How many pull-up negatives should I do to increase my amount of regular pull-ups?

[WhatifI]

I can do about 10 pull-ups in one set, depending on how on my game I am. I wanna reach 30 pull-ups in one set, like Austin Dunham. As my ultimate pull-up goal. To reach and maintain the ability to do 30 pull-ups in one set.

Most guides say "Do negatives if you can't do positives." But how many negatives? How many negatives beyond the "positives?" If I can do 10, I'm not supposed to fill out the remaining set with 20 negatives, am I? That sounds wrong. But is it? Because I don't know. Can anyone here do 30 pull-ups? And is willing to share the secret with me?

[HomeGym70]

If you can do ten pull-ups then I wouldn’t do any negatives. I would recommend progressing on your pull-ups by doing 3-4 sets, 2-3 times a week.

I assume if you can do 10 that means your sets would something like 10-10-8 or 10-8-8 depending on your rest between sets. Keep doing that and you’ll progress to 12-10-10, 15-12-12, etc. until you get where you want to be.

Also, instead of negatives I would suggest doing weighted pull-ups. Do 5x5 or similar with a weighted vest/belt.

[WhatifI]

If you can do ten pull-ups then I wouldn’t do any negatives. I would recommend progressing on your pull-ups by doing 3-4 sets, 2-3 times a week.

I assume if you can do 10 that means your sets would something like 10-10-8 or 10-8-8 depending on your rest between sets. Keep doing that and you’ll progress to 12-10-10, 15-12-12, etc. until you get where you want to be.

Also, instead of negatives I would suggest doing weighted pull-ups. Do 5x5 or similar with a weighted vest/belt.

I do 10-10-10. I just take my time resting between sets. Each set is to failure and I haven't really been able to squeeze out another pull-up.

[rtpmarine]

I do 10-10-10. I just take my time resting between sets. Each set is to failure and I haven't really been able to squeeze out another pull-up.

You're probably using too much arms and not enough traps. One cue that can help recruit the traps is to "pull your chest to the bar".

Agree with HomeGym70 ^^^ that you should include weighted, too.

[WhatifI]

You're probably using too much arms and not enough traps. One cue that can help recruit the traps is to "pull your chest to the bar".

Agree with HomeGym70 ^^^ that you should include weighted, too.

Oh no, I'm always afraid of that. But I do pull my chest to the bar. I pin back the shoulder blades and everything. Starting the motion almost like it were an inverted row.

[HomeGym70]

I do 10-10-10. I just take my time resting between sets. Each set is to failure and I haven't really been able to squeeze out another pull-up.

Not sure how lean you are, but if you’re carrying extra weight that’s going to make your pull-up goal tougher to reach. Pull-ups are tough though, you won’t jump from 10 to 30 very quickly even if you can drop 10-20 pounds.

Other than progression and weighted chin-ups, you could add a variety to your workouts from day to day. Rotate pull-ups with neutral grip pull-ups and chin-ups some days if you aren’t already.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

Well I actually do eccentric training and know a bit about it. I recommend doing it immediately after reaching positive failure, as little rest as possible so have the step nearby. Then do the eccentric reps quite slow, almost as slow as you can, but step up again as fast as you can to try replicate one constant eccentric fall (eccentric recovers very fast).

If your true failure was 10 positive reps, aim for the same amount of negative reps, but make them good quality.

Also if you're gonna do eccentric, you may as well do static as well, so after positive failure when you can't move up anymore, don't just give up, hold the position as long as you can.

I recommend doing static/eccentric training only on the last set and taking it seriously, but as always, YMMV, and the DOMS will tell you what's working.

[WhatifI]

Not sure how lean you are, but if you’re carrying extra weight that’s going to make your pull-up goal tougher to reach. Pull-ups are tough though, you won’t jump from 10 to 30 very quickly even if you can drop 10-20 pounds.

Other than progression and weighted chin-ups, you could add a variety to your workouts from day to day. Rotate pull-ups with neutral grip pull-ups and chin-ups some days if you aren’t already.

The goal is to be able to do 30 pull-ups of the weight I am now. So if I was to lose 20 pounds, I would want to be able to do 30 pull ups with an extra 20 pounds strapped to me.

[sooby]

If you want to do 30 pullups, you need to be willing to do what it takes to do it. That includes losing weight. If say you are 6 ft 220 lbs with 20% BF, 30 pullups probably isn't so reasonable at that body weight.

I don't see alot of utility in doing BW negative pullups unless you do them weighted with amounts you're probably not able to do on the concentric. I would also mix up some weighted pullups as well. Another very underrated aspect IMO, especially if you are trying to do more pullups is grip strength and forearm strength.

[NearlyBigAngus]

I do 10-10-10. I just take my time resting between sets. Each set is to failure and I haven't really been able to squeeze out another pull-up.

If you can do 10-10-10 I'd be really surprised if your first set really is to true failure - if someone were to put a gun to your head after 10 on the first set I'd bet you could manage to go to 11 or at least another partial. If you can truly only manage a partial 11th rep then try adding a band for assisted reps after your 10, so that you can go beyond failure. Over time reduce the band resistance so you eventually end up doing rep 11 unassisted.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

If you can do 10-10-10 I'd be really surprised if your first set really is to true failure - if someone were to put a gun to your head after 10 on the first set I'd bet you could manage to go to 11 or at least another partial. If you can truly only manage a partial 11th rep then try adding a band for assisted reps after your 10, so that you can go beyond failure. Over time reduce the band resistance so you eventually end up doing rep 11 unassisted.

He could probably manage 30 haha.

[ampire]

Use a moderate pullup assist rubber band and aim for 30+ reps. Do it a few times a week. After doing that a few weeks use a lesser assist band and aim for 30+ reps. Then eventually phase out the band. Mix in unassisted pullups and chinups for variety.

[MDSal92]

Negatives are for building strength. You want to build muscle endurance to increase pull-up amount.

Work around 65-70% of your 1RM for around 12-14 reps with 30 seconds between. Just slow the moment down on the eccentric part.

[MDSal92]

If you cannot do a full set of pullups, do lat pull down and curls until you develop more upper body strength/endurance

[JamSumo]

There are other exercises that will help the pull-up. I made a bit of improvement by doing kettlebell swings. It carried over to the pull up. Not sure if it will work for you but try it for a few weeks. I did forced rest-pause reps, negatives also on the pull-up and it did not work for me. Another exercise may help the pull-up such as the one arm kettlebell swing.

[weiss1967]

Firstly, for pullups, dropping the body weight helps more and quicker than building muscle. You need to lean out. Secondly, for building pullups, search "greasing the groove" technique. I was able to built up to 20 pullups. "Greasing the groove" is fundamentally different from what you are doing.

[JamSumo]

Firstly, for pullups, dropping the body weight helps more and quicker than building muscle. You need to lean out. Secondly, for building pullups, search "greasing the groove" technique. I was able to built up to 20 pullups. "Greasing the groove" is fundamentally different from what you are doing.

Awesome advice!! Pavel Tsatsouline gives some awesome advice, saw him in an interview on youtube, excellent stuff.

[TheShadowMan]

Personally, I keep my rep range in mind and go based on that. If it's 8-12(just as an example), and I can do 3 or 4 of those as full reps - then after the 4th full rep i'll use slowed eccentric reps to continue until the set is complete(4 full reps, 8 slowed eccentric reps). The more this method is used, the more reps out of the set will start becoming full, until eventually - they all are and slowed eccentrics aren't needed to complete the set.