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Bodyweight Fighter Pull Up Program For The Faint-Hearted

Andrej SK

Andrej SK

Level 4 Valued Member
Hey guys, me and my 3 friends just made a committment to undertake 1 month of a fighter pull up program by Pavel:
www.strongfirst.com

The Fighter Pullup Program Revisited | StrongFirst

Here is a powerful Russian pullup program adaptable to any level of ability. The fighter pullup program can double or triple your pullups in one month.
www.strongfirst.com

My experience from the past is that I wasn't able to follow it day after day when I started with my maximum reps. It was too demanding and my muscles couldn't recover. I have 2 questions therefore:

1) Can I spread the 5 sets throughout the whole day instead of doing them at once ?
2) Would it make a sense to start with 70-90% reps maximum as a starting point ? (instead of 100%?)

Thank you guys!
 
Andrej SK said:
Hey guys, me and my 3 friends just made a committment to undertake 1 month of a fighter pull up program by Pavel:
www.strongfirst.com

The Fighter Pullup Program Revisited | StrongFirst

Here is a powerful Russian pullup program adaptable to any level of ability. The fighter pullup program can double or triple your pullups in one month.
www.strongfirst.com

My experience from the past is that I wasn't able to follow it day after day when I started with my maximum reps. It was too demanding and my muscles couldn't recover. I have 2 questions therefore:

1) Can I spread the 5 sets throughout the whole day instead of doing them at once ?
2) Would it make a sense to start with 70-90% reps maximum as a starting point ? (instead of 100%?)

Thank you guys!
Click to expand...
Sure you could do 1) and 2), and you could try 3) take more off days.
 
Short answer, Yes :)

I used the FPP format for pushing in the past. Like you said, it can catch up to you pretty quick. If you are only running it for one month, my suggestion is to just reduce your starting rep max, as you suggested. When I used it for pike pushups I started well below my current rep max (IIRC my RM was like 10-12 at the time, and I think I started with ladders of (5,4,3,2,1), knowing I was going to be doing it a lot). You could also spread your rest days out, doing one in the middle of the week and one on the weekend, for example, instead of two in a row. Option1 is good too. It will make things more like greasing the groove which will likely keep you more fresh.
 
Andrej SK said:
Hey guys, me and my 3 friends just made a committment to undertake 1 month of a fighter pull up program by Pavel:
www.strongfirst.com

The Fighter Pullup Program Revisited | StrongFirst

Here is a powerful Russian pullup program adaptable to any level of ability. The fighter pullup program can double or triple your pullups in one month.
www.strongfirst.com

My experience from the past is that I wasn't able to follow it day after day when I started with my maximum reps. It was too demanding and my muscles couldn't recover. I have 2 questions therefore:

1) Can I spread the 5 sets throughout the whole day instead of doing them at once ?
2) Would it make a sense to start with 70-90% reps maximum as a starting point ? (instead of 100%?)

Thank you guys!
Click to expand...

Another choice - don't go for a true, all-out max test but rather a "technical max" and use that as the basis of your programming. In other words, when you're testing your max, don't count any rep that turns into a slow slog. When that happens, use the number of really good reps you got as your max. And when that happens, you're done testing for the day.

-S-
 
Andrej SK said:
Hey guys, me and my 3 friends just made a committment to undertake 1 month of a fighter pull up program by Pavel:
www.strongfirst.com

The Fighter Pullup Program Revisited | StrongFirst

Here is a powerful Russian pullup program adaptable to any level of ability. The fighter pullup program can double or triple your pullups in one month.
www.strongfirst.com

My experience from the past is that I wasn't able to follow it day after day when I started with my maximum reps. It was too demanding and my muscles couldn't recover. I have 2 questions therefore:

1) Can I spread the 5 sets throughout the whole day instead of doing them at once ?
2) Would it make a sense to start with 70-90% reps maximum as a starting point ? (instead of 100%?)

Thank you guys!
Click to expand...
100% agree with Don and Steve.

I’d also add that I’ve used the program successfully spreading it out - 3-4 days a week, and that I’ve used it using less than my max but focusing on the technical execution - really emphasizing control up, pause and hold at the neck, control down, pause and relax, tighten up and start the next rep. Even using several reps less than my max this has been highly beneficial.
 
I definitely agree with bluejeff and Steve.

When I first ran the Fighter Pull-up program with a 15RM to prepare for my first TSC, I found 5 days/week to be way too much. I had terrible tendinitis in both elbows after the first two weeks.

When I used it again a year later, I reduced it to 3 days/week. That helped but still caused tendinitis by the end of the 4th week.

Make adjustments as needed based on your ability level, time constraints, and other training.
 
Guys, thank all of you for helpful answers! I have one additional question. When doing this program do you recommend doing it as a standalone or complementary to anything else ? What would be the minimum complementary program to the fighter pull ups just in case ? QnD 2x a week for instance ? Or a naked warrior ? Thanks!
 
Andrej SK said:
Guys, thank all of you for helpful answers! I have one additional question. When doing this program do you recommend doing it as a standalone or complementary to anything else ? What would be the minimum complementary program to the fighter pull ups just in case ? QnD 2x a week for instance ? Or a naked warrior ? Thanks!
Click to expand...
It will work in conjunction with any program based on your goals.
 
Andrej SK said:
Guys, thank all of you for helpful answers! I have one additional question. When doing this program do you recommend doing it as a standalone or complementary to anything else ? What would be the minimum complementary program to the fighter pull ups just in case ? QnD 2x a week for instance ? Or a naked warrior ? Thanks!
Click to expand...
It is easy to use this as a piece of your overall training. I would mind the pulling volume, as I personally get bicep tendonitis when I over-pull in my training (climbing, pullups, snatches and cleans, rows, etc.). That's very much a Me-Thing. I've easily added fighter pull-up to S&S and KB-SF (BJJ product), and to other barbell and kettlebell training programs.

I've never used QnD or naked warrior, so I can't say how that'd work from experience... but I think you'd be OK. Just prioritize QnD and Naked Warrior first in training, or separate the pull-ups from them by several hours.

When training in a single session, think Fast - Strong - Other Stuff. I'd put the rep range of pull-ups you're working in towards "other stuff." QnD is all about Fast ... and Naked Warrior is about Strong.
 
bluejeff said:
Short answer, Yes :)

I used the FPP format for pushing in the past. Like you said, it can catch up to you pretty quick. If you are only running it for one month, my suggestion is to just reduce your starting rep max, as you suggested. When I used it for pike pushups I started well below my current rep max (IIRC my RM was like 10-12 at the time, and I think I started with ladders of (5,4,3,2,1), knowing I was going to be doing it a lot). You could also spread your rest days out, doing one in the middle of the week and one on the weekend, for example, instead of two in a row. Option1 is good too. It will make things more like greasing the groove which will likely keep you more fresh.
Click to expand...

I am using the FPU program to prep up for the TSC. My volume is reasonably high and so I am doing exactly this. Rather than doing it every day, I am doing it every other day and spreading the work sets out throughout the day (helps to have a pull up bar at home). In the past I did it Mon-Fri, on a clock. It caused me to stall out pretty quick. Having increased the inter-set rest, as well as the inter-workout rest, is adding more runway to it.

I think when I get to the next top number, I will need to add another day and move to every third day (2 days of rest in between workouts).

Coupled with recent weight loss, I am really hoping for a new PR in October!
 
We’re
renegadenate said:
I definitely agree with bluejeff and Steve.

When I first ran the Fighter Pull-up program with a 15RM to prepare for my first TSC, I found 5 days/week to be way too much. I had terrible tendinitis in both elbows after the first two weeks.

When I used it again a year later, I reduced it to 3 days/week. That helped but still caused tendinitis by the end of the 4th week.

Make adjustments as needed based on your ability level, time constraints, and other training.
Click to expand...
you doing a lot of snatching aswell as the Fighter pull up program?
 
WhomtheBellTolls said:
We’re

you doing a lot of snatching aswell as the Fighter pull up program?
Click to expand...
I only performed Snatches once per week on my Deadlift day.

I started with 5/5 each arm for 5 minutes (50 total reps) and added a rep each week:

6/6
7/7
8/8
8/8 (did this for two weeks)
9/9
10/10
 
I will call a spade a spade... my deadlift is my weakest event. I would be best suited to just focus on that for the next four months, sprinkle in some pull ups to keep balance and rhythm, and snatch once a week the month before so my lungs can last 5 minutes.

That said... that isn't exactly what I am doing. I am, however, hyper aware of my elbows this time around as the pull volume increases.
 
Maybe the missing piece is diet. If you are eating to lose fat, gain muscle or mantain it has an effect on your outcomes. As an older trainer I gravitate towards staying lean and bodyweight training goes easier when one is in a deficit. I am not saying heavy lifting is a waste of effort when in a deficit, but, for me, i consider that phase of my life over, I have no interest in bulking beyond my present bodyweight and I think I can maintain muscularity and improve overall condition without heavy lifting.
 
I would fully endorse spreading the sets out throughout the day.

I did something similar five or six years ago - Chad Waterbury's PLP - and got great results even though on a lot of days I did half the reps in the morning, half in the evening. In PLP you're doing pushups, lunges and pull-ups (hence the name), but if I did it again I would just do the pull-ups.

PLP is supposed to be a 60-day program but I only got about 3 weeks in before I had to stop because of an injury (from something else, not from PLP). Still, I added several pull-ups to my max in those three weeks. Don't know the exact number because I got injured before I was able to do a formal test, but I went from ~11 strict pull-ups to somewhere in the high teens (17+ if I'm being conservative).

You can check the details in the link below, but it's similar to FPP, except you just have a total to hit for the day. You can use any rep, set, and rest scheme you want.

www.t-nation.com

PLP: The 60-Day Challenge

Increase muscle gain and accelerate fat loss in just a few minutes a day with this simple supplemental workout.
www.t-nation.com www.t-nation.com
 
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