How To Increase Your Strength on the Pull-up
Jun 30th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Exercise, Pullup, Strength Training, Weight Lifting
| New to StrongLifts.com? |
| Here are a few posts the other readers recommend you check out. |
Posted by Pat in reply to correct exercise technique on the Pull-up:
“Any suggestions for those of us who don’t yet have the strength to do pull-ups? I’d love to incorporate them into my strength training workout but am not quite there yet from a strength perspective.
Anything I could do at home (no lat pulldown machine) to increase my strength to the point where I can start banging these out?”
Pull-up Strength Basics. There are different kinds of strength. To simplify things I’ll only list what applies to pull-ups:
- Absolute Strength: weighted pull-ups for singles, doubles, triples
- Strength-Endurance: banging out reps of 10-20-100 pull-ups
Different goals different methods. This article is about building Absolute Strength on the pull-up to the point you can do them weighted.
Law of Specificity. Back to the Law of Specificity: to get good at an exercise, do the exercise. In other words, if you want to get good at pull-ups: do pull-ups & do it often. So no lat pulldowns.
Program Basics. Your first goal is 5 sets of 5 reps pull-ups with your own bodyweight.
- Build up to a weekly pull-up volume of 75 reps
- Stay away from failure
- Focus on your pull-up technique. Build good habits from the start
- Frequency. 3 sessions of 25 reps is better than 1 session of 75 reps
Once you can do 5×5 with correct technique, switch to weighted pull-ups.
Frequency. More on Frequency. If the goal is 60 reps a week, you can do:
- 10 reps 6 days a week; or
- 15 reps 4 days a week; or
- 20 reps 3 days a week
You get the point. First option works best. But do what is most practical to you.
When doing the Beginner Strength Training Program, go for 3 times a week. If you have a pull-up bar at home & time, option 1 is easier. You don’t need to do the singles in a consecutive fashion. If the goal is 15 singles a day:
- 5 singles on waking up, at noon & in the evening; or
- 5 singles before, during & at the end of your workout
- Etc…
It all works. Low frequency will just take slightly longer than high frequency.
Pull-up Test. Before you start, test your maximal strength on the pull-up.
- Hang on your pull-up bar
- Do one set of as much reps as you can do with proper form
10 pull-ups, 3 pull-ups, 1 pull-up, no pull-ups. Doesn’t matter. Let’s start.
You Can Do 0 or 1 Pull-up. If you can do 1 pull-up or no pull-up with proper technique.
Solution 1: Use a resistance band to help you on the way up
- Hang on your pull-up bar
- Band should hang down about mid thigh
- Step into the loop
- Pull yourself up
Solution 2: Ask someone to help you
- Ask someone to stand close behind you
- Have him grab your side with his hands
- Let him help you on the way up: squatting down/pressing up
Pull yourself up using minimal assistance. Don’t count on the resistance band or helper to do the job. Your goal is strength development & proper technique, not grinding reps.
Pull-up Strength Program
At last:
- Week 1: 30 singles
- Week 2: 45 singles
- Week 3: 60 singles
- Week 4: 75 singles
- Week 5: Perform the Pull-up test without any assistance.
You’ll most likely achieve about 5 pull-ups in week 5.
Tired of the way you look? You want to build muscle & lose fat while getting stronger? Click here to download my 52 pages 100% FREE eBook.
Articles You Might Also Like:
Subscribe with RSS
Hey, I feel like some sort of celebrity now!
Thanks for the tips - great post.
Kudos to you Pat, you gave me the idea for the post
Let me know who progress on the pull-ups goes.
Will do. I’m going to start your strength program Monday morning.
Ok good luck Pat.
Good luck Pat, I will be starting Monday as well, so i’ll be there on the journey with you.
And thanks to Mehdi for his articles cant wait for tuesdays article.
Good luck to you too Paul.
Feel free to share your progressions/results in this post using the comments. Makes it easier for other to look at people who increased their pull-ups using this method.
Hi Mehdi,
Why do you say ’stay away from failure’? Seems like a failed rep lets me know when I’ve reached my maximum. If I’m not ever failing, then maybe I’m not working at the edge of my abilities…
By the way thanks for this blog — it’s full of good ideas and I like to change up my workout based on stuff I read here.
Thanks,
Chris
Chris,
Failure is good to test your maximum from time to time. If you’re doing pull-ups on a daily basis, failure can lead to overtraining.
Train as much as possible, as fresh as possible is the general guideline. Whatever the exercise. Including the pull-ups.
Thanks for the kind words on StrongLifts.com . If you have ideas or questions for the blog Chris, feel free to post them.
Mehdi,
What if you don’t yet have access to bands or someone to train with? I know that pullups would really help my overall development but am not sure if there are any bands that would be able to me due to my weight (315 lbs). Could I start with negatives?
Rod,
Check the bands by Jumpstretch.
The larger the band, the more it will help you on the way up. At +300lbs, start with the average band. When that gets easy, switch to the light band, next the mini band. Then without band.
Bands can be used for various other exercises btw. So even when you don’t need the bands anymore for pull-ups; you’ll be able to use them for other purposes.
Hope that helps.
I still havent masterd a single pull-up ( it is getting better though )
When i fail, i wanna do a other exercise for the upper back - lats
what do you recommend ? Bent-Over Barbell Row ?
Pens, if it’s getting better, you are getting stronger. It can take time, but if you persist, you’ll mastered pull-ups for reps.
Continue doing the routine described. If you want to be better at pull-ups, you need to pull-up. No way around that.
Other exercises for the back:
-pendlay rows
-bent-over barbell rows
-deadlifts
hi, sorry could someone tell me what are singles, doubles and triples!?
Greetings
singles mean 1 rep set. the aim here is to use a weight that you can lift for only 1 rep.
I can’t even get close to one pull-up, can just about hang limply from the bar and drag myself up about one or two inches! I’ve been doing that thing where I lower the bar and pull myself up diagonally, with my heels on the ground. What would anyone suggest as the next step up? Bear in mind that I’m female and don’t have the same sort of upper body strength as a man (not yet anyway).
Lisa. You can try resistance bands, using momentum, etc. Try the tips in the Pull-up article. And being a female isn’t an excuse, it’s matter of building strength
Meh, hehe!
Ah, I do know it’s a matter of building strength but it does take that bit more time for a lot of women, many of us have naturally strong lower bodies, smaller upper bodies and a lower centre of gravity, the reverse of most men.
I know I can do it eventually but hanging there on the bar, red-faced and wiggling slightly isn’t doing much for my confidence! I’ll try the resistance band method and see how that goes.
hey man,
good stuff but i need more specifc answers, especially regarding rest times and thought you maybe able to help.
i do pull-ups 2x a week, usually mon/thurs or tues/fri.
i do 3 sets - each of 10-12reps 2 days a week (max wk total 72).
they are getting harder (some days) in the third rep.
my goals;
to do a set of 30 reps, on anyday, if asked by someone, how many pullups can you do. right now I can do about 17/19 to fatigue.
i just like the exercise and afew years ago i could do alot, nothing has really changed accept my age. i am still the same weight, although, not lifting as much, seem physique, a little less muscle mass but more aerobically fit. 190lbs.
thank you
rest times?
growth to 1 rep of 35-40 total
@Oscar
Take the progressive approach. You’re doing 3 sets of 10 reps 2x/week. Start doing 3 sets of 11 reps for one week. Then 3 sets of 12 reps for one week. Then 3 sets of 13 reps for week. Etc, always increasing until you stall. When you stall take a step back (example you stall at 3×20, get back to 3×15 & rebuild from there). If you keep doing that you’ll eventually be able to grind out reps of 30.
Age is irrelevant, it’s a question of endurance.
Hi Mehdi, can you go into more detail on how to train with the resistance bands? I’m just starting out and can do 1-2 chin-ups from a hanging position. I couldn’t quite follow the “step into the loop” instruction above, so any more detail (even a picture) would be great! Thanks in advance.
@Ario
Check this article with pictures by Michael Boyle. That’s one way to do it. Another way is to attach the bar inside the power rack horizontally from one safety pins to the other. That method is described in starting strength 2nd edition, page 257.
Thanks Mehdi, I found this video demonstrating band assisted chin-ups:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGBi2tNBPtQ
I’m going to order these 3 bands and progress from the 3 strengths until I can do the exercise without them.
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=138
I only wish they were cheaper!
@Ario
Great video, thanks for that. The bands are expensive indeed, but they worth it, you’ll see. Good luck with the pull-ups.
Mehdi,
When performing singles, how many rest time should you take between these to allow for your muscles to recover? Thanks in advance for your answer and keep up the the good work - this blog rocks!
@Niels
Go for 1 min. If you need more to get your reps, take more rest. Thanks for the motivating words on the blog
hey im a kickboxer going for a british title im only 14 years old but i can do pull ups and chin ups no problems i just wanna know how to make it harder.
@Denty
Add weight
Hi mehdi, great site. I am just starting out at pull ups since high school!! I am 32 years old and 12 stone, I just managed to do 2 pull ups and felt demotivated!! After reading your article It gave me some inspiration. Just a quick question if I may, I do pushups about 100 every other day, will this actually help me to do more pull ups, or should I stop the push ups for a while, until my pull ups take shape? I want to get to the point where i am doing 100 pull ups and push ups three times a week, is it possible? many thanks man!!
@Re
If you want to be good at pull-ups, you’ll have to do pull-ups Re.
Mehdi,
I just discovered your website — best information on pull-ups/chin-ups I’ve found. I currently weigh 240 lbs and can do 8 pull-ups. I once could do 21, but was about 50 lbs lighter then. My question is, if I am not feeling muscle fatigue a day or two after doing pull-ups, am I training enough? Should I do more reps (currently doing sets as follows 8 reps, 6 reps, 4-5 reps, 4 reps, 3 reps — which is all I can do for each set). Thanks.
Hello, I like your website, many information and new things… So for pull up, I would like to make a lots of pull ups, I can do 22 pull ups and i weight about 90 Kg, I work in 6 sets with 25 seconds rest three times a week. What kind of programme can you advise for me? I never add weight, I do all my pull up with my own weight.
Thanks.
I am getting married on June 6th and have a bet with my best man that I will be able to do 16 pullups by June 1st. I am in reasonably decent shape and can currently do 9 with the correct form. What is the best regimen for me to follow to win this bet?
What do you think? Do pull ups
Great blog. Wish I’d discovered it earlier. What you were saying about over training was right- I damaged the tendons in my elbow last fall by going to failure every time I did pullups. I was up to 120 pullups a day (6 reps of 20 or so), six days a week. I’ve been back to doing pull ups for about five weeks now and I’m only going to failure once a week now before I take the last day off to rest. It’s amazing how quickly the muscle mass comes back. Once again - great blog - keep it up!
Wow six times a week @ ken.
Remember mucles grow when were resting, they cannot grow if your tearing them down like that, i am surprised you did not damage more. I was told to always rest is just as important as actuall working out.