Mastering the Pullup Pt 2

In the last article I went over ways to start getting a few pullups. This article will go over ways to get your max pullup numbers up into the 20's or higher.

Reps 8-15 are about muscle mass and body composition - When you are in this rep range the most important factor is to keep getting stronger and leaner. As you do this your pullup numbers should go up. A good approach when you are in this rep range is to try to accumulate a higher volume of total reps in each workout. For example, if in your last workout you were able to do a set of 10,8,and 7 then that is a total of 25 pullups. In your next workout try to increase that number.

Reps 15+ become a strength endurance event - When you start to get into the 15-20 rep range and higher, increasing your max becomes a strength endurance event and you should train it accordingly by doing more sets to failure. When doing these sets make sure to take full rest and try to increase your total reps in one set.

Do weighted pullups with a backoff set of bodyweight pullups
One of my favorite ways to increase the max number of pullups one you can get 10 or more pullups is to do 6-8 sets of 3 weighted reps. The goal is the gradually increase the weight each set so that you work up to one top set by the 8th set. Following the 8th set you take a 3-5 minute rest and then perform a bodyweight only max rep set. This program works well for increasing max pullups because after doing the weighted pullups bodyweight only feels easy and most people are able to increase their pullups. A great way to make this workout even better is to do the weighted pullup on a fat grip pullup bar and then do your backoff set on a regular bar. The change in grip also gives a boost.


This program got Bill to 20 pullups. He worked up to a set of 3 with 75lbs of additional weight on the fat grip bar and then was able to do a set of 20 on the regular bar.

Make sure to change your grips - If you are doing pullups often make sure to change your grip frequently to keep your elbows healthy. Manny people who do a lot of pullups report elbow pain but this is often resolved by changing grips frequently and using a fat bar if you have access to one.

Mastering the Pullup

Recently I was asked by a new client about the best way to get good at pullups. The pullup is something that through the years we have gotten good at teaching. After watching one of our trainers Ashley improve her pullups from 0 to 45 in about a year and a half we were able to learn quite a bit about improving pullups.


Ashley working on her pullups between clients



Here are some tips for improving your pullups from 0 reps to 5 reps. In the next article we will post some ways to get your rep total to higher numbers.

1) Get leaner - Most people that struggle with pullups need to get leaner. The math behind pullups is easy. You need to be able to pullup more weight than you weigh. For most people this involves getting stronger and losing weight. Ashley will tell you that one the biggest keys to her success was getting leaner.

2) Get stronger - The other half of the formula is about strength and having the ability to pull hard enough to get over the bar. Going from 0 pullups to 5 pullups is purely a strength event relative to bodyweight. Remember that strength is a skill and needs to be practiced a lot. For those that can't do 1 pullup yet then the more you can practice the faster you will get there. Putting a pullup bar in at home and practicing often is a good strategy.

3) Do eccentrics - Eccentrics are the lowering part of the pullup. To do eccentrics find a way to start over the bar by using a chair or bench to step up or have a partner lift you over the bar. Once over the bar try to lower yourself as slowly as possible. The goal is to be able to lower yourself for 30 seconds on a smooth even tempo. This is a trick that I learned from Charles Poliquin and once you can lower yourself perfectly for 30 seconds you should be able to do 1 pullup. Once you can lower for 30 seconds with a 25lbs weight between your legs you should be able to do about 5 reps. Eccentrics work great because you are stronger on the eccentric than the concentric which allows you to train your nervous system more effectively to produce strength.

4) Try bands - One of the arguments that I have seen people make against eccentrics is that they do not carry over into actually doing pullups because eccentric contractions require different firing patterns than concentric contractions. For this reason we usually incorporate bands as well. Bands are attached to the bar and the other end is looped around your knee or foot. The band gives you some assistance in getting up over the bar. The bands provide a lot of tension at the bottom which gives a spring like effect at the bottom. The one drawback of bands is that they do change the strength curve of the exercise making it very easy at the bottom and harder at the top which is the opposite of the way it usually is. With the bands we usually do try to work up to a sets of 10 reps. Once you can complete 10 with the band then you will go to a lighter band.

5) Focus on structural balance - One often overlooked area when trying to improve your pullups is structural balance. Structural balance is a concept that was introduced to me by Charles Poliquin and it involves making sure that your muscles are all balanced from a strength perspective. You are only as strong as your weakest link so if you have a glaring weakness it could be limiting your pullup performance. One easy thing to watch for is on your eccentric reps. If you have trouble being able to hold the top portion then you are weak in the muscles of the upper back. Specifically the rhomboids and lower traps. To remedy this you should do more rows to the neck, trap 3 raises, and rowing movements. If you have trouble holding the bottom portion of the pullup then you are probably too weak in the bicep. To remedy this focus on different forms of curls. Many people are weak in biceps movements with a hammer or reverse grip so make sure to add these in as well.

6) Don't cheat - When attempting to get a first pullup many people cheat and try to jump their way over the bar. The best advice I can give you is to do them properly without cheating because you will build strength much faster this way. The more you cheat the longer it is going to take.


In the next article we will go over some ways to increase pullups for those who can already do several reps.