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Bodyweight Ways to increase Pull-up RM

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mikhael

mikhael

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Hi StrongFirst Family.

I would like to now your opinion about the ways to increas Pull-up RM. How did you approach it? My current RM is 12, but would like to improve it up to 20. During a week I do 3 sessions, each 20-23 minutes long, and it goes like this:
3 reps with 12kg every 2 minutes, starting at 0:00. Every minute, at the top of an odd minute I do 5 Goblet Squats, or Pistol (with the latter legs are alternate every set). I'm not sure will this get me to higher RM, thus I've started to think about other ways, and two came to my mind: ladders, and 5x5.
The former is well known approach, and has a huge potential, but the latter looks very promissing. I belive that there are other good, or even better ways to improve Pull-up RM, and maybe someone would like to shed some light on the subject.
I must add, that I practice Q&D 3x a week with 32kg bell and I'm also wondering if there is a good idea to add more Push-ups to a weekly schedule.

Thank you for any tips and recommendations.
 
Not that I'm anywhere near 20 pullups myself... but, how about a progressive overload plan to increase your weighted pullup max? Work up a well of max strength that you can convert to endurance later.
 
Hello,

A nice program, which follows the same lines than the push up program
www.stewsmith.com

FREE Two Week Protocol for Pullups and Pushups (Increase 50-100%) (& Now Situps)

What is a FREE proven resource any PT Test Taker can use right now to crush fitness tests? Since the mid-1990's, I have on certain occasions recommended someone try the Pullup Push and the Pushup Push Protocols to help increase their pullups and pushups respectively. Depending on your current...
www.stewsmith.com

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Back in the day, in college, part of our pre season strength test was dips for reps. I figured if I did a bunch of sessions hanging 90lbs + I could smash the test. Nope. I should have trained reps. FPP will get you there. You could do it on none Q&D days, and you do not need to add any push ups. Day 1 for you 12-10-8-6-4, give yourself 4 mins rest on first two sets and 3 mins on last two.

FYI, rest btwn. sets on the FPP is totally legit at 5 mins. or so.
 
Last edited:
offwidth said:
@mikhael
I guess first off I would question the practical purpose of doing 20 pull-ups... but to each his own I suppose.

That being said... FPP or Weighted Maximum Strength will help you increase your numbers.
Click to expand...
Military FST. More Pull-ups equals higher score.
 
Hey brother,

Pushups - I have no science as to why, but they help you with pullups
FPP - I think we did something similar to this in the Marines

Personally this got me to 18 pullups
BUD/S Cat I Program
4x15 pushups 3x3 pullups (week 1)
5x20 pushups 3x3 pullups (week 2)
5x25 pushups 3x4 pullups (week 3&4)
6x25 pushups 2x8 pullups (week 5&6)
6x30 pushups 2x10 pullups (week7&8)

Break up your pushups and pullups with sets of situps or some type of ab work between those two.

This got me to 20 pullups from there

Armstrong Pullup Program
3 max pushup sets each morning
Day 1 - 3 max effort pullups
Day 2 - pyramids 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 (you move up the ladder until you cannot complete the next rung, then you drop one rep.
Day 3 - 3 sets normal pullups, 3 sets wide, 3 sets chin-ups
Day 4 - Max number of sets
Day 5 - Repeat hardest day
Do this for about a month or so

Consider these programs as short ramp-up programs to get you to your 20. Once you hit 20 you're in maintenance mode. Otherwise you risk hurting yourself. Once you reach 20 do things like:

1 pullup, 2 pushups, 3 squats - rest. repeat 30x
Ladders
Swimming
 
I’ve never done FPP as written as I seem to have a volume threshold, where my elbows complain if I hit too many reps in a day (or too much frequency in week). Even if I buildup slowly.

That said, the following have worked in nudging numbers up

1) Reverse ladders (1-3 rungs)
2) Clusters (2-3 cycles)
3) 1 or 2 hard sets (near max/test) - back off with rows (less frequently)

I mix grips and other than tests, look to keep reps clean and stop sets as speed slows noticeably. I’ll programme 2-3 times per week max normally.

Many ways work and exposure to the bar (or rings) and accumulating some degree of volume seem to be threads across most programmes.

All that said, I am no expert. But I have learned to listen to my body.
 
Steve Rogers said:
Personally this got me to 18 pullups
BUD/S Cat I Program
4x15 pushups 3x3 pullups (week 1)
5x20 pushups 3x3 pullups (week 2)
5x25 pushups 3x4 pullups (week 3&4)
6x25 pushups 2x8 pullups (week 5&6)
6x30 pushups 2x10 pullups (week7&8
Click to expand...
4x15 with 3x3 in one session? 3x a week?
 
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