Increasing Pull Ups

Snako

Hello, just wanted to see if I can get some alternative opinions on this.

Context: 6'2 79kg on a four day split, have been making good strength gains, but have recently plateaued.

My current major goal: is to increase pull ups, specifically wide and neutral grip. I can get out some very clean sets of neutral grip, about 7/8 reps, and as far as wide grip goes I am pathetic, maybe one set of about three.

My approach: Thus far has been to do ten sets, 5 of each. I use the cable machine to make myself lighter by 12kg for the wide grip. Each set I try to do a nice clean five reps. Originally the support weight was much higher and has come down, but for a long long while now I have not been able to decrease it any further. I have been trying this regime maybe 1 or twice a week since January, starting out not being able to even do one of either.

My Thoughts: 1) Is this a case of being more patient and should I continue, it has become quite frustrating. 2) Am I properly activating the lats with the cable bar in place, and if not should I attempt to do sets of negative reps, eg use a box to jump up and do a very controlled decline of the pull up?

Any thoughts, comments or suggestions would be much appreciated, I want to conquer this sh***t!!!!!!!:mad:

Sangre

Volume, volume, volume and avoid going to failure. Try to bang out a few every time your near a bar on top of your normal working sets.

ling-zing

add weighted pull ups once a week and static hold on the wide grip

add 5kg to your normal pull up,do 5x3,when you can do 5x3 up the weight by a kilo next week, 5 x 2 (jump up) static hold at top/slow negative on wide grip

do that in one session and do your usual pull up routine in another

Scuba Ste

ling-zing wrote: »

add weighted pull ups once a week and static hold on the wide grip

add 5kg to your normal pull up,do 5x3,when you can do 5x3 up the weight by a kilo next week, 5 x 2 (jump up) static hold at top/slow negative on wide grip

do that in one session and do your usual pull up routine in another

He can only do 3 reps total on wide grip and 8 on neutral. Very difficult to do the above when that's the case.

I like simplicity. Half your max reps and do multiple sets of those reps. 6-8 sets of 1 for example. Soon you should be able for sets of 2 then 3 etc etc.

Volume is good for everything.

ling-zing

i could do 5x8 a couple of months ago,started with 7½kg by 5x3 every week upping by a 1kg or 1½kg , up to 20kg this week,

i dont do wide grip but i thought 5x2 static/slow negative was a good place to start

Snako

Think I'm going to avoid extra weight for now.

I've been trying the volume volume volume approach this week and already am feeling better about things.

Lot's of sets with just two clean reps, no failure. And then I will do my regular routine once a week.

Perhaps the added weight will be an additional tool for future progress, but for the present I'm quite happy with this approach.

Thanks for the input lads much appreciated.

theSHU

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