What kind of progression did you see when you first started pullups?

[kgartin]

I posted a thread a while back about starting pullups. I've been doing 5 sets of 4 reps on Mondays for the past 3 or 4 weeks (with a lot of partial reps thrown into those sets). For my first set, The first rep is all the way up, chin way over the "bar" no problems. The next 3, are up there but not quite as far (chin maybe reaching the bar). The sets that follow continue to diminish and the last rep is barely a pullup at all (then I do 5 sets of 4 negs).

I know everyone's different but can any of you share what kind of progression you saw when you first started pullups?

[rocking_g_real]

I posted a thread a while back about starting pullups. I've been doing 5 sets of 4 reps on Mondays for the past 3 or 4 weeks (with a lot of partial reps thrown into those sets). For my first set, The first rep is all the way up, chin way over the "bar" no problems. The next 3, are up there but not quite as far (chin maybe reaching the bar). The sets that follow continue to diminish and the last rep is barely a pullup at all (then I do 5 sets of 4 negs).

I know everyone's different but can any of you share what kind of progression you saw when you first started pullups?

It took me about 3 months of doing just negs before I could even attempt a single unassisted pull-up. Then progress was a bit more rapid, and within a few weeks I could complete 5 sets of 3 reps, perfect form.

[yard_ape]

I posted a thread a while back about starting pullups. I've been doing 5 sets of 4 reps on Mondays for the past 3 or 4 weeks (with a lot of partial reps thrown into those sets). For my first set, The first rep is all the way up, chin way over the "bar" no problems. The next 3, are up there but not quite as far (chin maybe reaching the bar). The sets that follow continue to diminish and the last rep is barely a pullup at all (then I do 5 sets of 4 negs).

I know everyone's different but can any of you share what kind of progression you saw when you first started pullups?

Progress for me was slow on wide grip pull ups. I have been working hard at them for about a year and now i can do 5 sets of 5 adding weight with each set until in the last set i add 35lb and complete 5 solid reps.

The fastest i improved was when i lost weight - I made very slow progress until i lost arround 45lb and then they became much easier.

Added to this the most progress i have seen is while running Madcow 5x5 programe - 9 weeks ago i was struggling with 5 sets of 5 on just bodyweight and now i'm adding weight.

[KyleAaron]

You are not progressing because you are not doing more. Doing 5x4 pullups once a week for two months won't get you stronger in doing pullups anymore than doing 5x4 bench presses of 180lbs once a week for two months would.

Bodyweight work is the same as weights work, to progress you must do more. In every session, more weight, more reps or more sets. If your recovery is slow because of poor nutrition, poor rest or age (and 38 is not aged, in this context), you can compromise and just do more each week. But you still have to do them every session if you want to improve.

I went on an overseas trip and lost 7-8kg, a large part of it muscle, so I've had the recent experience of starting again from nothing. My approach is to just aim at a certain total for chinups, whether I get that total in one go or singles or whatever doesn't matter. Build the total, and the big max reps will come.

Since I came back weak from my overseas trip, the below has been my progression. In my first set I pump out all the reps I can, after that I just do what feels comfortable. I find that if you go to failure on every set, you quickly become fatigued, and instead of (for example) 3,3,3,3 = 12 you get 5,3,1,1,1,1 = 12. Takes longer to get through the exercise and it's depressing to keep failing.

For reference, my chinup "bar" is actually two handles slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. So I'm using a "neutral" grip. I do each rep from dead hang with shoulders elevated, and the rep only counts if my wrists hit the level of my chest - if it were a horizontal bar, I'd be touching it. No leg swaying allowed to help me get up there. The most I have ever done in one go is I think 24, but that was in 1997. Last year I worked up to 12, which is my current goal.

I began with a workout of bodyweight squats, chinups, pressups, deadlift and strict heels-together military press, followed by a walk for time of 150m with whatever I'd pressed overhead, the weight in the high bar squat position as I walked.

2010-04-26 = 4,4,2 = 10 - at this stage, I allowed 2'00" for every set, work and rest altogether. I was also doing deadlifts before the chins.
2010-04-30 = 4,4,4 = 12
2010-05-02 = 4,4,4,3 = 15
2010-05-05 = 4,4,4,3,3 = 18
2010-05-08 = 5,4,4,3,3 = 19
2010-05-09 = 5,5,4,4,3 = 21
2010-05-11 = 5,5,4,4,4 = 22
2010-05-13 = 5,5,3,3,3,4 = 23 - after the 5th set, I went and did some other exercises and came back to it
2010-05-16 = 6,6,4,3,4,3 = 26
2010-05-18 = 6,5,5,5,5,4 = 30 - here I started doing chins first and deadlifts afterwards
2010-05-24 = 7,7,6,4,1,3,4 = 32 - I pushed a bit harder and got exhausted, after the 5th 1-rep set I went and did some other exercises and came back to it
2010-05-28 = 7,7,7,7,3,2,2 = 35 - I thought I could have done 8 or even 9 here, but after the experience of dropping down to just 1 rep in the last workout, I wanted to pace myself. But I also wanted to improve a bit more on bodyweight work, which was hard to do in the same session with deadlifts and front squats.

So at this stage I split my workouts, instead of aiming at 2-3 workouts a week with mixed bodyweight and weights work, I will do 4-6 workouts a week, alternating bodyweight workouts with weights workouts. As well, the bodyweight exercises I work through, eg chins 5 then squats 20 then pressups 20, rather than all the chins, then all the squats, then all the pressups; spreading out the work in this way lets individual body parts rest a bit longer between sets while still keeping the overall workload high. I still have 2'00" per set.
2010-05-30 = 7,7,7,4,4,4,3 = 36 - the first bodyweight-only workout

On the 31st I was demonstrating chinups to a client and knocked out 9. So in a month I progressed from a max of 4 to 9. Others could do it faster, I'm sure.

[Thunderman]

I started P90x last June and could not do one single pullup. By the end of the 90 days I could do 2. I ahve been off p90 for 9 months now, but I can bang ouot 5x5 with no problem!

[pharmamarketer]

Wide grips are very tough. I am still (I think) not very strong in that dept. I can do 8 -10 the first set and it goes down from there. I never had to do negatives. Close grip I can do ~15-18 and then it goes down from there. I have not tried weighted yet because I don't have a belt to support the weight. Would like to try them though.

As far as my progression goes I did pull ups a couple times a week when I started running to lose my beer gut in Feb 2009. All I was doing was push ups and pull ups until October 2009. I was slow at first but I think the push ups helped my pull ups. Almost like squats can help your overall strength. Just a theory but it worked for me

[queloque]

For me I can do more as i lose weight. Right now no more than 5 when doing sets at over 200 pounds.
One day I hope to do something like this.....

[rob440]

I would do similar to what Kyleaaron said. I usually pick a total # of reps around 40 for chins and do them in how ever many sets it takes, then each session I would try to add one to the first set 2nd and 3rd if possible until they are in a smaller # of sets.

Progress usually happens pretty quickly doing this. I think adding one rep per session to your firs set will be a reasonable goal and quite attainable for several workouts. Doing all the other sets makes it possible.

BTW I stole this technique from that Arnold guy years ago.

[Legbuh]

Mine were slow too... I could do 1 or 2 to start. Now I can do 5x5 pretty easy. What I do is on the last set go to failure then add a couple negs. So yesterday (chins though, pullups are on Friday this week) I did 5x5 and last set got in 6. So next week I plan on gong 5x6. If I can't complete a set, I do negs.

For my chins they're normal shoulder width grip. For pulls I do wide, wide, then shoulder width (which is probably cheating).

I also add in laying pullups (wide grip) to my chinup days using my bench bar with my feet up on the bench so I'm parallel to the ground. But since I'm cutting now I'm not really gaining as fast as when I was eating more. But, I've lost 25lbs so far!

[JTraining]

Pull up progress is tough...I start my upper back routine with 3 sets. I do zero assist (sometimes add weight) for 12-15 reps. Second set is unassisted for 12 reps. Third set I get as close to 12 as I can unassisted then I add a little assistance to hit my 12 reps. This drop weight set routine has given me good gains. In the begining almost all of my reps past 5 needed assistance. I follow up with 3 sets of lat pulldowns and 4 sets of chin pulldowns.

[rejones1976]

You are not progressing because you are not doing more. Doing 5x4 pullups once a week for two months won't get you stronger in doing pullups anymore than doing 5x4 bench presses of 180lbs once a week for two months would.

Bodyweight work is the same as weights work, to progress you must do more. In every session, more weight, more reps or more sets. If your recovery is slow because of poor nutrition, poor rest or age (and 38 is not aged, in this context), you can compromise and just do more each week. But you still have to do them every session if you want to improve.

I went on an overseas trip and lost 7-8kg, a large part of it muscle, so I've had the recent experience of starting again from nothing. My approach is to just aim at a certain total for chinups, whether I get that total in one go or singles or whatever doesn't matter. Build the total, and the big max reps will come.

Since I came back weak from my overseas trip, the below has been my progression. In my first set I pump out all the reps I can, after that I just do what feels comfortable. I find that if you go to failure on every set, you quickly become fatigued, and instead of (for example) 3,3,3,3 = 12 you get 5,3,1,1,1,1 = 12. Takes longer to get through the exercise and it's depressing to keep failing.

For reference, my chinup "bar" is actually two handles slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. So I'm using a "neutral" grip. I do each rep from dead hang with shoulders elevated, and the rep only counts if my wrists hit the level of my chest - if it were a horizontal bar, I'd be touching it. No leg swaying allowed to help me get up there. The most I have ever done in one go is I think 24, but that was in 1997. Last year I worked up to 12, which is my current goal.

I began with a workout of bodyweight squats, chinups, pressups, deadlift and strict heels-together military press, followed by a walk for time of 150m with whatever I'd pressed overhead, the weight in the high bar squat position as I walked.

2010-04-26 = 4,4,2 = 10 - at this stage, I allowed 2'00" for every set, work and rest altogether. I was also doing deadlifts before the chins.
2010-04-30 = 4,4,4 = 12
2010-05-02 = 4,4,4,3 = 15
2010-05-05 = 4,4,4,3,3 = 18
2010-05-08 = 5,4,4,3,3 = 19
2010-05-09 = 5,5,4,4,3 = 21
2010-05-11 = 5,5,4,4,4 = 22
2010-05-13 = 5,5,3,3,3,4 = 23 - after the 5th set, I went and did some other exercises and came back to it
2010-05-16 = 6,6,4,3,4,3 = 26
2010-05-18 = 6,5,5,5,5,4 = 30 - here I started doing chins first and deadlifts afterwards
2010-05-24 = 7,7,6,4,1,3,4 = 32 - I pushed a bit harder and got exhausted, after the 5th 1-rep set I went and did some other exercises and came back to it
2010-05-28 = 7,7,7,7,3,2,2 = 35 - I thought I could have done 8 or even 9 here, but after the experience of dropping down to just 1 rep in the last workout, I wanted to pace myself. But I also wanted to improve a bit more on bodyweight work, which was hard to do in the same session with deadlifts and front squats.

So at this stage I split my workouts, instead of aiming at 2-3 workouts a week with mixed bodyweight and weights work, I will do 4-6 workouts a week, alternating bodyweight workouts with weights workouts. As well, the bodyweight exercises I work through, eg chins 5 then squats 20 then pressups 20, rather than all the chins, then all the squats, then all the pressups; spreading out the work in this way lets individual body parts rest a bit longer between sets while still keeping the overall workload high. I still have 2'00" per set.
2010-05-30 = 7,7,7,4,4,4,3 = 36 - the first bodyweight-only workout

On the 31st I was demonstrating chinups to a client and knocked out 9. So in a month I progressed from a max of 4 to 9. Others could do it faster, I'm sure.

I'm a newbie to unassisted pullups as well. I try to hit 15 reps doings 5 sets of 3. I also to 3 sets of 5 chins ups on my arm day. Should I be going them more frequently?

[kgartin]

I would do similar to what Kyleaaron said. I usually pick a total # of reps around 40 for chins and do them in how ever many sets it takes, then each session I would try to add one to the first set 2nd and 3rd if possible until they are in a smaller # of sets.

But what if all you can do is partials after the first couple? Do you count those? Actually, I can really only get ONE GOOD one right now (where my chin goes above the bar) and all other reps/sets after that are pretty much all partial (the best being the first couple of reps of the set where my eyeballs or nose reach the level of my hands...and then downhill from there)

[rob440]

Do they count? That depends on how you look at it, for bragging rights no they dont but did you do work? You moved your body through the air with your muscles performing work, so there is a reaction, they do count. Another technique is to put your feet on something and use them to raise yourself into the upper position and control the negative (do this after you have exhausted your regular sets). You will eventually build strength so just try to improve your form as well as your numbers as you go along.

At your current bodyweight you're pretty heavy guy so you may have a bit of trouble adapting to this but if you keep at it you will improve it just takes time.

One word of caution I would add is that because you are so heavy be sure to do a warm-up set or two of something like pulldowns before you start your chins to warm up the shoulders.

[kgartin]

One word of caution I would add is that because you are so heavy be sure to do a warm-up set or two of something like pulldowns before you start your chins to warm up the shoulders.

Wow...good point. One more thing that, I think, may make it more difficult for me is that my "bar" is a cedar 2x6 that extends from my kid's swing/play set (at least the edges are rounded!)

[chodan9]

Wow...good point. One more thing that, I think, may make it more difficult for me is that my "bar" is a cedar 2x6 that extends from my kid's swing/play set (at least the edges are rounded!)

aah
that would make it more difficult since you would have to concentrate harder on hanging on.

Also you might try them on Mondays and Fridays instead of just 1 day per week.
That would get you more practice and you would still get plenty of rest.
When I was still getting used to them I would do monday and friday 5 sets of whatever I could do 5 sets of (per advice from BH), but on other days I would do a single max rep set.
That allowed my body to get used to doing lots of sets, gradually increasing reps, but I also got adjusted to long sets at the same time

[KyleAaron]

I'm a newbie to unassisted pullups as well. I try to hit 15 reps doings 5 sets of 3. I also to 3 sets of 5 chins ups on my arm day. Should I be going them more frequently?

For most people, one session a week doing something physical is enough to maintain it, 2 or more sessions will improve it.

To improve, you need to progress. Do more in every session than you did last time, and you will progress.

But what if all you can do is partials after the first couple? Do you count those?

If you did an arse-to-ground squat of 300lbs for 6 reps, then did a few quarter-squat reps, would you count those and say "I can squat 300lbs for 10 reps"?

Do full reps. If you find you can't do more of them, rest more between sets. While in the squat rack, after you catch your breath from the squats, knock out a couple of chinups. Or do them at home, 1 or more an hour during the day quickly adds up. It doesn't have to be in a single workout - military recruits do pushups and chinups and situps and burpees throughout the day rather than a single workout, and this does build up their strength and muscular endurance.

I think, may make it more difficult for me is that my "bar" is a cedar 2x6 that extends from my kid's swing/play set

If you have wooden supports in your basement or garage, you can get a couple of handles and screw them on there. In the hardware store you'll find hooks that are designed for people to bolt onto walls and hold timber, that sort of thing. These work well as neutral-grip chinup bars. And you can get foam to stick over the handles, too, makes the grip easier since the metal is smooth.

You can also get for about $30 on ebay a chinup bar that telescopes out to lodge in doorways.

[SP1966]

For me I can do more as i lose weight. Right now no more than 5 when doing sets at over 200 pounds.

Makes sense doesn't it! At the point when I started adding pull ups it coincided with a dip in my dietary discipline and yet I couldn't understand why it was getting harder each week! LOL
That is the funny thing with body weight exercises, you have to watch the body weight in order to judge your progress rather then those easy to read plastic coated discs!

[tonester]

Bodyweight work is the same as weights work, to progress you must do more. In every session, more weight, more reps or more sets. If your recovery is slow because of poor nutrition, poor rest or age (and 38 is not aged, in this context), you can compromise and just do more each week. But you still have to do them every session if you want to improve.

You're my hero.

Great post but especially this quote.

[flat6nut]

I am by far no expert in the world of bodybuilding, and perhaps I should not even reply.
I remember you stating that you have hardly done any excercises for your back because you lift at home.

I think you need to be patient and consistant in your back workouts and your pullups will improve. As you grow stronger in other back movements you will most certainly get better at pullups. Also go to the hardware store as stated earlier and find some way of making a more proper chin up bar.

As far as progression...when I was a kid my dad would always go out in the backyard with me and we would do chin ups. I was knocking out only acouple when I was about 8, but it became 20 by the time I was 10. I entered a chin up comp while in the Army and knocked out over 40...thats been a few years but I can still come close to that number.
Thats prolly why my arms are the most developed body part, but my back is a close second now because I love back day.

I only workout back once a week, (Tues) I always start out my back workout with pullups. I do as many as I can for 4 sets of very wide grip(usually 14,12,12,10, then 4 sets of medium grip, then 4 sets close angled grip. (all unasisted) Thats my warm up for my back...then I am off to various rows and pulldowns, etc.

I will add that I do all of my back excercises very slowly and controlled trying to squeeze the life out of my back at every contraction...same for pullups. I also use Versa Grips.

[fitfem47]

I used a fitness band (iron woody fitness bands) for assisted pullups until I could do unassisted. Now I do my first 2 sets unassisted to failure, then 2 more sets assisted to failure.

[Fifty+]

I think pull ups and chins are exercises that people should figure their anatomy into the equation. If you have a larger upper body then lower, it's going to be a little easier to move the load. Consider gymnastics. Look at the person who's event is the Side-Horse. The larger his/her legs, the harder it is to control the movement. Having tree trunk legs adds to the difficulty of moving your body. Especially us novices who are working on developing the upper body muscles, which in turn moves the load. I never used pull ups until last summer when someone started a pull up post. I could only get 4 reps in good form when I started. I thought I sucked, but eventually remembered that I was moving 165 lbs...I still sucked....but, I do believe that because I have a smaller lower body that I was able to progress fairly quickly. I worked up to 3 sets of 10, BW only. In a couple of months. I now do sets of 5-7 with a 25 lb. plate bunjee-corded to my waist. Pull ups are a lot harder, when performed with good form, then most people (IMO) appreciate. If you're progressing with them, no matter how slight, my hat is off to you.

[kgartin]

aah
that would make it more difficult since you would have to concentrate harder on hanging on.

Also you might try them on Mondays and Fridays instead of just 1 day per week.
That would get you more practice and you would still get plenty of rest.
When I was still getting used to them I would do monday and friday 5 sets of whatever I could do 5 sets of (per advice from BH), but on other days I would do a single max rep set.
That allowed my body to get used to doing lots of sets, gradually increasing reps, but I also got adjusted to long sets at the same time

PLan on following your(s) (and KyleAaron's) advice starting this week! Monday and Friday will be the pullup days

If you're progressing with them, no matter how slight, my hat is off to you.

Thanks for the encouragement Fitty! (and everyone else's input!)


I've been meaning to build some type of mobile pull-up system (I have a woodshop setup in my garage with which my weights and bench share space. Should be an easy task.)

[ChimarraoMate]

One thing that has really helped me with form and adding more pull ups and chin Ups is tempo. Try a 0105 tempo, that is 1 second up and 5 seconds down. 0204 would also work well. This way, even if you are struggling getting up you will build strength on the way down. This should allow you to progress more frequently.

It is also kind of fun, because your body stays solid, you don't swing, and the other BB's look at you like, how the hell can he do that so slow and with so much control.

This works great on dips too, I follow that tempo with a lot of weight hanging from my belt, or locked between my thighs with a dumbbell.

[c-diddy]

as a lightweight, i could always do pull-ups. so my progression is:

body weight 5 sets x 15 reps (once I got to 25 reps, I started adding weight)

first 10 pounds, then 25, now currently at 40lbs using a chain / weight belt.

I try to keep it around 5-8 rep range for size.

[mikieson]

I suck at pullups plain and simple. Im big, I have bad shoulders,elbows,wrist ect...so I struggle any time I try and do them. Really not an option for me. Even though I can do more than both my boys..Which isnt saying much as they cant even do 1..hahahlol

[billrich210]

I am getting much better at them and improving slowly but surely. I think you really need that mind-muscle connection with your back. Once you make the connection your confidence also improves and you can pull out more. I agree with warming up first. I always do them after some pushups and some overhead db presses. Stretching lats between sets really helps me as well.

[Black Sunday]

I've tried a number of different things over the past six years as I've been laid up three times from surgery. Like Kyle said lift more often. I started out at twice a week and stalled. Then i started targeting a set number like fifty and tried reducing the number of sets. Ladders worked pretty well, I think i did them two or three times a week.


After my last surgery I was knocked down to about seven or eight tough ones. I bought a chinning bar and when I got the okay to lift I started a greasing the groove style workout five days a week. http://trainingdimensions.net/SOS/SO...20Strength.pdf Didn't follow it to a tee, I kinda make them fun and not tedious. Started out doing them hourly, one set of five. Added a rep a week to the sets till I hit sixteen or so.

Sometime I'd take a day off if i felt sore. I mix it up for fun, sometimes weighted, sometimes unweighted, sometimes I cut the reps and do them on the half hour if I'm working. Now that I'm back to work I might try ten sets over an hour.

Important that you don't go close to failure or you'll fry.

Over thirty years ago there was an instructor at the Jack LaLanes that I worked out at. He used to do this with handstand pushups. I thought he was a showoff as he'd just stand on his hands and knock out a few throughout the day. Turns out he knew something. I heard he was going to try for the guiness book record. Don't know his name and don't know if he ever tried.

My workouts are strictly fly by the seat of my pants, no rhyme nor reason, but this s*** works. Made my best progress doing this.

[gympunk]

I didn't try pull ups until I had been lifting for a couple years and had gained 20+ LBS
- feeling good- and I did maybe 3 reps!! Quite humbling. I recently started them again after a while off, I usally do 4 sets Shoulder Width Grip with strict form & medium tempo (not fast with swinging) something like x11, x8 x6 x5.

[funkyjunky]

For me I can do more as i lose weight. Right now no more than 5 when doing sets at over 200 pounds.
One day I hope to do something like this.....

im knackerd just waching that!

[Kdawg1989]

I know im not over 35... but anywho..

When I started doing them I could do 1 full pullup and like 2-3 cheated pull ups (thrusting body up)

It took me about 6 months I now do 10-12 full pull ups.. and then 3-5 more thrusting... But I seem to have hit a platue for the last couple months so I have just begun doing weighted pull uped with a 20lbs dumbell I can do 4-6 pull ups and 2 more thrusted... lats grow sooo fast with pull ups..

I was doing 4-6 sets start of every back workout