The pullup is one of the most functional exercises around. It simulates
climbing, which is one of the most basic human functions. Pullups are also a very common fitness test in the military and in schools. Rock climbers and gymnasts tend to excel at this exercise, but keep in mind they are lightweight, superstrong and
have good leverage. For everyone else, they can be quite a challenge.
There is more than one professional football player that cannot
perform a single pull-up, so don't be too hard on yourself. This guide
should get you well on your way to performing pull-ups.
The first exercise we will use is the Body Row. This exercise uses
the same pulling muscles as a pullup, but uses a smaller portion
of your bodyweight. It is a great exercise in its own right, but
most people will use it as a stepping stone to reach the pull-up.
I am going to demonstrate this exercise on Power Rings (www.ringtraining.com),
but they can be performed on the edge of a desk (be careful of your
fingers) or by grabbing the pins of a power rack.
The Body Row
Take a seat with your rings slightly in front of you. Grab on
and then walk your feet out. You can think of this exercise as
an upside-down pushup. Just like in a pushup, you should keep
your body straight and tight. From here, pull your chest up to
the rings. Try to get your chest up as high as you can while you
pull the rings to your armpits. Lower yourself down till your
arms are completely straight. Perform the desired number of reps.
To make this exercise much easier, try it with your butt on the
ground. Eventually you should be able to do it with a straight
body. To adjust the difficulty of the exercise, you can raise
and lower the rings. Up high, the exercise is easier, but it gets
harder as your body gets closer and closer to the ground.
The next step in this progression is to try the one-arm body
row. This exercise does not have to be a truly one-arm exercise.
You may use your non-working arm to provide assistance as necessary.
You should alternate the emphasis on each rep. So on the first
one you pull hard with your left arm and on the second rep you
pull hard with your right arm. You will notice that your body
sways back and forth while performing this variation. As a stand-alone
exercise, this is phenomenally good for building arm strength
and I hate to say it, but it pumps up the biceps like nothing
else!
Assisted Pull-ups
The next step in our quest for the pull-up is the actual pull-up,
but with some assistance. There are three ways to assist yourself
with pull-ups. Method 1 is to attach a flexband to each
ring and then under your foot. This provides help in the bottom
portion, but less at the top position. The best flexbands come
from Jumpstretch (www.jumpstretch.com).
However, surgical tubing will work fine too. Method 2 is
partner assistance. If you have a workout partner, have them lift
you by the hips or ankles so that you keep moving at a steady
pace. The partner should make the exercise barely within reach
and provide the smallest amount of assistance necessary to keep
you moving. In the Russian military I hear they just poke you
with a bayonet. That works too. Method 3 is to set the
rings at a height where you can stand with your head between the
rings. From here you perform a slow negative and then raise yourself
with assistance from your legs. This method is slightly akward,
but it works and does not require any additional equipment or
a partner.
Negatives are another option at this point. If you can
lower yourself under control, then perform a few sets of slow
negatives. Do not abuse these, as they can lead to soreness. Jumping
pullups also fall into this category. They are good, but I
don't use them too much. Simply set the rings at a height where
you grab them with a slight arm bend. Then jump and pull up at
the same time. Use control on the negative portion.
Once you move onto assisted pull-ups, do not ignore the Body
Row. Keep working on these. Eventually you will reach a point
where you are using very little assistance. When you reach this
point it is time to just gut it out and go for it. Psyche
yourself up, squeeze the rings/bar into pulp, tighten
your abs and butt and then pull with all your might.
Odds and Ends
Believe it or not, snatches and deadlifts are both great assistance
exercises for the pullup. Each work every muscle in the body and
teach you how to generate tension. High rep snatches are
great for fat loss as well, so pull-ups will become easier if
you have less weight to pull. Any grip work will provide
a tremendous boost as well. Any lifter, grappler or rock climber
will tell you that your grip strength is a good indicator of total
body strength. This brings us back to high-rep snatches. Not only
do they hack off the bodyfat like nothing else, but they also
improve your grip strength. Deadlifts improve your grip strength
tremendously as well.
Putting it all Together- The Road Map
Here is a rough blueprint you can use to find your path to the
pull-up.
Weeks 1 and 2
Monday and Thursday- 2x5 Body Rows,
Deadlifts 2x5@80% 5RM
Tuesday and Friday- 10, 8, 6, 4,
2 Assisted Pullups (using just enough assistance to keep you moving),
3 sets of high rep snatches or swings
Weeks 3 and 4
Monday and Thursday- 35 assisted
pull-ups in as few sets as necessary, 40 snatches with each arm
in as few sets as possible
Tuesday and Friday- 3x2 One-arm Body
Rows (1 rep is both right and left), Deadlift 3x3@85% 5RM
Week 5
Sunday- Go for it! Try to get a
pull-up on your own. Use every trick in the book and give it a
max effort. If you get it, try to get a few more singles.
At this point it is up to you to determine the road to more pull-ups.
Once you reach ten, start adding small amounts of weight around
a belt. Weighted body rows are another great option.
Additional Information and Tips
· If you are not comfortable with snatches, then feel free
to do swings instead.
· When asked to do a certain number of reps in the fewest
number of sets possible, try to start off with many sets and gradually
do it in fewer sets. For example, in the first workout do it in
9 sets and then drop one set from each successive workout if possible.
Do not go to fewer than 5. If you can do it in 5 then use less assistance.
· If you are looking for more exercises to do, you might
consider adding a pressing movement. The press of choice at this
time would be the bottoms-up press with a kettlebell because of
its grip requirements. Only perform one or two reps per set. Obviously
this requires a kettlebell. If you do not have access to one, then
any other type of press will be fine as long as it is for very low
reps.
· If you try to get the pull-up and fail, give it one or
two more tries. If you don't get it, call it a day. From here, you
can work your way back through the program.
· On the one-arm body rows, you can use both arms, but try
to emphasize one arm at a time as best you can. You will gain tremendous
arm and upper back strength from these.
· If you want to add some extra work into the program, do
a real light Grease
the Groove program on the off days, but stay far away from fatigue.
· Read through the archives at Power Athletes Magazine and
read up on John Allstadt's pullup articles, especially this
one.
Once you get your first pull-up, there is no turning back. It
is one of the most functional and rewarding exercises out there.
Good luck!
