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Bodyweight One-Arm Pull-up progression

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mikhael

mikhael

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Hey.
The OPA is one of the most difficult skills but I believe that there are people here in the forum that were did it. Could you share your knowledge about the progression You have implemented to achieve this goal?
I will be grateful for any advice that will show me good direction.
 
@mikhael, this subject has been discussed on the forum before.

If everyone reading along would like to join the search party, let's collect links to earlier threads and have them all in one place here. I can also create a sticky post if we feel it would be useful.

-S-
 
I am horrible at back searching on forums so here is my 2 cents. I was younger and an avid rock climber when I was able to do a one arm pull up, though I feel it wouldn't take much for me to achieve this feat again. I was able to do the one arm pull up at a body weight of 175lbs (6ft tall). I climbed at least once a week and focused on bouldering as it required more upper body strength. I practiced a lot of dynamic pull ups, static holds, and staggered pull ups (you see most of this stuff on american ninja warrior). Also one arm strong range partials on lat pull downs. I never really had a program. I just practiced regularly. Not super informative, but I dont think its rocket surgery ;)
 
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A one arm pull up is also one of my goals. I achieved a greater than 1/2 bw weighted pull up recently (step one), started practicing one arm hangs: misery. Five seconds hangs are difficult. Switched to two hand hangs for hang time. Periodically let go with on hand, pendulum to the other side and back and re-grab, then do the other side. I'm up to almost two minutes hang time with 4-6 releases. Also doing weighted pull ups with 15 second holds at the top. Eventually will do body weight holds and practice letting go briefly with one hand alternating. When that feels comfortable I start doing one arm negatives. I also think I need to get my weighted pull up to 2/3 bw. Pretty fun stuff. My goal is a long way out; my birthday in August next year. My thanks to Karen Smith for her recent pull up article. Plenty of food for thought and great ideas. Learn from the masters.

Forgot to mention; stay conscious of packed shoulders and scapula control.
 
Many thanks for the tips gentlemens. Currently, I'm working with Fighter Pull-up Program the 5RM option. After this plan I'm planning to continue pulling until I will be able to do 5 sets of 10-12 reps.
 
5 x 15 will certainly give you a solid base, but in my books that is clearly endurance work. Nothing wrong with that. However, the one arm pull-up is a strength/skill move. My creaky bones and dodgey elbows would protest at such high reps. But they hardly complain at all on low rep weighted versions. Full disclosure... I have not cracked the one arm, but I'm closer than I've ever been by doing low rep weighted. (And my elbows are as happy as they have been in years)
Enjoy your journey....
 
@offwidth What do you propose? The OPA is looming large in my mind but I need endurance too. Is there any way to train both strenght and endurance at the same time?
 
When you say you 'need' endurance. Can you please define that? Is there a sport, event, or profession that you are training for? Or is this just because you want to? I say this because for me it would make a difference.

The number one thing in my book is clarity of purpose.

We are all different and I find if I have conflicting goals and purposes I never get very far. That being said... If I were seriously training for the one arm pull up. This is what I would do... (Others might do things differently...)

I would build a solid base like you appear to be doing.
I would make sure I was as 'light as possible'
I would work on the 3RM fighter pull-up programme- weighted
I would work on heavy weighted negatives
I would rig a counter weighted pulley system and start working on one arms
I would be prepared for this to take some time...
NOTE: focus on keeping shoulders packed at all times during pull ups

I would do Super Joints and OS resets and crawling multiple times per week.
I would also highly recommend to do reverse wrist curls and wrist pronators as pre-hab work to protect elbows.
 
I am soldier and that is why I need to do 20-25x pull-ups but personally I rather do 5x5 OAP then this 20-25x. Ok, I will start FPP again but this time I'll do weighted version of the program. I'll add OS and SJ in my workout too. What should I do to work on 20x pull-ups?
 
@mikhael, I'd put aside what you want to do and focus on what you need to do as a soldier - do a little weighted work but view it as assistance to your 20-25 pullup requirement. Address needs before wants. If, e.g., you find you can worked weighted pull-ups once or twice a week along with higher-rep work, great.

Something that has worked for me in the past is a weekly near-max day for pull-ups. Adjust your other training so that you can give a solid effort once a week, and cycle those efforts, e.g., add a rep each week for 3 weeks then back off the 4th.

I once worked up to 19 pullup reps while holding a 20 lb. hex dumbbell between my feet - my training consisted of whatever weight I could do for about 50% of my current max reps so, e.g., if I was able to do 13 reps on near-max day, on other days I might use more weight and keep the reps around 7. I never trained to failure and, perhaps once every couple of months, I'd go all-out, which meant instead of just getting one more rep than the previous week, I'd get 2 or 3 more.

Hope this helps some.

-S-
 
@Steve Freides Yes, it is very helpful. I could try to do FPP-weighted and add "near-max day for pull-ups" every 5 days. It could look like this:
Day 1 3, 2, 1, 1
Day 2 3, 2, 1, 1
Day 3 3, 2, 2, 1
Day 4 3, 3, 2, 1
Day 5 4, 3, 2, 1
Day 6 "near-max day for pull-ups"
Day 7 4, 3, 2, 1, 1
Day 8 4, 3, 2, 2, 1
Day 9 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
Day 10 4, 4, 3, 2, 1
Day 11 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Day 12 "near-max day for pull-ups"
What do You think?
 
The Fighter Pullup Program has never been a good fit for me personally - too much training in too little time. It's fine for a "blitz" to reach a new PR but that's all I would use it for, and I think it also advises, in the article that accompanies it, something along those lines - I think, not sure.

I prefer a more standard approach to pullups, generally 3x/week, two days 50% rep with a somewhat heavier weight, and one near-max day. JMO.

-S-
 
@mikhael ...Based on what information you supplied about your profession; I concur with Steve. Focus on what you need to be a soldier first. Focus on wants second.

Be safe out there.
 
The endurance and strength gains happen during recovery. I recently spent a little less than two months doing gtg pull-ups 3 days week, 5-6 sets on those days. Each set took about 30 seconds; 3 x 6 [sets] x 30 [seconds], a total of 9 minutes work. On sundays I warmed up with a 20+ set of band assisted pu's, rested 10 minutes, a near max weighted pu, rested 15-30 minutes, near max reps pu effort, rest 10-15 minutes, then near max effort with 10 kg. None of the efforts on Sunday took more than a minute. So the weeks total of actual working time is about 12 minutes. The rest of weeks minutes are recovery where all of the strength and endurance gains happen. Managing diet, sleep and stress are as important, maybe more so, than the stimulus. My cat (see avatar) is my guru.
 
Ok, I decided to try GTG formula for some time. I did pull-up test last Saturday and it turned out that I am able to do 12 reps. So, in GTG formula I will be doing multiple sets of 6 reps for a day. Yesterday I did 7 sets with 42 reps of pull-up in total. I'm planning to do GTG till end of October this year.
 
Hello,

I was reading this article from Al Kavadlo (a pretty serious guy in cals IMO):
One Arm Australian Pull-ups and More! | Al Kavadlo

This sentence especially surprised me: " Once you can do weighted pull-ups with around 65-75% of your body weight, that will roughly translate into a one arm chin-up".

What do you think about it ? Does not it seem you strange (because you have to pull 2 times more if you are using only one arm) ? Once we get there, is it "only" a question of technique ?

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
@pet' you make a valid point about possibly needing to do a pull-up with your bodyweight added on, having said that, if Al said "pull-ups" (plural) with 65-75% BW, then maybe being able to do say 3-4 reps with said weight might translate to a OA chin...?
 
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