Gaining strength in the pull-up?

[Shadow Smurf]

Hi Guys,

wanted some advice as far as the pull-up goes. I can do about 30 BW pull-ups spread over like yeah a long time. I do say 5, then 3, then 2, 2, 1, etc, and I can keep doing singles till about 30 or so. Providing I am taking like 1min 30secs between sets.

I usually then follow with single negatives until I am spent (usually about 10 or so with 2 mins break).

I wanted ideas as far as gaining strength in this, I am doing WS4SBI (the original one) so I'm on a good program, just want ideas to get better at them. I can usually add 1 to my routine each week. I only train them once a week on my friday session.

Should I train them again on another day? or;

Should I do my pull-ups and then maybe some lat pulldowns? I have read Smashius likes to do them backwards with his legs not under the bar so he is using the lats more, which I think could be handy to incorporate.

Just want some ideas to help increase the volume so I can get to the point of weighted pull-ups at some stage.

thanks, suggestions are welcome.

 

[Shadow Smurf]

and yes I have consulted this thread - exercises that will enable me to do a pullup? - Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forums, just wanted extra advice

 

[the_harbinger]

I believe pull-ups are on the Upper Repetition Day of the original WS4SB program, correct? What you could try is doing 1-3 pull-ups between every set of every exercise of day. This would accumulate quite a bit of volume over the course of the training session, me thinks.

EDIT: What is your weight? Just curious.

 

[Ian Coe]

Negatives and volume training

Also, why are you training to failure so much.

Do sets of 3, then build up so you can do 4, 3, 3, then 4, 4, 3, then 4, 4, 4, then 5, 4, 4......I refuse to carry on doing that but do it until you get to 20, 20, 20....by that point if you test yourself you could probably do 30-35 (depending on breaks between the 20's)

 

[Monger]

So is 5 reps the max you can do for one set? If that was my starting point and being able to up that number was a goal of mine... I'd do more volume spread out vs. working on them for an excess of 30 mins and just doing single after single. Try banging out a set of 5 every non-pull up training day... maybe even twice a day at times. When possible, bump up the reps. In other words... increase frequency.

On your scheduled training day for pull-ups you can try to slowly add weight with a dip belt or something. You could start with adding 5-10lbs and maybe doing a couple sets of 3.

 

[Tiger]

all of the advice here is very good especially the 3-3-3 4-3-3 4-4-4 one

u should do them more than once a week though if u want to get stronger at it...

say if u do them on monday do some on friday too...

i have a big problem with them too cause i gained 15 pounds and now they feel heavy as hell...

i tried doing 10 sets of 3 with 2 minutes tops rest...and its working good for me...ill move on to 10 sets of 4 then 10 of 5 and so on....in the end ill probably be able to do 5x8 easily...

 

[Rare Chestnuts]

Frequency and volume. Doing 15 reps 3-4 times per week will work much better than 30 reps once per week. The "train each bodypart once per week" routine does not work well when you are trying to improve a strength skill.

 

[Shadow Smurf]

I believe pull-ups are on the Upper Repetition Day of the original WS4SB program, correct? What you could try is doing 1-3 pull-ups between every set of every exercise of day. This would accumulate quite a bit of volume over the course of the training session, me thinks.

EDIT: What is your weight? Just curious.

I weigh 87kg. And yes they are the upperbody day. It annoys me having to sit at the pullup bar and just kepe banging them out for over 40 mins, so I may try your suggestions of doing as many as I can between other sets of exercise and see how I go.

So is 5 reps the max you can do for one set? If that was my starting point and being able to up that number was a goal of mine... I'd do more volume spread out vs. working on them for an excess of 30 mins and just doing single after single. Try banging out a set of 5 every non-pull up training day... maybe even twice a day at times. When possible, bump up the reps. In other words... increase frequency.

On your scheduled training day for pull-ups you can try to slowly add weight with a dip belt or something. You could start with adding 5-10lbs and maybe doing a couple sets of 3.

Thanks I may give this a try as well and add a little weight when I train them this friday on my repetition upperbody day.

 

[Shadow Smurf]

Negatives and volume training

Also, why are you training to failure so much.

Do sets of 3, then build up so you can do 4, 3, 3, then 4, 4, 3, then 4, 4, 4, then 5, 4, 4......I refuse to carry on doing that but do it until you get to 20, 20, 20....by that point if you test yourself you could probably do 30-35 (depending on breaks between the 20's)

I like this idea, thank you Ian. I was training to failure because I wasn't sure how to get better at them, thus my thread post here

 

[ThinkGreen]

I think you should do something like 8-10x2-3 with about 1-2 min. of rest between sets. Once you can do this without much problem, switch to 5x5, then start adding weight and go back to the 8-10x2-3, then add weight and go back to the 5x5. I have had success with this personally so havee a couple other people I know.

 

[Amar]

If I recall I just kept doing the max amount of pullups I was able to do like 2-3 times a day every other day.

I started out being able to do 6. I think maybe 6 months later I was doing 20.

Then I switched to one of those schemes where every time you walk under the pullup bar in your house you do 5 or so. I eventually got up to 24 pullups doing this then I started adding weight.

Now, I can still do 24 bw pullups but I can also do multiple sets of 5 or 6 with 70+ lb strapped on.

 

[Shadow Smurf]

I am moving and unfortunately won't be able to install a pull-up bar (renting and the landlord won't go for it) but I am sure I can find a children's play park and do some there.

I have a park nearby with a monkey bar kinda deal so I will go down every otherday and bust out a few sets of 5 and try and make some gains that way.

Once i start getting higher reps on my sets I will add some weight as Amar did.

Thanks for the good ideas guys.

 

[Ian Coe]

I like this idea, thank you Ian. I was training to failure because I wasn't sure how to get better at them, thus my thread post here

Nps mate


I would also when you are more conditioned to add more reps throughout the day like others have suggested (grease the groove method) and when you are up to sets of 10-15 without weight, start adding weight and drop the reps and start again


Slowly slowly catch monkey


Also, I am quite annoyed that my old dear lost my dipping belt. I need to really buy a new one :icon_cry2.

I just hate spending money

 

[vince89]

They have one at the gym.

 

[Ian Coe]

They have one at the gym.

What that cord thing


How time consuming is using one of those things though to add extra weight to.

My old one was a lifting belt with a chain and a climbers hook on it (which broke and I ended up using a s hook)

 

[vince89]

No its a dipping belt Ive used it before. Its shit, but it works. Better than nothing.

 

[Shadow Smurf]

Nps mate


I would also when you are more conditioned to add more reps throughout the day like others have suggested (grease the groove method) and when you are up to sets of 10-15 without weight, start adding weight and drop the reps and start again


Slowly slowly catch monkey


Also, I am quite annoyed that my old dear lost my dipping belt. I need to really buy a new one :icon_cry2.

I just hate spending money

I have an ATP dipping belt you can use if you want to fly me to England, Ian.

I'm looking forward to not spending 40 minutes at the pull up bar this friday. yay >.>

 

[Ian Coe]

I have an ATP dipping belt you can use if you want to fly me to England, Ian.

I'm looking forward to not spending 40 minutes at the pull up bar this friday. yay >.>

The harrier is on the way


edit- eh, 40 min hovering by the pull up bar

 

[oxcart]

Get a doorframe one - you don't need to drill the door or anything if you get a cantilever one. I have one, every time I walk up my stairs I stop and do a few reps.

 

[Shadow Smurf]

yeah I looked at one of those, I have to wait until I move in so I know what size but that looks like the goes.

Any brand recommendations as far as they go?