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Bodyweight One arm Chin Form Check

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What's your weighted two-arm max and at what bodyweight?

Have you tried incorporating some partial ROM, e.g., holds for time at the top, as way of trying to reduce the risk of overtraining? Weighted hangs at the bottom are another option, holds at various points in the middle are an option, too.

-S-
 
What's your weighted two-arm max and at what bodyweight
About a month ago I tried for a max. I got 80 pounds added with a pull-up grip, and 90 pounds added with a neutral grip. I weigh 140 lbs (so 220-230 total). I've been training a lot of OACUs, so I'd expect my max to be slightly higher than that now. I have to use a lot of weight for weighted pull-ups (I know, good problem to have!) to bring down my reps, and it's kinda awkward to load and stuff, so I've been generally staying away from weighted work.

Have you tried incorporating some partial ROM, e.g., holds for time at the top, as way of trying to reduce the risk of overtraining? Weighted hangs at the bottom are another option, holds at various points in the middle are an option, too.

-S-

I have not done that, I'm unsure as to how to program that in. I guess just one day a week, I focus on statics? Holds at the top and bottom seem like they would be a good way to reduce inflammation. A hold in the middle? I feel like that point places the biceps at a precarious point, what do you think?
 
Well, getting a heavier, weighted two-arm chinup and pullup might be a thing for you to work on as an alternative to the one-arm version. Maybe you need to cycle off the one-armers for a bit.

There are all kinds of interesting ways to cook pullups/chinups, e.g. with one hand holding onto the other, and gradually moving the assisting hand lower on the bearing hand. That might be a good way for you to up your rep count without overtraining.

-S_
 
Well, getting a heavier, weighted two-arm chinup and pullup might be a thing for you to work on as an alternative to the one-arm version. Maybe you need to cycle off the one-armers for a bit.

To be honest, OACUs are pretty demanding on my tendons and muscles, so doing them almost daily, several times a day? I feel like that's why I started developing some pains. But a couple of days off fixed it. So maybe the solution is to program my OACU training so that I do it 3 times a week, such that I have days of rest after each time?

I also feel like a warm-up is good for OACUs. I know Pavel looks down upon warm-ups, but at least when it comes to OACUs, I feel like it would help to prime my muscles and warm them up a bit, instead of "going cold" multiple times a day. If it's in a workout, it'll be after some plache and HSPUs, so I think my elbows would be a bit more ready? Or is this just in my head?

Those are sort of the reasons why I was thinking it might be better to do it 3 times a week? And also that it's difficult to get a bar that often for me.

There are all kinds of interesting ways to cook pullups/chinups, e.g. with one hand holding onto the other, and gradually moving the assisting hand lower on the bearing hand. That might be a good way for you to up your rep count without overtraining.

-S_

I see. So do you think a routine where once a week, I try to get as many singles in a 20 minute period, then once a week, I do a single per side, then follow that with static holds, and on the third day, again, a single per side, followed by 3-5x3-5 of an easier OACU exercise?

Or is that just too much variability? I'm just really unsure as to how to program an exercise that is so difficult, I can only get a few reps on :/
 
Tough call on how to program it. BTW, nice if others - @Journeyman, e.g., offer their opinions here as well.

I'd like to see video of you doing the hand-on-arm version in different positions. I think that might be a useful thing for you since it's still only one hand on the bar and the grip doesn't seem to be an issue for you. The resistance is easily adjustable by where you place grab with your other hand. I assume you're familiar with these - if you're not, it's this:

fakeOAC.jpg


which is from this article

One Arm Chin-up / Pull-up « Bodyweight Strength Training «

-S-
 
Note that the author of the above web page doesn't like these - he considers them cheating. He's right to the extent that they're not a real OACU, but we're not claiming that here, just that it's a useful assistance exercise for you.

-S-
 
I know them, but I never used them. You could place the hand lower on the forearm, but then pull harder all the same to make it up. So I always thought it was rather arbitrary and not worthwhile.

I initially built up to a OACU using the rope-over-the-bar technique Jim describes there, which was very good. I won't always have access to a weight here, so if I was to use a regressive exercise, I'd probably use the one you pictured above, hand on my bicep. That's slightly easier than a OACU.

I guess my issue at this point is not what exercise to do, but rather, how to program it. Hopefully someone will chime in, thanks Steve!
 
If the rope-over-the-bar technique is easier and lets you do more reps, then try doing some of that as well. My problem with that - there's a "problem" with every approach - is that I was able to push down on the rope or towel.

My point here is that standard programming can be applied when your rep range is standard, so it's good to have a variation you can do for more than a single.

-S-
 
If the rope-over-the-bar technique is easier and lets you do more reps, then try doing some of that as well. My problem with that - there's a "problem" with every approach - is that I was able to push down on the rope or towel.

Well, like I said, it depends on how much weight you attach on the other side. Obviously if I use 30 lbs, I'll get more than in a one-handed chin-up. But if I use 5 lbs, it's pretty close to a OACU (there's a bit of friction of course).

You can push or pull all you want on the rope, you won't get more assistance than the weight you attach on the other side.

LIke I mentioned, finding weights isn't super easy for me, so that's the main issue. But I can do the one-handed chin-up for a few reps for sure.

In that case, would I be looking at one day of pure OACU singles, then on the other two days, a standard rep range with the "easier variation". I know it's good to have a variation the is slightly easier like you're saying, I'm just uncertain on how much of my volume should be OACU singles, and how much OACU regressive exercises.

Any thoughts on that would be great!
 
Well, like I said, it depends on how much weight you attach on the other side. Obviously if I use 30 lbs, I'll get more than in a one-handed chin-up. But if I use 5 lbs, it's pretty close to a OACU (there's a bit of friction of course).

You can push or pull all you want on the rope, you won't get more assistance than the weight you attach on the other side.
This hasn't been my experience. I didn't use any weight on the bottom of the rope, but I pushed down on the rope as I neared the top of my almost OAC.

Maybe I'm not understanding this but it looks like just what I did. If I'd had weight on the bottom, it wouldn't have matter, I don't think - I will try it exactly as described in the article and report back.

-S-
 
I think you might be thinking of placing a rope over a bar and then grabbing both ends of the rope to pull. Which just makes it so that your hand is pulling from a lower place. I don't like. Same issue with grabbing your working hand, or using fingers to assist. It's just not quantifiable.

I'm talking about placing the rope over the bar, attaching a weight to one end, and grabbing the OTHER end. This is a pseudo-pulley, and you won't be able to assist any more than the weight attached on the other end. I find this system to be incredibly simple, and it doesn't really have anything against it.

It is on the article you linked, under the section "Assisted One arm Chin-up".
 
Ok, yes, that's quite different. I will have to give it a try.

-S-
 
I wanted to follow up on this. I tried it with a rope and a 32 kg bell, and I was able to get my chin over the bar and hold it for a second or two with my right arm, but my left doesn't even get all the way to the top. I'm going to keep trying these and see if I can get both sides with the 32 kg, and then start working down in weight.

Looking on the shelf in my basement gym, I found a pulley I'd used - I tried to rig something like this up for myself a few years ago, but it never worked well. The rope over the bar is brilliant.

-S-
 
Isn't that like half your bodyweight? It should feel about as hard as a chin up if that's the case. The trick is to pull as much as you can, without the weight going up. If you just hold on to the weight (which I'm guessing you did since you found it to be rather hard) then it's impossible to quantify from workout to workout, set to set or even rep to rep.

Anyways, I've been traveling a lot so finding weights to use for this exercise is nearly impossible. What I've been doing is just assisted OACUs trying to pull as much with one side as possible (and then unassisted negative on the way down).

I don't think I'm getting stronger, but at least I've maintained the OACU on each side for the time being :)
 
32 kg about half my bodyweight - I was just guesstimating the weight, since I haven't worked on pullups or chinups with any appreciable weight in years. My left shoulder is missing a few parts so I want to see if I can get it to catch up before going with a greater effort.

Because it was a 32 kg didn't mean I was using that much effort from the other hand - I used a pair of thin ropes, thin enough that I can't really pull hard on them. A few years back, I was pretty close to a one-arm chin on both sides - who knows, maybe I'll get it yet...

-S-
 
Because it was a 32 kg didn't mean I was using that much effort from the other hand
Yes that's what I was saying. If you aren't pulling as hard as you can, then whatever weight you use is meaningless and the exercise degrades to the usual arm-assisted variety.

Especially since your left should has had issues, all the more importance in pulling as much as possible on the weight with your right!
 
Hello,

@305pelusa

I keep training on OACU with your method. Recently, I tested my max : I can pass a rep (both side) with 6kg now.

Nevertheless, I have a question. With 6kg, the weight goes up a little bit, but I still pass. Then, should I recalculate my sets / reps to keep progressing ? Or should I stay until the weight doesn't move at all ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Hello,

@305pelusa

I keep training on OACU with your method. Recently, I tested my max : I can pass a rep (both side) with 6kg now.

Nevertheless, I have a question. With 6kg, the weight goes up a little bit, but I still pass. Then, should I recalculate my sets / reps to keep progressing ? Or should I stay until the weight doesn't move at all ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
Yes, re-calculate with this new max. If the weight moves slightly, it means you're using all the assistance it can provide, which is good because then you know the other arm is pulling exactly BW - 6kg (less due to friction, but you get the idea). So the new "calculated" training weights of 80-90% will be based on the correct 1RM.

Hopefully this is clear? I like this method a lot because it becomes incredibly precise once you start to get the hang of it.
 
Hello,

@305pelusa

Thank you very much ! :)

Thanks to this method, I reduced my counterweight about 1kg (7 to 6) in 1,5 month ! :)

I'll post again to give you informtion about my progression ;)

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Hello,

@305pelusa

Thank you very much ! :)

Thanks to this method, I reduced my counterweight about 1kg (7 to 6) in 1,5 month ! :)

I'll post again to give you informtion about my progression ;)

Kind regards,

Pet'
I'm glad you're liking it. The OACU is up there in difficulty for calisthenics exercises, and it takes many months of progress. The good thing is that because the method is so precise, you can keep cycling sets/weights and make steady progress for many, many months. Looking forward to hearing how you do in another month from now!
 
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