How many pull ups can you do?

If the answer is zero, don’t worry, there are many in the same position. Pull ups are a complex movement. It involves a lot of different muscles, which is why it is one of the exercises people use to determine strength.

Anyone (male or female) can work up to doing a full pull up.  You do, however, need to be patient. In this article we will go through progressions and next week we will go through accessory lifts that will help you develop even more.

The progressions below can be used for both a chip up and a pull up. You can go through them once to get a chin-up and repeat the process for a pull up. The difference between the two is the grip – a chin-up utilizes an underhand grip and pull up an overhand.

Progressions

Inverted Row

Body weight rows are great for developing grip and back strength. You can use a suspension trainer such as a TRX or rings, a smith machine, or a bar on a rack. One of the advantages to body weight rows is that you can regulate it as you go. Generally, the more parallel to the floor you are, the more of your weight you will be moving. As you go through the reps, you can make it easier or harder depending on how you feel. The goal here is to eventually be able to do 3 sets of about 10 reps while parallel to the floor.

1. Using a smith machine or a bar secured on a rack, grab it with an underhand grip.
2. You can keep your legs straight out(harder) or bent to reduce how much of your body weight you are pulling.
3. Pull your chest up towards the bar, it doesn’t have to touch.
4. Control your way down, don’t just let yourself fall.

Suspension Trainer Rows

Work the same way as inverted rows, just instead of bar you use the handles of the trainer.

Hang

You need to be able to hang for at least the amount of time it takes you to complete one full chin-up/pull up. Get up to a bar and dead hang for as long as possible. We want to overshoot here a bit so aim for one full minute in a dead hang before moving on.

1. Jump up to a bar and grab it with an underhand grip.
2. Alternatively, you can use a stool or bench to help you reach the bar.
3. Get into a dead hang and gently squeeze your shoulder blades together.
4. Hold for as long as possible.

 

Scap Chin-up

This next movement is meant to help you develop lower trap strength. It is also meant develop the muscles that get you to properly pack your shoulder(stabilizes shoulder) which will help you create more tension when pulling. Be able to get 3 sets of 3-5 controlled reps before moving on.

1. Jump up and grab a bar or use a bench to reach it.
2. Get to the bottom of a dead hang.
3. Without bending your elbows, try to bring your chest close to the bar.
4. Slowly lower
5. Repeat

 

Chin Up Negative

Next we will work on controlling negatives or eccentrics. Quick note on eccentrics, they are responsible for soreness. The point of this phase is to jump up to the bar and control your way down as much as possible. Aim for 3-5 sets of 5 good reps of 5-10 second negatives.

1. Jump up to a bar, it is important to get your head above the bar (the momentum of the jump helps accomplish that).
2. As controlled as possible, lower yourself into a dead hang.
3. Let go of the bar to land on your feet.
4. Repeat.

Chin-up/Pull Up

By this point you should have enough strength to get one or more Chin-ups/pull ups. To progress further, do 3-5 sets of 1-5 reps a few times per week. Eventually you will be able to bang out a few more reps.

Once you can get 5-10 reps of chin-ups in one set, move on to doing pull ups. You can follow the same progression for pullups as you did for chin-ups.

Next week, we will look at accessory lifts that will help build up strength for a pull up.

 

 

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