Help with Pullups...

A full selection of Woody Bands help everyone knock out Pull-ups!

We get a lot of clients in the gym and even more that email me asking about getting their pull-up numbers up. Contrary to some gym myths, doing pull-up sets to muscular failure is NOT the best way to increase your reps.

If you can already knock out 5 or more pull-ups in one set, here are a few ways to increase your numbers in a relatively short period of time. A quick note: I say "relatively short period of time" because these techniques allow you to train more than once a day, and sometimes every day without burning out which is something that training to muscular failure on any given day will not allow. The biggest key to keep in mind is that none of these sets are performed to failure! If you feel that your form is deteriorating to the point that you don't think you can complete the next rep...STOP! Don't be so eager to push the envelope because you'll find yourself too sore, hurt, etc, to workout the next day or even later that day.

So, put the Ego down and take your time with these routines!

Routine 1: Synaptic Facilitation

I posted a link to this article on my Lots O Pullups page and it basically deals with doing many sub-maximal sets of pull-ups throughout the day. In a nutshell, instead of trying to do 1-2 big sets of 30 pull-ups, you do a set of 5-6 pull-ups every few hours. Being fresh at each set will ensure that you become more efficient at the exercise without compromising form due to fatigue. At the end of the day, you could have done anywhere from 30-100 pull-ups (depending on your current level of ability) but you won't be fried from doing too much volume in one sitting. With this routine, we're still going for a lot of volume but it's spread out over a long period of time!

After one week, add 1-2 reps to each set. At the end of the month, retest yourself and see what the progress report tells you!

Routine 2: Ladders

Another great way to get a lot of volume in without burning out. It's perfect for those that don't have access to a pull-up bar whenever they want and/or are pressed for time in the gym. It's also posted on my Lots O Pull-ups page (which has quite a few variations to keep you from getting bored).

If you have a training partner, you simply trade off for each set. You do one rep, he/she does one. You do two, he/she does two, etc, until one of you can't keep up or your form goes to crap. The rest time is the time it takes your partner to complete his/her set.

If you have time, you start the ladder over at the bottom and work your way up again.

If you don't have a partner, simply estimate how long it took you to knock out your set and that's your rest period before you get back on the bar.

Make sure that you stop each ladder short of your limit. For example, if you think you can work your way up to 10, stop at 7 or 8. Remember to keep yourself fresh during these sets!

As with Synaptic Facilitation, maintain a certain number of reps for a week and then add 1-2 each week. Retest at the end of the month!

If you guys want to read the original articcomles I cited on my site, you can find them at www.cbass.com.

"But Fish, I can't even do a single pull-up or chin-up!"

Man, do I get that email all the time!

Here are a couple of ways you can get your chin (or chins) over the bar.

1. Get a workout partner that can spot you.

Here's a couple of safety tips:

-Don't let your partner grab both feet to get you over the bar! If, for some reason, your grip gives out while your partner has both feet in his/her hands, be ready to introduce your face to the ground.

Instead, have your partner stand behind you and you place your foot on his/her thigh while he grabs just above your ankle. This leaves on leg free in case you need to bail out and allows you to push off his leg and adjust the amount of "help" you're getting during each rep (the worst thing your spotter can do is do ALL of the work or not help you at all).

-If you don't like your feet being held, your partner can place his hands on your lower back just above your waist or just below your shoulder blades. Make sure he/she doesn't push your mouth INTO the pull-up bar.

2. Find a bar that's low enough for you to jump up and get your chin over the bar. Once your chin is over the bar, take 2-3 seconds to lower yourself down, repeat. If you don't have a low bar, use a plyo-box or, if you're in a GloboGym, grab the bench from the clown doing dumbbell flies (you know, to sculpt his inner chest) and use that.

3. One other option (last one in this article, but certainly not the last thing you can try), is the use of resistance bands. One of the best suppliers of bands is Iron Woody and we have a full supply here in our gym and they work great check out the picture at the top of the page! If you hit the Iron Woody page and look at the bands, you'll see just how much each one assists you (or adds resistance if you use them for other things...).

Well, that's all for now. I hope this little tidbit shed some light on pull-ups and maybe cleared away some of the misconceptions about how to train for higher reps.

Keep training hard and keep us posted on your progress!

SCRAP