Improving pull ups form for a full body workout

[travelbigtime]

Pull ups are hard to do and I can barely do one. I want to improve my form.

I've read somewhere that when you're still a beginner, you should do the max pull ups you can and continue with negatives. I've been doing that until now (I do 6 and continue until I exhaust myself with negatives, it typically takes 7 negatives).

The thing is, I'm not progressing. Should I ditch the negatives and just do normal pull ups?

I have found 2 training routines online that seem viable.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Would you have any advice which one should I choose.

Would you have any other advice that might be helpful?

 

[simplychristian1]

@travelbigtime Check out @fromgenesistorevelation video:

If you can do 1 pull up, you should be able to use the same principles to improve your reps.

Try doing a 1,1,1,1,1 routine each day until you’re ready to progress to a 2,1,1,1,1. Then go for 2,2,1,1,1 then 2,2,2,1,1 … 2,2,2,2,1 … 3,2,2,2,1 … 3,3,2,2,1 … 3,3,3,2,1 … 4,3,3,2,1 … 4,4,3,2,1 then finally the 5,4,3,2,1.

From there you can follow the process In the video … 5,4,3,2,1 … 5,4,3,2,2 … 5,4,3,3,2 … 5,4,4,3,2 … 5,5,4,3,2 … 6,5,4,3,2 and so on

 

[deborah123]

@travelbigtime I've used the 5x5 method to progress with pullups and chinups to bring my wife up from 0 pullups to 12 pullups with this method in about 2.5-3 months.

Example: You can do 0 pullups to start.

• Start by jumping up to the bar and slowly lowering in a negative for 3-5s or so. Repeat 5 times.
• Rest for 3-5 minutes.
• Then repeat this 5 more times.

If 5x5 is a bit much as you're newer to exercise, you can reduce sets to 3 sets of 5 reps or 5 sets of 3 reps or anywhere in the 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps range. 3 set of 3 reps is solid to start if you're completely new.

Once you can do 1 pullup, this transfers to the next progression:

• Do 1 pullup. Then jumping up to the bar and slowly lowering in a negative for 3-5s for 4 times.
• Rest for 3-5 minutes.
• Then repeat this 5 more times.

Once you can do 2 pullups, this transfer to the next progression:

• Do 2 pullups. Then jumping up to the bar and slowly lowering in a negative for 3-5s for 3 times.
• Rest for 3-5 minutes.
• Then repeat this 5 more times.

Basically, if it's 2 pullups or 3 pullups or 4 pullups, you fill the rest of the volume negatives until you get 5 total reps.

This works for the 3 pullups and 2 negatives, 4 pullups and 1 negative, and then 5 pullups with 0 negatives.

After you hit 5 pullups you don't need anymore negatives and can generally ride 3-5 sets of 5 reps to increase the reps to 6 all the way up to the 10-15 pullup range effectively as long as you are doing some type of rows (like inverted rows) alongside this progression for 2 total pulling exercises.

 

[hailsatan420]

@deborah123 I kind of stalled at pull ups and recently got rings so I can add rows.

Already noticing pull ups feeling stronger. Don't neglect those horizontal pulls....

 

[deborah123]

@hailsatan420

I kind of stalled at pull ups and recently got rings so I can add rows.

Already noticing pull ups feeling stronger. Don't neglect those horizontal pulls....

Yeah, they really do help people's pullups and lots of people neglect them thinking more sets of pullups will help more.

 

[millerkettle]

@travelbigtime I've been doing the Russian Fighter Pull Up Program, I'm like 15 days in and have already improved my pull ups drastically. I haven't tested to see my new max yet as I'm waiting till the end of the 30 days, but they've got much easier already.

 

[christlover46]

@millerkettle I heard the Ukrainian one is much better.

 

[jermyn]

@travelbigtime At your progress level, where you can already do one, negatives might be a little too easy now. Try Assisted Pull-Ups where you go up with minimal assistance and come down with no assistance. That should help you get the volume at the intensity that you need.

 

[aranyi_zsolt]

@travelbigtime

I've read somewhere that when you're still a beginner, you should do the max pull ups you can and continue with negatives. I've been doing that until now (I do 6 and continue until I exhaust myself with negatives, it typically takes 7 negatives). The thing is, I'm not progressing. Should I ditch the negatives and just do normal pull ups?

I did a long write-up of how I went from only being able to do 3 underhand chinups to 3 sets of 10 chest-to-bar overhand pullups. On my journey I tried negatives, "grease the groove," and some of the other common training tricks people advise when encountering plateaus. None of these worked for me so I kind of had to invent my own thing.

Option 1:

Negatives do help some people and I think shoulder depressions are a must. But I would go further and advocate shoulder dips and shoulder pushups. As for bands, I'm not a fan of them in general but for pullups in particular I think it can end up holding people back (the guy even mentions they can do "too much" help) because for most people (like me) who struggle with pullups it's the bottom or starting position that's the most challenging or difficult about the movement because we lack the prerequisite strength in the muscles around the scapula to pull it off. Using a band for assistance to me makes more sense if you're doing a 'skill' (like a front lever or maybe a muscle up) because the issue isn't necessarily raw strength (or lack thereof) but unusual/weird motions your body isn't really used to doing; think of how gymnastics coaches help gymnasts flip when they first start doing those. Machine pullups I have no experience with (although I could see them being similar to a band-assisted pullup), but I personally prefer inverted rows.

Option 2:

This is the basic method I used, until I hit a plateau where I was stuck between doing 3 sets of 6-8 chest-to-bar pullups and 3 sets of 15 horizontal rows. Then I did my own thing (as previously linked) and pushed through it.