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.