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Want to get more repetitions of your pull-ups? Work on it! Train with a special program and your numbers will skyrocket. For other bodyweight exercises, the program is also suitable.
Author: Edward Chico
So, you want to break your personal best in. Then stretch more often. This is a short one sentence answer. If you pull up once a week with the same number of sets and reps, you will not see any record numbers.
Do you want a detailed answer? Follow the lead of Major Charles Lewis Armstrong. He was a Marine, karate champion and marathon runner. He also doubled the world record for the most pull-ups at a time, completing 1435 reps in just under five hours.
The program, according to which he trained, is suitable not only for those who are going to swing a world record. I used it to set my personal records for pull-ups and push-ups.
If now you are not able to pull up even two times, this program is not for you – not yet for you. But if you can pull up a dozen times and treat the bar with deep respect, get ready to learn from the guy who was the best.
Pullup Increase Program
This is definitely a very specific program. It is designed for five workouts per week, and I recommend sticking to the schedule for 5-6 weeks. You can choose any five days of the week, but be sure to practice every day. Then two days of rest, and again everything from the beginning.
Armstrong trained Monday through Friday and took a break on weekends. But he not only pulled himself up. Every morning he did three of the most difficult sets in. This allowed maintaining the balance of the muscles responsible for pressing (chest, triceps).
This program focuses on the muscles responsible for traction (biceps, back). The total rest time between sets is anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
Otherwise, it is an endless series of stretching. But here it is important to make it clear: you need to pull up cleanly, according to all the rules of technology. This means that you need to overcome the entire range of motion without jerking or jerking your legs, and not somehow reach your chin up to the bar. Everything needs to be done beautifully and under control, and if you can’t pull up again with the ideal technique, finish the set right away.
Here’s how daily workouts look like:
Day 1: maximum pull-ups
Rest 90 seconds between sets
5 approaches to Max. repetitions
Day 2: stairs
Do 1 rep, rest 10 seconds, then 2 reps, rest 10 seconds, then 3 reps, and so on until you reach your maximum. And so three times.
3 approach to Max. repetitions
Day 3: day of nine sets
Choose the number of repetitions that will allow you to complete 9 sets with 60 seconds rest after each set. For example, let’s say you decide to do 9 sets of 6 times. If you could not get to the 9th approach, the chosen figure is too large. If you have effortlessly completed all nine, it means that you have set yourself a too simple task. In a word, we need to experiment here.
9 approaches to Max. repetitions
9 approaches to Max. repetitions
9 approaches to Max. repetitions
Day 4: maximum sets
This is a repetition of the third workout, but instead of 9 sets, do as many as you can. Think of this as a test to see if it’s time to increase the number of repetitions in your work sets. If it was relatively easy the day before, add 1 rep to each set. If you have mastered all nine sets today, add repetition next week and use the new benchmark on the day of nine sets.
1 approach on Max. repetitions
1 approach on Max. repetitions
1 approach on Max. repetitions
Day 5: hard day
The program of this day must be constantly changed so that the muscles do not have time to get used to the load.
5 approaches to Max. repetitions
Not single pull-ups …
You can use this basic pattern to improve your results in any bodyweight exercise that is performed for a number of repetitions, such as push-ups, push-ups. In this case, some days will require minor program adjustments. For example, on the days of nine sets, you need to do push-ups from the horizontal bar first with a standard grip, then with a narrow one, and at the end with a wide one.
Take this program seriously and you will see the numbers go up. And be sure to share your successes with us!