How to Make Progress on Pull ups?

Duffman'05

Basically I have a goal to be able to do 25 pull ups in one go, but at the moment the max I can manage is 13. I can get up to 25 in 4s and 3s from there eventually, but what's the best way to make progress on these types of exercises?

Find a weight I can manage 25 assisted pull ups at and gradually decrease it?
Just keep doing normal pull ups to failure and do bits and pieces thereafter (as above) ?
Just do sets 3/4 sets of (for example) 6-8 ?

I'm hoping an answer to this will also give me some insight into how to approach my training on other muscle groups as well so any advice would be much appreciated.

enfant terrible

Duffman'05 wrote: »

Basically I have a goal to be able to do 25 pull ups in one go, but at the moment the max I can manage is 13. I can get up to 25 in 4s and 3s from there eventually, but what's the best way to make progress on these types of exercises?

Find a weight I can manage 25 assisted pull ups at and gradually decrease it?
Just keep doing normal pull ups to failure and do bits and pieces thereafter (as above) ?
Just do sets 3/4 sets of (for example) 6-8 ?

I'm hoping an answer to this will also give me some insight into how to approach my training on other muscle groups as well so any advice would be much appreciated.

Buy a dip belt so you can add weight while doing your pull ups instead of trying to do 25 in one go.
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/powerhouse-dipping-belt.php

You can keep upping the weight as you get stronger.

DamienH

If you can manage 13 pullups (full extension!) in one go, do a couple of sets of 6 throughout the day. Every week add an extra set/rep and you'll work up to a straight 25 alright. Only add the set/rep if it's easy.

Going to failure is the worst way to try and increase your pullups, you're just going to spin your wheels.

marathonic

DamienH wrote: »

If you can manage 13 pullups (full extension!) in one go, do a couple of sets of 6 throughout the day. Every week add an extra set/rep and you'll work up to a straight 25 alright. Only add the set/rep if it's easy.

Going to failure is the worst way to try and increase your pullups, you're just going to spin your wheels.

I've just started doing this based on the advice in another thread. Basically, I can only manage 6 at a time so the idea is:

• Half your Max Reps (for me that's 3)
• Do 6 sets of that number for 2-3 sessions in week 1
• Do 8 sets of that number for 2-3 sessions in week 2
• Do 10 sets of that number for 2-3 sessions in week 2
• Test you max reps and repeat again with half of your NEW max

I like it as I was doing 3 sets to failure so something like 6, 4, 3. I was only getting 13 done in a session whilst now I get 18. It makes a lot of sense that I'll progress better this way.

Hanley

marathonic wrote: »

I've just started doing this based on the advice in another thread. Basically, I can only manage 6 at a time so the idea is:

• Half your Max Reps (for me that's 3)
• Do 6 sets of that number for 2-3 sessions in week 1
• Do 8 sets of that number for 2-3 sessions in week 2
• Do 10 sets of that number for 2-3 sessions in week 2
• Test you max reps and repeat again with half of your NEW max

I like it as I was doing 3 sets to failure so something like 6, 4, 3. I was only getting 13 done in a session whilst now I get 18. It makes a lot of sense that I'll progress better this way.

IDIBISHDI

Two approaches I'd say to take - get stronger (do weighted work) and get more volume in (as above). Maybe do one day of 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps and one day as above, so do pull ups 2x per week. If oyu're not progressing, pull back to once a week, or reduce the weight on the heavy day, and volume on the high set day.

marathonic

Hanley wrote: »

IDIBISHDI

Two approaches I'd say to take - get stronger (do weighted work) and get more volume in (as above). Maybe do one day of 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps and one day as above, so do pull ups 2x per week. If oyu're not progressing, pull back to once a week, or reduce the weight on the heavy day, and volume on the high set day.

What's that IDIBISHDI mean? I was thinking it might have been you that gave that advice but didn't have time to go back through posts to confirm and didn't want to quote ya just in case it was someone else.

Good advice though and I'm liking it so far in my gym sessions. I've three sessions a week and I'm using the approach for both dips and chinups.

I've also ordered a set of these (I got mine before the 10% off sale). They should be here next week but I'm not going to lay out any plans until the come - probably do random dips, pullups and chins the odd time and possibly some weighted work.

I like the inverted rows ya can do on them and the muscle ups that I should be able to do next year (assumming the world doesn't end on December 12th )

Limousine Fred

Check out this guys site!

http://www.alkavadlo.com/category/pull-ups/

Hanley

marathonic wrote: »

What's that IDIBISHDI mean? I was thinking it might have been you that gave that advice but didn't have time to go back through posts to confirm and didn't want to quote ya just in case it was someone else.

I Did Because I Saw Hanley Do It - long running joke

Good advice though and I'm liking it so far in my gym sessions. I've three sessions a week and I'm using the approach for both dips and chinups.

Cool - hopefully it works