Bodyweight Red Army pullup protocol

[Carl]

Similar to @Steve Freides reply, I find pull ups/chins etc, easy to overtrain. I also cannot tolerate large volumes, even when rotating grips.

As much as I love the idea of ‘doubling numbers’ quickly, for me I’ve found I need to be more patient and nudge numbers up over the long term.

Most pull up programmes (as written), are too much volume and my joints complain, so I end up modifiying.

I liken my approach to step loading in Simple and Sinister but for bodyweight. Stay with a rep range, until it becomes easy,then progress (reps or harder progression).

Not as catchy as ‘overnight gains’, but I have learned to listen to my body.

Thanks.

I find pullups easy to overtrain on, and I got there with a simple approach - one day a week, I'd do short warmup set then a near-max set, and follow it with a backoff set using a chinup grip. Two other days a week, I trained with heavier weights and lower rep ranges, and the carryover was good. And I followed a loose cycle of adding a rep each week for 3 weeks, then having a backoff week where I did fewer reps on the near-max day - and anytime the near-max day wasn't feeling good, I just turned it into a back-off day. Over the course of a few months, I got there.

I think I posted the numbers for my weekly near-max day here a few years back.

-S-

 

[mikhael]

Is there a way to adapt the plan to Push-ups? I noticed that when 14RM the number of reps in a set is 57%RM. That leads to 25 reps of Push-ups if 45RM.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Is there a way to adapt the plan to Push-ups? I noticed that when 14RM the number of reps in a set is 57%RM. That leads to 25 reps of Push-ups if 45RM.

You could add resistance until you fall into the chart range.

 

[pet']

Hello,

+1 to @Don Fairbanks
To 'mimic' a benchpress motion, you can use push up bars. Plus, the load has to be fairly high on the back (about omoplata level).

If you do not want to use a weight, then you have to use a variation which makes you do the required number of repetitions

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Hello,

+1 to @Don Fairbanks
To 'mimic' a benchpress motion, you can use push up bars. Plus, the load has to be fairly high on the back (about omoplata level).

If you do not want to use a weight, then you have to use a variation which makes you do the required number of repetitions

Kind regards,

Pet'

A nice fat monster band across the shoulder blades and feet up on a 75 cm Swiss ball.

 

[mikhael]

A nice fat monster band across the shoulder blades and feet up on a 75 cm Swiss ball.

Sounds good, and my goal is still high numer of reps in a single set. Started from 45RM and aiming to 60-70 at best. So far I do Ladders almost daily. Current level 5-10-15-20-25-30 with rest between sets 1-2 mikes. Last set is about 9-10 on an 10-point effort scale.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Seven sets of nine, loaded and elevated, 3-5 mins. rest btwn. would be an interesting experiment

 

[mikhael]

Seven sets of nine, loaded and elevated, 3-5 mins. rest btwn. would be an interesting experiment

I will use a backpack. It is more comfortable for me than resistance band. 10-15kg should be a good starting point.

 

[pet']

Hello,

Loading the backpack at omoplata level is important to really approaching a 'bench press feeling'. If WE put the weight to low, lower back can arch and there is less pressing strength training.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[mikhael]

Get it, but with my right wrist which no allow me to do Push-ups on palms is not easy. Nonetheless, the general idea looks good. Do you think this approach will get my RM to a higher number? Current 45 seems to be small when it comes to some requirement to SOF.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Get it, but with my right wrist which no allow me to do Push-ups on palms is not easy. Nonetheless, the general idea looks good. Do you think this approach will get my RM to a higher number? Current 45 seems to be small when it comes to some requirement to SOF.

What do you think @pet' , loaded 9's x 7, 3 x a week, plus the rest of the SOF prep, will that get him to 70+ ?

 

[pet']

Hello @Don Fairbanks

Yes I think it can work. If wrist is an issue, maybe using push ups bars can be worth trying.

Depending on the overall programme, doing 2x10r daily can also be interesting to get a more linear recovery (but this comes down to personal preference).

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[mikhael]

@pet' @Don Fairbanks 9/7 weighted 3 times a week or Ladder 5-10-15-20-15-30 almost daily?
I received on my email an interesting article called "How to improve your pullup reps in a month" (you probably too) and thus the idea of Ladder. Maybe doing Pull-ups and Push-ups in a single session this lead to RM improvements in both evolutions?

 

[pet']

Hello @mikhael

Both would work. You will gain more strength along the way with @Don Fairbanks ' programme. This is more 'bang for the buck'. However it may be harder to recover from, depending on your other activities

The daily bodyweight ladder surely will work as well, but you will get less strength. It will be easier to recover from though

Stew Smith's pull up push up programme will work. I tested them. Once you get the goal, just maintain it:

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.stewsmithfitness.com

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Stefano]

Hello everyone

Sorry if i reply to this thread but i prefer not to start a new one.

I'm stalling in my Weighted Pull Ups (a main goal in my training) so i'd like to implement the Red Army Protocol in order to reach those two goals:

1) Reaching a Bw+50kg added (right now i'm at 76kg+40kg) Weighted Pull Up
2) Gaining some muscles

I gave you some informations about my training: right now i'm following a Barbell Program (especially for Back Squat and Bench Press), 3 days a week, to reach the same goals i have for Pull Ups, strength and mass. My program follows a 3week periodized (from 75% to 90%) cycle, at the end of it i'll add some weight (or i keep the same if the block was difficult) and i start a new cycle.

So, i want to try this Pull Up Protocol but i don't know the best way to progress. I tested a true 6RM WPU and i came to this idea to progress:

- I Start with the 7x3 sets/reps i found in the chart, keep this scheme for the 3week cycle i have for my Barbell Lifts then progress to 3weeks of 7x4 sets/reps (the following one in the chart) and another 3 weeks of 6x5. At this point, i'll add some weight (2-4 kg) and restart again the 9 weeks cycle from 7x3...i'll train Weighted Pull Ups 3 days a week along with the Barbell lifts.

I don't know if the progression i outlined is too long and too cautious (and so i can cut to 6 weeks cycle) or overall it's a good plan. What are your ideas?

Sorry for my bad english and thanks a lot for your help!

 

[Mayukh Sen]

Hello

In „Strongfirst speaks „ 18.sep.
There is a protocol from the soviet armed forces. What means the „RM“ in the table

„servus“ from austria
Gerhard
View attachment 11511

RM stands for rep max. In this particular case, it means if you can do 3 pull ups, then you are at 3 rep max or 3RM zone..... And so on....



Where can I get the full program? Please help me out buddy. I would like to get deeper into the progression schemes.... Greetings from Westbengal India.