Pull-up training anyone? How about one-arm pull-ups?

[boingyman]

So I’ll be able to train pull-ups 2x per week at work with a coworker of mine. This week will be our 3rd week of training it. I haven’t trained pull-up consistently for too many years to count, if anything I avoid it. At my prime I could do one-arm chin-ups from a dead hang with chin above bar for 3 reps with my right arm and 1 rep (close to 2) with my left. I could also get pretty heavy with weighted pull/chin-ups. I was only doing pull-ups once per week back then since I was primarily powerlifting at the time.

Anyway my goal is to just simply get stronger at pull-ups again and be able to do a 1-arm chin-up again. The first day we did max reps on pull-ups (dead hang to chin above bar) and sadly was only able to do 15…I plan to do one day pull-ups and another day chin-ups. For the next 2-3 more weeks I plan to just increase volume and then start adding weight in a progressive manner. I may start with higher rep range on the pull-ups and lower rep range for the chin-ups. I will probably do some one-arm hangs, one-arm assisted chin-ups, one-arm negatives when I feel strong enough. II use to do assistance one-arm work with a towel for the other hand so I may start doing that too eventually.

If there are any pull-up enthusiast out there or know any good training methods to build my strength back up let me know. Unlike powerlifting I use to just wing it with my pull-up work since it just for fun. My powerlifting training partners always joked around that I spent too much time doing random circus tricks since I use to do one-arm pull-ups, Turkish get-ups, crossfit way back in the day when it was more privately cultish.

 

[DoomPatrol]

If you have two times a week to do pullups, I'd program it like this...

Your max is currently 15. I'm going to assume you cheated a little and say your dead hang perfect form max is 12. It's not terrible, but you can get better. Personally I'd do an A/B split rotating each day.

A.

1x set max rep (dead hang, full stop and extension at bottom. chin over top)
rest 5 minutes

2x set max rep with 1 second pause at top
rest 3 minutes

4x set max/2 (so 6 or 7)


B.

3x set 8 reps weighted pullups (start at a reasonable weight like 15lbs or whatever feels comfortable)
rest 5 minutes

1x set max rep chinups
rest 3 minutes

1x set max rep chin ups with 1 second pause at top




That's how I got myself to like 30 reps over a period of time at like 6'3 and 220lbs. I'm sure there are other ways, but that's what worked well for guys in my powerlifting gym.

 

[legkicktko]

For what its worth, I can't do a one-armed chin up but I'm close (I was delayed because I tore my rotator cuff playing basketball).

What has helped me bodyweight pull ups immensely is doing them weighted. I treat them like an actual exercise on back day. I work them once a week. I do three sets of weighted pull ups, reverse pyramid style. So after warming up, my first work set is the heaviest set which I do X number of lbs for 1-5 reps. I drop the weight about 10% and add two-three reps for the second set, then I repeat for the third set.

I can comfortably do five reps of pull ups with 105 lbs. 25 bodyweight pull ups is pretty easy now. I can get more if I strain but I can get 25 unbroken and smooth. The form is important though. I basically try to put my elbows in my back pocket so my shoulders come down, I pinch my shoulder blades together, enforce my lats, etc and I dead hang/pause at the bottom. There is very little bicep involved doing it this way.



I know I have a ways to go but I'm stoked with my pull up progress.

Here is some motivation. At 0:21, Barboza hits some one armed chin ups. : )

 

[KILL KILL]

I've done the Recon Ron program. It works wonders.

 

[boingyman]

Thanks, I'll look into what everyone has mentioned. I also got decent at pull-ups by simply doing a lot of heavy weighted pull-ups, but I was never a pull-up fanatic or trained it to take it to the next level. It would be nice to have something more programmed.

 

[HitmanNO.1]

Weighted pullups: Reverse pyramid for the rep ranges: 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 one day,
and the other day reverse pyramid higher reps lower weight 8-10, 10-12, then BW for as many reps

 

[Johnsonville]

Me and my buddy did the pavel fighter pull-up routine two months ago and got great results. My starting max was 8 and ended up at 12 by the end of the month. Idk how well it works for someone who is already repping 15 though, but might be worth checking out.

~DaViD~

 

[Dinamita95]

If you have two times a week to do pullups, I'd program it like this...

Your max is currently 15. I'm going to assume you cheated a little and say your dead hang perfect form max is 12. It's not terrible, but you can get better. Personally I'd do an A/B split rotating each day.

A.

1x set max rep (dead hang, full stop and extension at bottom. chin over top)
rest 5 minutes

2x set max rep with 1 second pause at top
rest 3 minutes

4x set max/2 (so 6 or 7)


B.

3x set 8 reps weighted pullups (start at a reasonable weight like 15lbs or whatever feels comfortable)
rest 5 minutes

1x set max rep chinups
rest 3 minutes

1x set max rep chin ups with 1 second pause at top




That's how I got myself to like 30 reps over a period of time at like 6'3 and 220lbs. I'm sure there are other ways, but that's what worked well for guys in my powerlifting gym.

What do you mean by "4x set max/2 (so 6 or 7)"??

Will probably follow what you wrote.

 

[DoomPatrol]

What do you mean by "4x set max/2 (so 6 or 7)"??

Will probably follow what you wrote.

By that I mean do four sets of half your maximum reps. So if your max is 12, you would do 4 sets of 6. If your max is 15, I would round up to 8 unless you feel burned from the volume, then round down to 7.

This is what worked for me and this is basically what my powerlifting team does.