Form Why are Pull Ups so damn hard?

[Stun Gun]

I just followed Firas Zahabi’s strategy and it worked big time. I started 2 a day then add 1 rep everyweek until I reached 15 reps a day

 

[Stargazer Rex]

I don't think they are really that hard. Just recently did 10 x 3 @240 after not doing a pull up in 10 years. Probably could do 16-18 straight. I did think they would be a lot harder, though.

 

[Deleted member 609094]

A note about programming: I'm confused.

My usual approach to progress isn't working with pull ups. As I mentioned it takes forever to increase reps per set, unlike with other movements. In the time I added 5-7kg to my weighted pullups, I added 30 to my bench. I added 2 reps to my body weight pullups at my freshest in the time I added 4 to my inverted rows (done after the pullups).

It's so hard to add more reps per set. So I worked around this by adding extra sets: 7-8 instead of 5, and more overall volume by doing pullups more often throughout the week.

Now I've saw a couple videos on youtube that suggest doing many sets of low reps (1-2) but only once or twice a week, which is a lot less volume than I've been doing. Apparently the McGill approach is to practice each pull up with as much power as possible with good technique. A squat university video I saw said this should increase my rep per set capacity.

Hey OP.

I feel you.

I used one of those 20pullups programs a dozen or so years ago and hit 19. But, I was also 10kg lighter.

I'm almost 2m tall and around 125kg. A few months of no pullups and I was like a beginner again. Back to 4/5 max. Something I did find was that my cardio conditioning made a huge difference. I simply couldn't recover well enough to shift my bulk around. That scuppered my sets/reps massively.

I have a local park luckily with pullups frames. I go approx every 5 days, for the last 3 weeks for multiple sets, low reps.
Supersetting.
Session 1: 2 pullups, 6 dips. 15 sets.
Session 2: 2 pullups, 8 dips. 15 sets.
Session 3: 3 pullups, 6/8 dips. 12 sets.
Tomorrow: 4 pullups, 6 dips. Maybe 10 sets.

Dips aren't essential but exhausting myself and improving recovery are big.
When I was doing only pullups, then waiting around, I felt like I was missing out on something.

@pugilistico

How are things going? Are you still pursuing pull-ups?

I did those McGill approach pull-ups last year, I recall, when I was around 132kg. I actually didn't find them any better as I only cared about repetition and endurance.
I stuck with McGill style for around 2 months.

Following from when I posted before, I'm now 10+ sets at 4-6 in variations of grip.
But, I am always supersetting with something else.
The aerobic increase with the supersets has massively made recovery between sets for pull-ups easier.

But, warming up is hugely essential.
I love pull-ups. I don't test my max reps now but I'm assuming it's 9/10. Again, like you said - the drop off is big. It's nowhere near the 20 mark as I was a few years ago.

But endurance pulling. Much longer sessions. 30-60 minutes doing fewer reps and more sets has been a game-changer for me.

 

[ermac88]

My pull up improvement really sucks and I can't help but think there must be something I'm missing.

I always wanted to be able to do comfortably do pullups (like 20+) but it's always evaded me. The most I've ever been able to do in one set was 18 and this was when I was the strongest. I was doing heavy compound lifts regularly and doing pullups at every workout. But this was years ago and in retrospect, I don't think I was doing strict pullups (my chest wasn't touching the bar).

Fast forward to now where I lost a lot of strength due to injuries and just got interested in doing other things than lifting. I'm currently recovering from a herniated disk and only doing upperbody exercises since doing anything lowerbody hurts. I figure I would use this as an opportunity to train as much as I can to the extent that I can while I'm recovering. I want to get better at pullups.

I go to a very small, ill-equipped but very cheap gym which is fine because I can't do much anyway. I basically just do pull ups, bench, seated OHP, and lat pull downs along with some dumbbell and cable exercises. I've been doing this for a couple months now. 2-3 times a week. I'm content with how fast I got my bench numbers up. I went from doing 5x5 with 60kg to now doing 90 for reps. Increased my lat pulldown numbers as well.

But my pullup improvement is so damn slow. I started with doing 5 per set to currently max 8 reps in a set. I can do much less in my subsequent sets (5-4). I've gotten better everything else by simply doing more of it, but pullups are the one exercise where this approach doesn't seem to work. And I'm implementing all the tips I've gotten online like scapular retraction, making my body straight, using pauses and slow eccentrics.

Is pullup improvement always like this? Am I missing something?

I've been watching a few videos like this guy who can do some impressive stuff. He says your brachs are important and suggests forearm exercises. I'm doing more grip strength and forearm exercises to see if it helps.

My buddy laughed at me for suggesting this-

I suggest getting a pull up bar. You can probably get them used for $15

I do a few whenever I get a break during the day and I have to say they are almost effortless now

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619ozwh22nS._AC_SL1500_.jpg

 

[DEVILsSON]

My buddy laughed at me for suggesting this-

I suggest getting a pull up bar. You can probably get them used for $15

I do a few whenever I get a break during the day and I have to say they are almost effortless now

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619ozwh22nS._AC_SL1500_.jpg

Probably the single best tool someone could get for training at home or office.

This bar can be had for as little as 13-14$(it's usually closer to 15-20) new on Ali.

You can also do all sorts of other less common exercises on it like L-Sits, Dips, Sit Ups, etc.