# Pull-Up improvements.



## Fucci26 (Mar 24, 2013)

I've been working with around 18 pull-ups per set for the past four months. I've tried multiple programs found online, and not willing to try those odd "Perfect Pull-Up" TV infomercial devices. What's some of the variations you guys have used to add some more reps to the bar?


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## fox1371 (Mar 25, 2013)

What type of grip are you using?


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## PattyW (Mar 25, 2013)

weighted pull-ups


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## fox1371 (Mar 25, 2013)

Weighted pull-ups are one way.  If you're not using the wide grip with palms out, you should change to that and build your back muscles.  If you do that, try doing all of your pull-ups with the bar going behind your head as you pull yourself up.  This will build more muscle groups in the back.


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## Fucci26 (Mar 25, 2013)

I usually use the palms outward. As far as weighted pull-ups go. I have to work out from home, due to conflicting schedules. Therefore, I only have some dumbbells. I've tried placing them between my ankles, but after a few repetitions they just fall. Fox1371, I've never even heard of doing that before with making the bar go behind my head. I just tried it, it's definitely something new. I appreciate the responses, guys.


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## fox1371 (Mar 25, 2013)

Fucci26 said:


> I usually use the palms outward. As far as weighted pull-ups go. I have to work out from home, due to conflicting schedules. Therefore, I only have some dumbbells. I've tried placing them between my ankles, but after a few repetitions they just fall. Fox1371, I've never even heard of doing that before with making the bar go behind my head. I just tried it, it's definitely something new. I appreciate the responses, guys.


If you grab a weight belt and some chain, you can strap the weight belt around you and hook the chain up to the dumbbell.  Do your weighted pull-ups that way.


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## Fucci26 (Mar 25, 2013)

I've seen that done with weight plates, but I think it'd be a better idea to try the dumbbells like you suggested. Keeping a weight plate in a bedroom is extremely unsightly. My recruiter told me that working my chest also helps pull-ups. But after a few hours searching on health forums, and using my body to actually test this. I'm not a hundred percent on that.


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## Ranger Psych (Mar 25, 2013)

Shoulders, Lats/back, and biceps are what make pullups work. Keeping plates in a bedroom is easy, that's what under the bed is for.   Your other option is just working more repetitions with something to support your feet to be able to boost yourself up with for a couple more reps once you're starting to struggle.


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## goon175 (Mar 25, 2013)

Agree with Ranger Psych, use overload. One good way to do this is once you are starting to hit muscle failure with regular pull-ups, throw one of those pull-up rubber bands on and use that to keep going. 

Here is an example of what I am talking about:


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## Ranger Psych (Mar 25, 2013)

Yep. Changing up grips and all that change what muscle groups you're using. wider grip with an overhand uses a slightly different part of the bicep with more lats, closer grip uses more bicep and shoulder, etc.

Biggest thing is overload. Having a buddy hold your feet and only help when it's obvious you can't do another rep on your own for another oh, 5 reps, is good. The straps let you do the same thing, but make sure you continue to do un-assisted so you know where you're sitting in terms of full bodyweight capacity.

Rope climbing will also end up helping your pullups somewhat, you're working the same muscle groups but also going for a longer duration since you use your feet to help get yourself up there, inchworm style.

Good luck.


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## Hillclimb (Mar 25, 2013)

When I hit a wall, I started over and worked on getting chest to bar for 20 reps and cleaning up my form. After that I'd do 5 x :60 intervals of chest to bar pullups for 6-12 reps. I hit 28 pullups my last PT test, after getting most of my sets to a strict 12 reps with good form. The interval idea was from my brother who can do 40+, I'm not sure where he got the idea from. Also, I remember in basic training one cycle behind my company, there was this rock climber who did 90+ pullups on his PFT. I told myself that I needed to get into rockclimbing, but have yet to make that commitment.


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## DAVE101 (Mar 25, 2013)

Anecdotal evidence incoming:

After progressing with the simple sets x reps protocol, I became stuck at the 17-18 rep range for a couple years. My training during the plateau was almost exclusively wide grip pull ups and weighted chins. Although I got better at those (BW + 105), my max did not change. That is the element of specificity. To get better at pull-ups, you MUST do pull-ups.

What finally busted the plateau for me was *rest pause sets*. Max out your reps, shake it out for a few seconds, do a few more, and repeat until you hit a pre-determined amount of reps. You're essentially doing pull ups for time (record your times BTW, it will definitely help to push yourself on the next workout).

Ex: 17, 4, 3, 3, 2, 3, 1, 2... until you reach 40.


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## Fucci26 (Mar 26, 2013)

Hillclimb, I've tried doing the chest to the bar routines. It tends to make my lower back really sore after about 20-40 repetitions. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong? DAVE101, rest-pause sets are how I got to 18 at one time. The first time I ever did dead hang pull-ups I was only at 3. I've improved quite, but still trying to reach a greater number. Thanks for all the tips, guys.


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## hunter33 (Mar 26, 2013)

All of the above are great tips when it comes to pull ups.  I'm a huge advocate for them and see them as a true test of strength, so I try to add them into everything.  When I was going through my MOS schools I was terrible at them, and took in all sorts of knowledge from the guys banging out 20-25 at a time, and kept at it until I finally saw the big picture.

Like previously mentioned it comes down to  "To get better at pull-ups, you MUST do pull-ups." 

Try doing different workouts everyday, or every other day,
for instance try pyramids one day
Max set, 1,3,5,7,9,7,5,3,1, and attempt a pitiful max set following it.  Every rep helps, but don't rest for too long. 
Following day try  5 pull ups, 10 push ups for as many sets as you can.  

Something I found to help me, I don't know how to explain exactly how it helped but put your thumb on top of the bar with the rest of your fingers, I have never gone back to any other grip.

Everytime you enter your room, do a set number, or a max set.  It takes time, but I guarantee if you stick to it, you will see the numbers rise over a month span.  

Goodluck!


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## Hillclimb (Mar 26, 2013)

Fucci26 said:


> Hillclimb, I've tried doing the chest to the bar routines. It tends to make my lower back really sore after about 20-40 repetitions. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?


 
Hard to say without knowing how you perform them. I haven't had my lower back get sore yet.


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## SkrewzLoose (Mar 26, 2013)

I can sum up that video without even watching it: External internal (thank you MTCP) rotation is bad, mmkay.


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## MilkTruckCoPilot (Mar 27, 2013)

SkrewzLoose said:


> I can sum up that video without even watching it: External rotation is bad, mmkay.


 
Wouldn't that be internal rotation


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## SkrewzLoose (Mar 27, 2013)

MilkTruckCoPilot said:


> Wouldn't that be internal rotation


Well, that's what I get for trying to show off.  :wall:


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## devilbones (Mar 27, 2013)

How much do you weigh?  Try dropping 5-10lbs.


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## Fucci26 (Mar 28, 2013)

I'm 6'0, and in between 175-180. It just depends on which holiday is around. :) Also, losing weight was what got me to 18, thus far. I used to be about 200, took about 4-5 months to drop that much. Hillclimb, thank you for the video. That kipping pull-up is what I've been doing to squeeze off a few more reps. Perhaps that needs to cease all together. I don't want to injure myself by doing something sloppy like that.


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## MilkTruckCoPilot (Mar 28, 2013)

Don't kip....

Progress to doing  weighted pullups, 3x5 once a week.

Set up:

Once you grab the bar, attempt to bend it.

Do an ANTI-SHRUG... shoulder blades retracted and pulled down with your lats and pecs.

Once you combine both of these steps your shoulders will roll down and you will find yourself going from a sagging body position to a position of 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock with your head being at the 2 o'clock if somebody was viewing you from the side. I want your stomach tight as if somebody was going to punch it. We're creating a spring throughout the body.

When you lower yourself down DO NOT...DO NOT let this tension leave your body and DON'T let your shoulders come out of the socket. This will cause you to stop a few inches shorter then what you are used to if you were relaxing and getting the stretch at the bottom. Be explosive but BE TIGHT.  Remember what I said about the spring, you can't push a rope.

Don't rush through the reps, be precise.

Practice this with just your bodyweight at first and let me know how it goes. TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS NEEDED BETWEEN SETS. We are focusing on strength here, not conditioning in an aerobic/anaerobic sense. We want to be fresh for each set because practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect.

Hope this helps.


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## JBS (Mar 28, 2013)

If you're sincerely stuck at a plateau for 4 months, you're doing something wrong.  See if you can get someone to watch what you are doing and critique you.  There's no reason why you should be still doing 18 pull ups after 4 months if you were doing 17 to 18 pull ups 4 months ago.  Did I read that right?

You can also try other excercises to stimulate the muscle groups to grow.   For example, lat pulldowns.  If you have any joint issues, I would NOT recommend behind the neck and even if you don't,  I wouldn't go heavy behind the neck.

Also, if you are stagnant,  look again at your diet habits and rest patterns.  It's not the exercise itself that increases your strength and capacity to do work, but rather the rest and nutrition afforded to the muscle group immediately following the workout that allows the body to adapt to the stimulus.  Since your goal is to increase the number of reps,  I would alternate between higher reps on the seated lat pulldowns one week and heavy weight low reps the following week.  Work wide on the bar to work the large muscle groups in the back and lats and work narrow on the bar palms in to focus on the biceps.  Hell, you're stagnant for 4 months.  I would do old school standing bicep curls and standing pully curls as well as spider and preacher curls on a dedicated arm day once per week as well... anything to break the monotony.   You need to shock your body into responding.

4 months of being plateaued is a LONG time.  Re-look at everything, preferably with the help of someone who can watch you either in person or else on video from a good angle.   And don't neglect the proper amount of rest for the muscle groups if you are trying to do max pull ups every single day, for example (I hope you are not doing that).

Last thing I would say is that push ups aren't going to help with pull ups, but strict dips on a set of parallel bars or a dip stand in a gym WILL work some of the muscles involved in doing pull ups.


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## SkrewzLoose (Mar 28, 2013)

I'd be happy being "stuck" at 18 pull ups for the rest of my life.  
Some good advice in the previous 2 posts.  Especially the "don't kip" part.


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## Fucci26 (Mar 30, 2013)

My recruiter has had me doing dips for awhile. I did them a lot when I was younger, but they have expanded my speed in pull-ups. I used to have to really take it slow and focus, now everything after 18 repetitions is either a kip or a half-assed attempt. I'm thinking my best bet is just to take some of the advice given in here, like doing alternate versions of pull-ups. I've only been doing dead-hang, until I started reading Muscle and Fitness, I didn't know there was other types. I'd like to be doing 30 pull-ups before I leave for boot. Long shot, but worth it.


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## Soldado (May 2, 2013)

I've done this program and it has helped me: http://50pullups.com/. Now I'm above 18 pull-ups.


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## Etype (May 4, 2013)

I picked this up from a Jim Wendler video and it helped out quite a bit, set a running clock and do 4 pull ups every 30 seconds- do it wide, medium close supinqted then pronated. After you get through the whole thing (3 sets supinated, 3 pronated, 24 total) take a 1 or 3 minute break then run through it again if you can- for a total of 48 pull ups. I worked that in once a week and did bigger sets or pull ups in some sort of circuit another day of the week. After a couple weeks I did 5 per set which put me up to a total of 60, then up to 6, etc.

It was something different, and sometimes that's all you need.


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## Ooh-Rah (May 4, 2013)

Here is something to aspire to!

http://www.dump.com/amazingman/


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## Soldado (May 19, 2013)

Soldado said:


> I've done this program and it has helped me: http://50pullups.com/. Now I'm above 18 pull-ups.


 
I was in 22 pull-ups thanks to this :). I was busy this week but after all today I took a pull ups test myself and I did 16 . Hope this information helps.


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## POG Reservist (May 21, 2013)

For what it's worth I never broke over 20 until I started doing more oly and power lifts. There's a lot of subjective parts to pull-up weakness. Mine is almost always grip because I weigh more than most Marines. I end up having to shoot hands from the bar to keep resetting. Everyone else's advice is good. Remember you'll only make so many gains using your own body weight, you'll either have to increase the weight your pulling or lose weight which is not always productive. Hang cleans work the same muscle groups and increase your speed that you do each rep. Gravity is working against you so speed is your friend. Power lifters attack their weaknesses on each lift, if you your having problems stabilizing the bar in a straight line your shoulders are weaker relative to the rest of your muscles. The same applies to pull-ups, your lats are involved in the beginning of the rep, if your stuck in the middle strengthen your biceps, if you're having lockout problems it's probably grip. Also experiment doing max sets with different grips, just give yourself a few days to recover. When your event comes up do the grip you can do the most with. A lot of it is body composition, I am an ectomorph, the only plus side is a short torso makes your lays bigger so I do better with close grip pull-ups because of my stronger back muscles.


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## POG Reservist (May 21, 2013)

Sorry a few typos, I was referring to benching in a bar in a straight line and "lats" not "lays" in the end.


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