Military Sports | The 'Bar Sharp Soldier' Who Has Broken the Record Four Times
The 'Bar Sharp Soldier' Who Has Broken the Record Four Times
■ He Huiling
"65, 66, 67… Zeng Zipeng, hold steady! Don't lose your rhythm!"
The training ground in the early spring of the northwest was bone-piercingly cold. On the horizontal bar (单杠) competition field of a certain brigade of the Western Theater Command Army's "Pioneer Cup" (先锋杯) mass-based post-proficiency competition (群众性岗位练兵比武竞赛), shouts surged and red flags snapped in the wind. Every eye was fixed on the slight figure hanging from the bar—Zeng Zipeng, who had held the brigade's horizontal bar Event One record for three consecutive years, having won the championship last year with a score of 82 repetitions.
At the sideline, political instructor Zeng Liancai held his breath, gripping a homemade talc bottle tightly in his palm, his gaze never leaving the bar. "81, 82, 83…" Zeng Liancai drew a deep breath—last year's record was broken at that very moment. But his heart was also in knots, not knowing how much longer Zeng Zipeng could hold on at the limits of his endurance.
"98, 99, 100…" The entire venue erupted instantly. Zeng Zipeng hung from the bar, lips gone white, arms trembling uncontrollably. Gritting his teeth, one hand clamped hard onto the bar while the other reached down shakily: "Instructor, chalk." Zeng Zipeng switched hands, applied the chalk, and gripped again.
"118, 119, 120!" The moment his feet landed firmly on the ground, the venue burst into a deafening roar.
Everyone marveled at the result, but only Zeng Zipeng himself knew that he had spent a full four years preparing for this day.
Rewind to 2022: new recruit Zeng Zipeng arrived at a high-altitude garrison training site after joining his company. At the flag-receiving ceremony, the company song echoed across the vast snow-capped mountains, and he clenched his fists and made a silent vow: to become a sharp soldier (尖兵) of an honored company.
To become a sharp soldier, he first had to train hard. That very night, he found two empty plastic water bottles, filled them with fine sand, and began training his arm strength. The highland winds cut painfully at his face. Every day he practiced hanging grip strength on a horizontal bar in a corner of the barracks—starting from being able to hold on for only one minute, eventually working up to five full minutes. The blisters on his palms would burst and grow back; he would lance them with a needle, squeeze out the fluid, wrap two layers of medical tape around his hands, and keep training.
In 2023, Private Zeng Zipeng stepped onto the brigade's "Pioneer Cup" competition field for the first time and took the championship with 41 repetitions. But that joy did not last long. While away for training, the words of a special operations (特战) squad leader struck him hard: "The horizontal bar record in our brigade is 116."
Zeng Zipeng froze on the spot. 116—nearly three times his own score.
After returning to the barracks, he set himself a near-punishing training plan: lat pulldowns (高位下拉) in sets of 50, six sets per day; weighted pull-ups starting at 20 kilograms, gradually increasing to 50 kilograms; 300 standard pull-ups every single day without exception—chin must clear the bar, and any body sway meant the repetition did not count.
In 2024, Zeng Zipeng competed in the "Pioneer Cup" again and successfully defended his title with 57 repetitions. After that, he fell into a plateau lasting eight full months, with his scores hovering between 55 and 60.
"Relying on technique alone is not enough—you have to train muscular endurance to its absolute limit." He sought advice from special operations soldiers everywhere, analyzed professional training videos frame by frame, and added static hang training, grip strength work, and core strength training, stopping each session only when he reached complete muscular failure.
Last year, Zeng Zipeng broke his own brigade record for the third time with a score of 82 repetitions.
As he drew ever closer to the goal he had once looked up to, Zeng Zipeng did not stop. To break through his limits, he began studying wide-grip pull-ups. He gradually increased his grip width from one fist wider than shoulder-width to two fists wider. At first his arms ached so badly he could barely lift them; he practiced chest expansions against a wall every day, adapting little by little to the new mechanics of force application.
This year, competing in the "Pioneer Cup" for the fourth time, Zeng Zipeng redeemed the vow he had made on the high plateau four years ago with a score of 120 repetitions. Five years in the military, four trips to the competition field, four championships, and four records broken. From 41 to 120—the numbers behind that progression bear witness to his transformation from a bewildered new recruit to a sharp soldier in the chemical defense (防化) arm.
Standing on the awards platform, Zeng Zipeng gripped the heavy medal and looked toward the company flag fluttering in the wind at the sideline. His words were firm and forceful: "120 is not my limit—it is only a new starting point."