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Bodyweight New Here, Help With Pullups

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Martin Svoboda

Martin Svoboda

Level 4 Valued Member
Hello everyone!

I'm 31 years old man, 180cm, 80kg.
I used to do boxing for couple of years.
I also did strength training for one year (max: DL 130kg, Bench 90kg, TG 32 kg)
I had a knee injury 9 months ago. Doctor allowed me everything but I have a problem with lunge in TGU (knee hurts little bit).
I tried NW progression for pistols and OAPU, but I had to stop it because of knee problems.
Then I did fighter pull ups program (from 5 to 10) 2 months ago.

My goal is strength and condition. I want to primarily improve weighted pull ups.

My current program is:

Mon – Heavy day
weighted pull ups ladders 4x(1,2) with 5 kg
push ups (like 8,7,6,5,4)
farmers walk – 10 min

Tue
Swings, OS resets

Wed – Middle day
pull ups ladders 4x(1,2,3)
Half TGU 5+5
farmers walk – 10 min
OS resets

Thu
Swings, OS resets

Fri – Light day
pull ups ladders 3x(1,2,3)

flor press 5x5
farmers walk – 5 min

OS resets
I also do Power stretching 3 times a week.

But I have no progress in pull ups. Especially on Wed i feel tired.

Can you please advice some changes in my program? Im not sure if my program is optimal.

Thank You!
 
@Martin Svoboda, welcome to the StrongFirst forum!

Is your goal to do more reps with bodyweight only or to increase your 1-repetition max?

Martin Svoboda said:
But I have no progress in pull ups. Especially on Wed i feel tired.

Can you please advice some changes in my program? Im not sure if my program is optimal.
Click to expand...

You may not need changes in programming but you may need instruction in the high-tension techniques of StrongFirst, e.g. you might find your pull-ups are better when your deadlift reaches 2 x bodyweight, and you might also need to learn about the hollow position and how to use it for pull-ups.

If you haven't taken one of our courses or worked with a StrongFirst-certified instructor, that's what I recommend for you as a next step, based on what you've said.

I am going to make this a new thread.

-S-
 
@Martin Svoboda - welcome! First, I agree with Steve. If you haven't already, learn the tension techniques. Hollow holds, farmers carries for improving grip strength will help. Also, deadlifting proved to be a game changer in my weighted pull-ups as well, *especially* training a double overhand grip.
Also, where are your eyes when you pull up? Focus on looking straight ahead rather than casting eyes upward too much. Helps keep you closer to the bar.
I would also recommend that you swap your heavy day to Friday where you would have more rest days to recover. Pull-ups are very taxing on your CNS. You must listen to your body...you always want quality reps over meeting a quantity in pull-up training!
 
Thank you for quick response, tips and switching to new thread.

Switch heavy day to Friday sounds like a good idea.

My goal is increase 1-repetition max.

There is a video how I do pull ups

I'm trying to do strict pull ups with max tension in hollow position.

I was at courses Nacked Warior, Hardstyle ABS, PTTP from SF instructors in Czech Republic (I forgot it write in my background, sorry)
 
@Martin Svoboda
How's your grip holding up?
Grip work is always taxing for the CNS and when your grip isn't as strong as it used to be (maybe because of fatigue) it inhibits the other muscles from using their full force.
Pavel wrote about the effects of crush gripping to e.g. generate more force in the press or TGU. The opposite is also true.
You're doing pullups, farmer walks and swings which all work your grip. Maybe too much grip work over the whole week.
 
Just by looking at your program, I would day it look solid.
Like the guys already said, incorporating high tension techniques might really help you. Hollow position, squeezing your glutes, bracing your abs, squeezing the hell out if that pull up bar while pulling up. Check out Naked Warrior for the high tension techniques.
Deadlifts are also great. Hiwever if you cannot do them you might switch to one hand swings done pretty hard
 
Debbie Hayes said:
Focus on looking straight ahead rather than casting eyes upward too much. Helps keep you closer to the bar.
Click to expand...
It's really interesting that you'd mention this. For years I did my Pullups looking straight ahead with neck packed.

The other day, I tried looking up as a way to encourage myself to "pull upwards" and get myself higher. Absolute game changer. My Pullup instantly became much stronger in a way I can't even describe.

Probably just placebo and probably not for beginners (could encourage neck craning for sure), but thought I'd share. It's worth a shot and maybe it helps someone as well as it did me.

Cheers!
 
Thank you..I should've phrased it "neck craning" versus eyes casting upward too much. Most will crane their neck when looking up. I have heard many people remark that "glancing" up (in the direction they want to move) helps versus eyes straight ahead, so everyone needs to put in some practice (weighted and unweighted) and see what works best.
However, in attempts to do weighted pull-ups throat to bar, no question I've found that looking straight ahead (I don't pack my neck, just focus on hollow, staying tight, squeezing glutes, squeezing bar, cramping lats) requires less effort because you don't "drift" back away from the bar on way up.
 
305pelusa said:
The other day, I tried looking up as a way to encourage myself to "pull upwards" and get myself higher. Absolute game changer. My Pullup instantly became much stronger in a way I can't even describe.
Click to expand...
I've been playing with bodybuilder (read: not hollow position, open chest, very wide grip) pull-ups of late, and I can see how looking up helps with those. I am, after all, essentially trying to touch my chest to the bottom of the bar, or something close to that.

For hollow position, tactical pull-ups, best to look straight ahead.

-S-
 
Welcome to SF! I have also been working on Deadlift to improve pull ups and it is helping. Try it.
 
Steve Freides said:
I've been playing with bodybuilder (read: not hollow position, open chest, very wide grip) pull-ups of late, and I can see how looking up helps with those. I am, after all, essentially trying to touch my chest to the bottom of the bar, or something close to that.

For hollow position, tactical pull-ups, best to look straight ahead.

-S-
Click to expand...
I should mention that my Pull-up was otherwise "SF". Hollow body, medium grip, with an emphasis on protraction instead of retraction. The change was simply to look up, which seemed to be very effective. Try it.

Steve Freides said:
@Martin Svoboda, flex your ankles, don't point your toes to do pull-ups the StrongFirst way.

-S-
Click to expand...
??
 
305pelusa said:
I should mention that my Pull-up was otherwise "SF". Hollow body, medium grip, with an emphasis on protraction instead of retraction. The change was simply to look up, which seemed to be very effective. Try it.
Click to expand...
You're are strong enough, and solid enough in your hollow position, to do this - not everyone will be. It can help - you are looking where you want to go, but let's call it an advanced strategy. Looking up will weaken the hollow position for some people.

-S-
 
Hello @Martin Svoboda

The fact are feeling fatigued on Wednesday could be a bit of a clue. Maybe the swings on Tuesday ( after a heavy day on Monday) are taking too much out of you.

Sometimes less is more for any exercise. The suggestion from @Debbie Hayes to switch your heavy day to a Friday makes sense too.

Have you ever tested your 1RM for a weighted pullup ?

If you can do 10 strict tactical pullups I'd suggest you could lift considerably more than an extra 5 kg. Maybe a different set and rep scheme with different loads would suit you better.

@305pelusa - I start all my pullups looking at the bar and then when I'm moving I tilt my head back to a neutral position. It just seems like a natural flow when I do it like that.
 
You could replace one of your pull-up days with weighted rows. Then, add some calories to your diet. My best pull-up numbers was when I was rowing twice per week (3x 8-12) and not doing any pull-ups.
 
Thank you for your suggestions. I will switch heavy day Friday and will more focus to tension technics.

Tarzan said:
Have you ever tested your 1RM for a weighted pullup ?

If you can do 10 strict tactical pullups I'd suggest you could lift considerably more than an extra 5 kg. Maybe a different set and rep scheme with different loads would suit you better.
Click to expand...

I can do 1 rep with 24 kg.

When I started with weighted pull ups I used same load every training session which makes me very tired and weak. So I switched to (H/M/L)

But Im mot sure what is best way for me to choose right loads, sets and reps.

4x(1,2) 5 kg on heavy day it's easier then 4x(1,2,3) without loads on middle day.
 
So now we have a bit more info we can help a bit more.

Your bodyweight 80kg + 24 kg is 104 kg for you 1RM, so 80 kg + 5 kg you are training with puts you just over 80% of your 1RM. For most systems is almost right where you want to be. Either of those rep schemes should be OK at your stage of training, you could possibly even do a bit more volume if you plan things properly.

It seems like you are taxing yourself too much with something else in your program if you can't sustain that workload. Swings can be very taxing if you overdo them. So maybe the pullups would be better with an extra days break after the swings.

If weighted pullups are really that important to you ( some say they are an accessory exercise with limited benefits) then you could have to trim your program somewhere and gradually introduce things back after you adjust to the workload.

It seems like you are spreading yourself too thin and doing a bit too much to fully recover between training sessions.
 
Thank you. If change heavy day to Friday won't help I try next tips.

If I would want reduce taxing from swings is it good idea have a heavy and light day too?

Like Tue 100% and Thu 80% swings?
 
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