are fixed to an object (pull-up bar or parallel bar) while your body moves vertically. I like the simplicity of movements.

    * Both primarily target the upper body and build significant muscle and strength.

    * Equipment-dependency is minimal. Just pull-up bars and/or parallel bars. Both can be performed in gyms, or playground(open-air) equipment like ‘Sansjang’. And, there are many optional simple equipment items to exercise at home or in the office. I have one.

    * Easy progression. Our own weight acts as a resistance. If you need assistance, you can use elastic bands with different resistance. And if you want progressive overload, there are weight belts with different weights

    Differences between Dips and Pull-Up

    Pull-ups focus on pulling muscles; on the other hand, dips focus on pushing muscles. That is, the two exercises are in opposition, namely forming an antagonistic relationship.

    Therefore, while vertical pulling muscles(including the lats, upper back, shoulders, and biceps) work, the opposite vertical pushing muscles(including the chest, triceps, and front shoulders) can rest. Active recovery could occur, which means workout time efficiency.

    This perfect balancing and combination could be a great way not only to maximize muscle growth but also to build well-proportioned upper-body strength.

    Setting pull-ups and dips together is an excellent exercise combination that’s worth giving a try, even if you’re over 60.

    However, if you are over 60 like me, don’t obsess over increasing the number of reps. Guys over 60 are well aware of the limits of our age, right?

  • About me

    Staying active, Learning daily.

    Hello and welcome to my personal blog.

    As the domain name “BornIn1963.com” says intuitively, I was born in 1963 and live in South Korea.

    Starting a blog in English, as a non-native English speaker, is kind of a challenge for me. While English is not my native tongue, I wanted to create a space where I could connect with people globally.

    Yoga on the beach of Danang, Vietnam. March of 2026

    I’m a newbie to WordPress, so I couldn’t find a way to do captioning to a picture. I enjoyed yoga retreat in Danang, Vietnam. March, 2026.

    On this blog, I’d like to post my greatest passions:

    1. Physical Fitness: Sharing my routines and progress in calisthenics (pull-ups), yoga, and weight exercises.
    2. Continuous Learning: Tracking my journey of mastering English, Japanese, and French, while also sharing resources on Korean language and culture for global readers.
    3. Some Hobbies: Capturing moments from my travels, hiking trips, bicycle rides, and finger-style guitar sessions.
    4. And last but not least: Getting old naturally, health issues, etc.

    People say age is just a number. Just a number. Truly? Seriously?

    I think it’s half right and half wrong.
    I will write down the reason why I think so in the coming posts. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!

  • Stuck at 11 pull-ups for nearly a year

    Have you ever been stuck at a certain number(reps) of exercises?

    For examples, squats, push-ups, pull-ups.

    In July last year, I hit my maximum record of 11 pull-ups for my life after 50.

    Since then, my numbers haven’t increased at all.

    It can be called as ‘a pull-up plateau’ like ‘a weight-loss plateau.’

    It’s been almost a year, and there hasn’t been any significant change in my weight; I have been maintaining 69 to 70 kg (152 to 154 lbs).

    My workout routine has also stayed about the same.

    1 hour of weight exercise in two days every week.

    So, what’s the problem?

    The answer might simply be that I am getting a little older every day. Actually every hour, every minute, every second.

    Occasionally, when I feel in great physical condition, I barely manage to do 12 pull-ups. Yes, literally ‘barely’.

    However, my personal standard is being able to do 12 clean pull-ups three days in a row or every other day.

    Therefore, I am currently not meeting my own standard.

    My goal is to ‘comfortably’ do ‘clean’ 12 pull-ups by the end of 2026.

    Hopefully, I can make it happen!