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Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Pull Ups

107 COMMENTS

The pull up is one of the greatest muscle

building exercises in existence, which is
precisely why its been called the upper body
squat.
If youre a man and you suck at them people
will laugh at you.
Lat pulldowns cant even come close to
comparing. Whenever you move your body
through space the level of neuromuscular
activation is dramatically higher.
People all too often ask, How much can ya bench?
A more appropriate question would be How many pull ups can you
do?
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The pull up measures your strength to weight ratio better than almost
any other exercise known to man.

Dont Be the Guy Who Cant Do Pull Ups

To this day I am still haunted by the image I witnessed in a local park a
few years ago when I was there training. A man in his mid 30s was
there with his wife and son.
He was shooting some hoops, watching his kid play, and basically just
enjoying the beautiful July weather.
At one point he wandered over to the pull up bar and got on it. He then
proceeded to twist and squirm and strain for the next 10-15 seconds
as he attempted and failed to do one pull up.
ONE PULL UP! Now mind you, this guy was not obese. He probably
weighed around 170 pounds.
The second hand embarrassment was enough to make me want to dig
a hole and jump in it.
Look at the man you married, honey. I cant do a single pull up.
Hey buddy, watch how strong daddy is. Dont you want to grow up to
be just like me?
A real man can do pull ups. Its as simple as that.
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Below are the top 10 ways to improve your pull ups.

1) Dont go to Failure
This is the biggest mistake you can make with pull ups.
As soon as a single rep does not look exactly like the previous one and
you cant get as high, the set is over.
If your speed slows down noticeably the set is over.
You would never continue a set of squats if you could no longer lock
out the weight. If you got all the way up on rep five but were only able
to get up of the way on rep six you wouldnt proceed to do four more
reps of partials until the set ended with the weight crashing down on
you and crippling you.
But thats exactly how people finish their sets of pull ups. The form gets
worse and worse and worse, and they keep going and going and going,
climbing up the invisible ladder, swinging and kipping.
When you do this you get no stronger. And most of the time you get
weaker. The negative effect of training to failure is seen more on chin
ups than any other exercise. No one knows why this is, but trust me,
thats how it is.

2) Lose Excess Body Fat

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If you are carrying excess body fat your ability to do pull ups will be
greatly reduced. Extra body fat is good for lifting more weight in certain
exercises that require greater leverage like the squat and deadlift. But
thats all its good for. Other than that its unhealthy and unsightly.

3) Start in the Proper Position

All too often people start in the dead hang position with their scapula
elevated and their shoulders touching their ears. This is dangerous and
incorrect.
When you do this all of the tension is placed on your tendons and
ligaments instead of your muscles.
When you get on the bar you want to pull your shoulder blades down
and lock your shoulders into their sockets. This is a far safer position
and ensures that the stress will be placed directly on the muscles and
not the tendons and ligaments.

4) Maintain a VERY Slight Elbow Bend Throughout the Set

This goes hand in hand with the above tip. Before starting your set you
want to bend your elbows ever so slightly.
This bend should barely be noticeable, but it will have a huge impact
on your elbow health.

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Do not start with your elbows completely locked. This, again, places all
of the stress on the tendons and ligaments instead of on the muscles.
On each successive rep you should lower yourself until your arms are
nearly straight, stopping just shy of lockout.
But dont use this as an excuse to cheat. Just shy of lockout means
that your elbows are 99% locked out; you just dont want that
complete extension.

5) Initiate With the Lats

When you start to pull, be sure that you fire your lats first; not your
biceps. If you have trouble feeling your lats, as many newbies do, have
someone poke or slap your lats a few times before you start pulling.
Even having a partner keep his hands in contact with your lats
throughout the set may help. It may also look a little strange to other
members of your gym.

6) Drive Your Elbows Down

To get the most out of your lats when you chin you should think about
driving your elbows down and back. Dont simply pull with your biceps.

7) Pull Your Chin Over the Bar

I used to be a stickler for having people pull their chest to the bar. I still
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instruct beginners to do that, knowing full well that they wont be able
to, but that it will at least instill the importance of getting high.
You really only need your chin to clear the bar. That last few inches
does very little for you lats and instead focuses the stress on the
smaller, weaker muscles of your upper/middle back.
The pull up should be used to target the lats, first and foremost. Dont
waste energy struggling with that last few inches at the top. Get your
chin over while keeping your back arched and then lower yourself.
Use other rowing exercises to target those smaller upper back muscles
and use the pul up to smoke your lats completely.

8) Use a Variety of Grips

There are countless ways to pull your body up. You can do chin ups
with your palms facing you at a number of different grip widths.
You can also do chin ups with your palms facing each other, or pull ups
with your palms facing away at multiple grip widths. You can pull up on
bars, rings, Fat Gripz, ropes, towels, suspension straps, beams, Eagle
Loops, and even baseballs or softballs hanging from a chain.
The variations are endless. Use as many different chin ups as possible
to avoid burnout or overuse injuries.

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9) Use a Variety of Rep Ranges

To do a lot of pull ups you need strength and you need endurance.
Strength is built with low reps. You can do low reps with a weighted
vest or dip belt or you can simply perform more difficult variations of
pull ups.
Endurance is built with high reps. This is where the use of bands comes
in handy.
Having a few different levels of band tension will allow you to vary your
rep range greatly. This will help you boost your chin up numbers a lot
faster.
Some days you train in the range of 3-6 reps for maximal strength.
Some day you train in the range of 7-12, and others you train in the
range of 15-30, with a band, to improve your endurance.

10) Strengthen Your Grip

The stronger your grip is the easier pull ups will feel. I suggest getting a
Captains of Crush Gripper and using it a few times per week. You can
also add in some more specific grip work at the gym like fat bar holds,
hexagon dumbbell holds, as well as various pinching and crushing
exercises. I highly recommend investing in a pair of Fat Gripz and using
them for a large majority of your exercises.
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Start using these top 10 ways to improve your pull ups today and drop
me a line to let me know how theyre working out for you.
In the meantime if you could hit the Like button Id really appreciate it.
PS. Wanna take your pull ups to the next level? And build an incredibly
strong, powerful physique while youre at it?
Then you need to check out Body Weight Body Building.

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Click HERE to download your copy of Body Weight Body Building

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About Jason Ferruggia

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Jason Ferruggia is an old school Physical Culturist who believes in simplicity and minimalism
both in and out of the gym. Hes the author of Muscle Gaining Secrets and The Renegade
Diet and the host of Renegade Radio. His writing is fueled by good coffee and the sounds of
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107ResponsestoTop10WaystoImproveYourPullUps
Dan

February 20, 2010

at 8:00 am #

Igotachestlikeashithouse,itsgottabebuiltupGordon.
Youmanagedtoincorporate2ofmyfavoritethingsinto1post,pullupsandtheJerkyBoys.
IliveinNJ,butnotnearyourgym.Lovetoworkouttheresometime.
Dan

On a
limb
with
Claudia
February 20, 2010
at 8:19 am #

Cool!:)Imexcitedtolearnhowtodotheseplusitsmygoalfortheyear.Thesetipsare
trulyhelpfulasIhavedoneallofthemistakes.Thengottendiscouraged.
Thisistheyear!:)

Neil

February 20, 2010

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at 8:31 am #

ThanksJason
Greattips.Iamahillrunnerandhavestronglegswithpoorupperbodystrength.Ihadstarted
aprogramincludingpullupsandchinupsandthiswillreallyhelp.
Aye
Neil

John
Legg
February 20, 2010
at 8:47 am #

GreatstuffJason.Keepitupmate.
Theresalotofmalesouttherethathavenorighttocallthemselvesmen!Verysad

Odi

February 20, 2010

at 9:18 am #

Imstillamazedsomeguysatmygymcanpullalotofweightinamachinebutlifting
themselveslookslikeagony.Also,fullextensiondoesnotapplyforthiskindofexercise,note
tomyself.

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Byron C
February 21, 2010
at 6:54 am #

.and#11isgetthehellawayfromthelatpulldownandbearealman!

Marc February
21, 2010 at 3:03 pm
#

Ifmygoalistoimprovemychinups/pullupswhatisthebestfrequency?IfIamtraining
upperbody2xperweek,shouldIdochinsinoneworkoutandonlytorowsinthenextor
shouldIdochinsateachworkout?
Thanks,
Marc

Andrew
February 22, 2010
at 12:22 pm #

IcancertainappreciatethisarticleastheLatsareveryimportantinupperbodystrengthand
athleticsbutImstillwaitingforacomprehensiveandexhaustivearticleonthekeyexercises,
benefits,dynamics,stretching/treatmentoptions,etc.fortheposteriorchainasitisthe
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foundationfornearlyeveryathlete.
Personally,Ifeelthisgroupofmusclesareneglectedfartooofteninfavourformirror
muscles.Itisalsomyownpersonalopinionthatwithoutastrongposteriorchain,anathleteis
atagreaterdisadvantageforwinningchampionshipsorevenbeatingpersonalbestsinthe
weightroom.
Lookingforwardtohearingwhateveryonehastosayaboutthis.
Andrew
Vancouver,BC
Andrew

Brian G
February 22, 2010
at 2:27 pm #

Whichringsdoyourecommend?Ivebeenmeaningtotrythemforawhilenowandmygym
doesnthaveany.
Thanks!

Joe
M
March 2, 2010 at
11:21 pm #

GreatpicofSergioOliva!

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Ilyse
March
8, 2010
at 11:15 pm #

Thankyou!IwasdirectedherefromNinaShanksblog,andImworkingonperfectingmypull
ups.Thanksforallyourgreattips,Imwellonmywaytobeingawomanwhocando10or
more!

Taipari March
21, 2010 at 8:01 am
#

Ibeentryingpullupsforacoupleyearsandcouldntunderstandwhyiwasntreally
progressing?Tillireaddontgotofailure!Fuckme!Ibeenclimbingthatinvisibleladderthis
wholetime!Couldntdofiveclosegripchinsandnowicandowidegripoverhandspieceof
cake!Thanksjay,juststartedmyprogrammeandnowimampingtogetintoit

Dan
April
16,
2010 at 1:10 pm #

Greattips.Especiallymakingthedistinctionbetween(near)fullextensionandexaggerated
deadhang.Ivepersonallymadethatmistake,andalmostimmediatelydevelopedpainthat
forcedmetoquitpullupsforawhile.Also,thestoppingbeforefailuretipissomethingthat
maynotbeintuitivetomanypeople.Thanksforpostingthishelpfuladvice.

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jasonferruggia
April 25, 2010 at
7:12 am #

@DanAlwaysgoodtohearfromaJerkyBoysfan.Letmeknowifyoueverwanttocomeby
thegym.
@ClaudiaMakeithappen.
@JohnVerytrue.
@ByronExactly.
@MarcFrequencyisimportant.Twiceaweekwouldbebetterthanonce.Fivetimesper
week,doingonlyonesetperdayisoftenevenbetter.
@AndrewIllgettoit.
@BrianIwilldoublecheckthenameoftheringsandgetbacktoyou.
@IlyseAwesome!
@TaipariGreattohear.Keepkillinit!

Sean
April
25,
2010 at 8:11 am #

ImsogladImnottheonlyonethatmeasuresonesratioofstrengthwiththepullup.Mostof
thenoneckslovetobarkaboutheavytheirbenchis,butshyawayfromthegoodolepullup.
Thanksforthetips,Imtryingtoincreasemyrepsmayhavetogetmyhandsonsome
bands.
Goodstuff!

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Rob
April
25,
2010 at 8:23 am #

Greatarticlebroonetipthatshelpseveryonewiththeirpullupsisnottolookupandtokeep
yourheadneutralwhenyoulookupyourneckpinchesthenerveanddeactivatesyourlats
themajormoverinapulluptryitoutjustmakeyouryoudosomeneckrollsafteryou
pinchthatnervetoloosinitbackup

Jason April 25,

2010 at 10:15 pm #

Drivingyourelbowsdownbackisagreattip.Nicetohavereminderslikethis.Thanks

Eric

Moss April 26,

2010 at 12:44 am #

pullupsagreatmeasureofstrengthperbodyweightandaccessibleprettymuchanywhere.
loveit
exceptforthekippingones.thatstoohardtodowhileloadingextraweight:)

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Stacey Diehl
April 26, 2010 at
10:59 am #

Icantdoem,either.AttemptingtodoONEwithoutmyIronWoodybandandnotbeingableto
getanythinggoingmademefeellikecrying.Butsinceitwas2amatthegymtherewereno
witnessessoitwasokay.
Yea,Ikeeptrying,thinkingeventuallywhenIgetridofabitmoreofthebodyfat,itsjust
goingtohappen(*sigh*).:(

John
April
26,
2010 at 8:25 pm #

Yeah,Iagreeattemptingtoaddheavyweightswithoutproperformisfutile,notonlyawaste
oftimeandeffort,actuallycandoyoumoreharmthangood!

jasonferruggia
May 10, 2010 at
7:32 am #

Thanks,guys.
Stacey,youllgetthere.Justbepersistent.

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Andy
May
13,
2010 at 7:48 am #

Jason,
Oneofthosewhopresentlystruggletodojustonepullup.Haveapinchednerve(C6C7
vertebra)affectingstrength.Anyideasonhowtosafelydopullupsandnotaggravatethe
existingcondition?Goodtipsstillplanonbeingamansoon!
Andy

Matt
May
24,
2010 at 4:17 pm #

Iamin7thgradeandcando21pullups,hopefullywithyourtipsIcanmake25.
Thanks!

Mace June 30,

2010 at 10:41 am #

Noneedtochinoverthebar.Dontbelieveme,champssuchasOlivaandScottutilizedthis
techniquewithgreatresults.

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Jason
Ferruggia
November 7, 2011
at 6:47 pm #

@Mace:Agreed.Ialwaystellpeopletheyshouldbecalledchestups.Leadwiththechest
andarchtheback.Tryingtoohardtogetyourchinoverthebarleadstooshittyformand
roundedshoulders.

xanix June 30,

2010 at 12:25 pm #

Thanks,greattipsaboutHOLDINGSCAPULADOWNandnotfullystraighteningthearms.I
wouldnotevengo99%straightarmsandIthink90%areperfectlyfineevenless,depending
onSHOULDERHEALTH.Neglectingthesethingsatfirstgavemethehellofacaseofshoulder
impingement,whichstillaffectsme,sopeoplewithshoulderissuesshouldntgotoolowon
pullups.Andno,amanwhocantdopullupsisntawomanandstillaman,thereredifferent
kindsofmenandwomen,weliveinafreeanddiversecountryatleastIdo.Ivebeentolda
fewtimesthatImamanjustcauseImathleticandcandothingslikepullups,etc,sexismis
aliveandwell.

Jessica October
28, 2010 at 4:55 am
#
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Jason,
Whatdoyousuggestifyoucantdoanytostart?Usingachair,bandsorsomethingelse?

Jason
Ferruggia
November 7, 2011
at 6:51 pm #

@Jessica:UsebandsordoassistedchinsonthefloorwiththeJungleGymXT
(http://jasonferruggia.com/junglegymxt)
@tyciolNoworries.
@K.GopalApullupispalmsfacingawayfromyou,achinupispalmsfacingyou.

Jeff

November 15, 2010

at 4:12 am #

Dontgotofailureissuchanimportantpoint.Reachingfailurewillslowdownorevenstunt
yourstrengthgains,whichwillalsohurtyourmusclegains.
Initiatewiththelatsisalsoagreatpoint.WhenIstarteddoingpullups,Icouldonlyfeelitin
mybicepsforquitesometime.OnceIstartedfocusingonengagingmylats,myprogress
startedspeedingup.

Jake
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Schwatz
November 26, 2010
at 3:18 pm #

ialsofoundthistobearealgoodarticleonhowtogetstartedifyoucantdoanyPullups

tyciol February
10, 2011 at 1:44 pm
#

Ihavenoideawhatyouretalkingaboutwithtendonsandligaments,tensionisALWAYSonthe
tendons,thatshowmusclespull.Asforligaments,thatsonlyifyourelax.Wehavemuscles
withdepress(lowertraps,pecminor)anddownwardrotate(levatorscapula,rhomboids)our
scapulae,solettingthemcomeupispartofthemovement.
Thecriticismofthelatpulldownalsodoesntmakeanysense,ifmorenervesarestimulated
itslikelyfromyourlegsflailingthroughtheair,notfromitbeinganyharderontheworking
muscles.Latpulldownsareeasierbecausesomepulleysmaybedesignedtomakeiteasierto
pullagivenweight,thedifferencebetweenopenandclosedchainmovementsislessinpulling
thaninpushing.Thereisntanythingnearthebalancedifferencethereisinasquat,youcant
falloverduringapullup,itsselfcorrecting.

Luke
H
February 18, 2011
at 11:48 am #

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Chinupsareadmittedlyasticklerforme,lookingintothepostIthinkitbeendotowithgoing
tofailureeverytimeIdochinups(tryingtoimproveonmylastperformance.)Iwillhaveto
rethinkmyplanofattacknowthou.
ThanksJason

mick
June 6,
2011 at
12:43 am #

AnothergreatarticlefromyouJason,Howeveridontunderstandnumberthree
Whenyougetonthebaryouwanttopullyourshoulderbladesdownandlockyourshoulders
intotheirsockets.
Gotanyvideosdemonstratingthisone?

maureen June
11, 2011 at 4:21 pm
#

Justincasethereareanyothergirlsouttherewithsmallhandsforgetthefatgripz.Icouldnot
evengetmyhandaroundthemoncetheywereonthebar.Actuallycauseddiscomfort
intheareabetweenthethumbandpalm.

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Tyciol October
30, 2011 at 10:16
pm #

Tillisbuyingintoamodernbadusage.Theseallinvolvingpullingourselvesup,sousingpull
upstorefertoeverythingmakesthemostsense.Callitachinupifyoupulluphighenoughto
touchyourchintothebar.
Itsfinetohavetermsforgrip,buttheyshouldmakesense,callingthemchin/pulldoesnot.
Palmsinwardisasupinegrip,socallitasupup.Palmsoutwardisapronegrip,socallita
proup.SOLVED
ThisarticlehassomegoodpointsbutnotsureIdcallitgreat.Avoidingcompleteextensions
seemssilly,yourenotgettingafullstretchorRoMthatway.Ligamentsneedtogetstronger
tooandpeopleuselockedelbowsforthingslikelegraisesallthetime.

Big t

November 8, 2011
at 11:13 am #

SogreatthatyouthinktheoppositeofBigisLow.Enoughsaid.

Jason
Ferruggia
November 8, 2011
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at 12:41 pm #

@Bigt:Ahaha.Ohman,thatstoogood.Wow.

Brad

January 21, 2012 at

11:19 pm #

SoimtrainingtobecomeaPJintheairforce,andinthe(PAST)testIhavetotake,tobe
qualifiedforspecialops,Ihavetodo10pullups,52pushupsandawidevarietyofother
runningandswimmingevents,theonlythingIstrugglewithisthepullupsandpushups,Ican
do35pushupsand5pullupsbeforemyarmsgiveoutonmeyetIcanlift145lbs.Iam59
andweigh145,18yearsold.WhatpartofmybodyshouldIworkoutinordertobeableto
progressgreatlyintheseevents?MyrecruitersaisIshouldbeabletodopullupseasilyfor
howsmallIambutIjustcantgetthehangofit.Ifsomeonecouldemailmeandhelpmeout,
itwouldbegreat.bradgetzdown@aol.com<

Jason
Ferruggia April
9, 2012 at 8:35 am #

@BradDotwosetsofpullupstilnearfailureeveryday.Oneinthemorningandoneat
night.After23weeksofthisaddanothersetmidday.
Youcandothesamethingwithpushups

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walaa January
29, 2012 at 3:59 am
#

dourecommedthefollowing:
Pullupbehindtheneck
dailychinup/pulluporitwillbeoverloadforshoulderandelbow
ifsomaximumrepsperdays

Colin

February 11, 2012

at 4:00 pm #

whatdoyouthinkaboutdensitytraining?greatpostbtw

Jason
Ferruggia April
9, 2012 at 8:34 am #

@walaaNopullupsbehindtheneck.Youcandodailypullupsforawhiletobringthem
uprapidly.Idstickwith12setsthoughandonlydothatforaboutamonth.Afterthatthe
elbowsmightstarttogetbeatup.

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Dion

February 15, 2012

at 12:40 pm #

Iwasalmost360poundsat20yearsold.IhadNEVERdoneapullupinmyentirelife.Iwoke
uponemorninganddecidedtochangeandneverlookedback.Iam28,510and174pounds.
MyPRatthispointis13pullups,whenIhit10Istartedtotrainwithweight.Thisarticlereally
hitclosetohome,thanksforthetips.

Jason
Ferruggia April
9, 2012 at 8:32 am #

@DionDAMN!Thatsawesomeprogress.Keepkillinit,man!

Kevin Guzda
February 16, 2012
at 6:25 am #

HeyJason,
IwilladmitIcannotdoapullup,thereIadmitteditalthoughlasttimeIcheckedIamaman,
greatdadandprovider..lol.butIwanttobeamanwhocandopullupsorchinups.Iam6`3
235andbynomeansnotfat,Ionlyhavea35inchwaistand13%bodyfat.EVenwhenIwas
askinnyturdinGradeSChoolIcouldnotdothem.IhaveIronWoodybandsofalldifferent
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sizes.Currently,Idooldschoolroutinessimilartowhatyoutypicallyrecommend.Idosquats,
trapbardeadsfromknees,bench,seatedbarbellpresses,closegripsbenchs,onearmrows,
ezcurls,planks,sidebends,weightedsupportedsitups,thickbarholds.Thisisallspreadout
over3dividedworkoutsover79days.Ialsodopushupvariationsasfinishers.Canyou
outlineasimpleprogramtohelpmewithmypullup/chinups.Asupinatedgripismucheasier
formecurrently,shouldIfoucusonthosetostart?Canyourecommendsets,frequency,ways
toprogresswithbands,restperiodbetweensets.Currentlyiamexperimentingwithsmaller
bandwhichletsmetomultiplesetsof25reps.Whatsagoodwaytoimproveonthese
Thanks

Till

February 16, 2012

at 3:06 pm #

Kevin:DoonesetEVERYDAY.Dontgotofailure,butputsomeeffortin.everybodyweight
movementthatshardrequiresmoderatevolumeevenlyspreadoutovertheentireweek.
peoplewhoareleanbutcantdopullupsusuallyhaveenoughmuscletodothem,theyjust
lacktheneuralefficiency.workonitandrememberDONTgotofailure.ONceyoucan
gettenrepswithbands,startonlowrepsetswithoutthem.

Kevin Guzda
February 19, 2012
at 8:06 pm #

ThanksTill.IthinkthisissomethingJasonrecommendsaswellafterreading
throughthesitemoreclosely.Iwillgiveitagothanks

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Jason
Ferruggia April
9, 2012 at 8:31 am #

@TillGoodadvice

MichaelSomebody
Lied March 14,
2012 at 3:32 am #

LatactivationissomethingIlearntproperlylastsummer.Youreallynoticethedifferencein
howyourlatslookwhenyouusethemproperly.Welldoneonalsomentioningtopackthe
shouldersintoyourbody.
SomethingelseIlearntistosqueezeyourbutthard,whichusestheprincipleofirradiationto
giveyouaquickstrengthboost.

Jason
Ferruggia April
9, 2012 at 8:31 am #

@MichaelAbsolutely.Greattip

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jackyleon2000
March 25, 2012 at
1:42 am #

actually,itisagreatarticle,anditseemsthatyourpointofviewsabouthowtoincreasethe
numberofpullupsisquitesameasmine,iam5foot10weight220pounds,andnowistill
cando15repsofpullups,whatidoreallyagreeisthatyousaidnevergotofailure,andthis
isveryimportant,ihavebeenweighttrainingfor10years,andwhatithinkwhyweshouldnot
gotofailureonthis,isbecausepullupisverydifferentfromotherupperbodymovement,it
actuallyrequiresalotofenergywhenyoutrainit,andwhenyoudosomepartials,yourejust
wastingyourtimeonconsumemorebodyenergy,butnotefficientlytrainingthespecific
musclesinvolvedinpullups,andwhatdoyousay?man?iamsorry,iamfromChina,andmy
englishmaynotbegood,hopeyoucanunderstandwhatimean,hehe.

Jason
Ferruggia April
9, 2012 at 8:30 am #

Yeah,youreonpoint,man.Nofailure.

John
April
12,
2012 at 9:19 am #

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Idisagreewithyournumber1rule.Moststrengthcoachedontusethetermfailure,theyuse
fatigue.Oncealifterlosespositvecontrolofthemovementtheyhaveeffectivlyfatiguedthat
musclegroup.Whenyousaydontgotofailureyouaresayingthatyoustoplongbeforthe
inraodingofthemusclehitsaproductivelevel.Noliftershouldcountanyrepiftherepisnt
donetotrueform.Youwouldbemoresoundinyouradvicetosaythatthenumberoneruleis
toworkthemusclegrouptofatigue(reptilyoucantrepanymoreaslongastheyunderstand
whatanacceptablerepistheycanlifttofatiguewhilemaintainingform).

Dylan April 26,

2012 at 2:33 pm #

Iamcurrentlytrainingfortheworldrecordofmostpullupsin60seconds.Ihavereadfrom
multiplesourcesthatitwas47pullsup.Icurrentlyhavedone44pullupswithinthetime
frame.Iseemtobestuckinaplateaunotbeingabletogetpast44.Iaverage40pullups.
Whataresometechniquestoincreasemyreps.Icurrentlyworkout45daysaweekanddo
mypullupsetfirstthing.Mygoalistodo50within60seconds.Letmeknowofanytipsor
tricksyoumayadvisewith.
Thanks

Nick
May
10,
2012 at 2:48 pm #

Iamabletodoabout15pullupsinarowbutabout13withPERFECTform.ShouldIjustdo
the13pullupsifIwanttoincreasetheamountbecauseyouweresayingsomethingaboutdo
notgountillfailure.Ihavebeendoingpullupsfor56yearsuntillfailurebutIwillbesureto
changethat!
AndheyJasonihavebeenonapushupprogramthatwassixweekslonganddid1dayon1
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dayoff.Istartedonlybeingabletodoabout1920pushupsandandbyweeksiximanagedto
killoffabout40pushups.Iwentfrombeingabletodoingnonstopcyclesof810pushupsnow
doingcyclesofabout20.Iamnowonweek7butiammakingtheworkoutupasIgoanytips
onhowtomakethepushupsturnfrom40too5060?*ShouldIusethephrasedontgountill
failureforpushups?Becauseimightdopullsuprulingforpushups!Pleaseanswerthislong
seriesofunrevisedquestionslol.THANKSALOT

Jason
Ferruggia May
11, 2012 at 5:38 am
#

NickYourebetteroffdoingmoresetsfurtherawayfromfailure.Laddersworkincredibly
well.Idonlygotoyourlimitonceinawhile.

Ben

Brilliant May 16,

2012 at 1:26 am #

Greattipstokeeppeoplefromgettinginjuredinthebeginningandstaymotivatedbyusing
properform.ThankyouJason.

Jordan May 19,

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2012 at 6:47 pm #

Jason,greattipsIespeciallykeento#3&4,Ihavebeendoingmypulpswrongforyears,
andafterabout46weeksofusingtheproperpositionIsawmypullupsincreasefrom15to
2223.Mygoalwastobeabletogetuponthebarandknockout20atanygiventime,beinga
Marine20isthenumberyouneedtobetakingseriouslyinanyPTenvironment,andsofar
thesetipshaveworkedbetterthananystupidworkoutbookorvideopeoplemightpayfor.If
youcouldIwouldgreatlyappreciatesometipsonhandpositionswhendoingpullups,Idomy
20overhandedshoulderwidthapart,mynewgoalisdoingmoreinarep,ratherthan
gainingstrengthineedsomemoreendurance,anyadvice?Thanksalot,SemperFi.

Jordan May 19,

2012 at 6:50 pm #

Please,ignoretheawfulgrammar

Jason
Ferruggia June
14, 2012 at 9:41 am
#

JordanGreatprogress,man!Movingyourgripoutjustahairwiderthanshoulderscan
help.Haveyoutrieddoingladders?

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greg
May
21,
2012 at 5:01 am #

Itotallyagreewithtrainingtofailure.Mypullupnumbersslowlygotworseandworseandit
canonlybefromtrainingtofailureandhavingapoortechnique.Ifollowedthetipsandpull
upsimprovedstraightaway.AlsobeentryingthemcombinedwithPavelsGTG(greasingthe
groove)andtheyfeeleasierwithinaweek.

Jason
Ferruggia June
14, 2012 at 9:57 am
#

GregYeah,everyonehasthatexperience.GladtoheartheGTGisworkingforyou

Ben
May
21,
2012 at 12:26 pm #

Onewaytoincreaseyourgripistoputtowelsonyourpullupbaranddopullupsmonthose.

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Jason
Ferruggia June
14, 2012 at 10:20
am #

@BenYup.Thatworks.

Joe
May
23,
2012 at 11:34 am #

Excellent.
Imanalmostgirlwitha4chinupmaximum,seekingtoimprovethemarksubstantially.
At212pounds,64,longwingspanand56yearsahyoung,itsachallenge.Mystrengthto
weightrationeedsvastimprovement.
ButIdeclarehere,thatIwillgetto10thisyear!
Yep.
Joe

James June 3,
2012 at 1:34 pm #

Ifindmyselfinneedofsomemoreadvice.WhatIneedissomeadvicethatwillhelpme
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increasemyupperbodystrength,mainlypullupsandpushups.Icancurrentlyonlydo47
pushups/min,andonly4pullups.ImpreparingforamilitarycarerROTC,orenlisted.Im6ft,
andIweight185lbs.couldanybodyhelpmeout?

nibin
July 2,
2012 at
5:38 am #

jamesweareinthesameleagueihavethesamequestion.

Geo
June 6,
2012 at
9:35 am #

Amanwhocantdopullupsisawoman,manIbetterimprove..orelsegetthesurgerydone
andgetitoverwith..Thanksgreatadvise!!

Matthew June
14, 2012 at 7:51 am
#

Anicewaytoimprovegripstrengthis(Ifind)toplaceatoweloverabarsoithangsdownon
bothsidesthenjustholditwhilehangingthere.Epicforgrip

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Kevin June 14,

2012 at 10:24 am #

HeyJayImstillstuckatabout5to7repstillmyformbreaksdownwiththemiddleband..I
trieddoingpullupseverydayliketillrecommendedbutfeltconstantlysoreandmyliftsand
regularthreeworkoutdayswereimpacted..WhatareladdersWhatdoyourecommendfor
me..againIhavethreeassistedchinupbands.WhattypeofsetandrepschemeshouldIdo
fortheladdersandhowmanydaysperweekandwhen..pleeasehelpI.amsopullup
challenged

Tim
June
18,
2012 at 4:02 pm #

Hey,forimprovingthenumberofpullups,Irecommendnegatives.Also,thesethingstake
time.Ineededayearandahalftogetto17from2or3,doingthemnearlyeveryday.I
alsoeschewedallotherupperbodyexercisesandjustswam.Havingabuddy(s)to
competewithalsohelps.

Ron
May
26,
2013 at 3:51 am #

Hey,iamnotverygoodatpullups,butihadasimilarstorytoyoursiwasverybad
inpullupscoulddolike5ofthem.Howeveriwasintensivelytrainingandmanaged
toachieve28repsper/setafter2monthswhichisalotfasterthanyoumentionedin
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yourcomment.Justtotellyouthewayitrainedfirstofall,myworkoutalways
happenedinsametimeofadaylike9a.m.beforebreakfast,ionlydrankwater
beforeexercising.Asiwasworkingoutabout5straightdaysidenticaltimefora
workoutworkedgreattogivemymusclesmaximumtimetorest.
Verybeginningoftrainingpullups:asicoulddo5ididalotofsetswithalow
numberofpullupsabout7setsstartingfromthatmaximum5then/4/4/3/3//3i
waspushingmyselftodoasmuchasican.
Theresultwaslikethisicouldincreasenumberofpullupspersetatleastonceper
week.Afteraweekishiftentonumberssimilarto8/8/7/6/5/5/5(numberofkeeps
similarallthetime46sets).
Additionalandveryimportantfeatureeveryweekorweekandhalfiwaschecking
whatismylimitofpullups,meaningtryingtodomaximumofthemduringthefirst
set.Theresultwasgivingmerecommendationsofhowmuchpullupspersetishould
dointhefollowingweek.I.e.ifimade20pullupsasmymaximumiwoulddo
15/13/10/10/8orsimilartothat(meaningialreadydid20ofthemaminutebefore)
andforaremaininweekiwoulddo(20/15/13/10/10/8).Afteraweekidomaximum
againandhangemynumbersandsets.
Asaresultaftermontsmymaximumwas28pullups.

abc
June
18,
2013 at 10:54 am #

Hey,howlongdidyourestbetweenyourset?

Ian
June
18,
2012 at 12:45 am #
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ThemostchinupsIhaveeverdoneis10andsadlyrightnowattheendofaweightsworkout
4or5isaboutallIcando.Ihavebeendoing2setsperworkout.Onewithweightandone
without.Ihavebeendoingbentoverdumbbellrowsandlatpulldownsinaneffortto
strengthenmychinupsbutsofarithasnothelped.
ThankyouforthetipsandIhopetheyhelp.

AustinB June
22, 2012 at 1:35 pm
#

Howdoidoladders?

erez
July 2,
2012 at
11:09 am #

Goodandpropermanual.thankyou.
iwiiltakemorecareofmyligementswhendoingthefirstpullupnow.
canyoupleaseincludesomeofthemorecomplexvarationsofpullups.ihavebeenstuckon
15forquiteawhilenow.

Boots July 12,

2012 at 2:04 pm #
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Willtrythesetipsoutbeenboxingforawhilebutstillstruggletomanagemorethan3/4chin
ups!

gerry
andrews July
14, 2012 at 3:15 pm
#

hitherejasonivejuststarteddoingpullupsanddipsandinvertedrowsinanewtrainig
sessionivefoundthesetobeawsomehaveonlystarteddoinglowrepslike4repsof3setsfor
thepullupsdifferentvarieationsand8invertedrowsrepsof3setsandtenrepsof3setsfor
dipswhichwouldyourecamendiuseformystomachimnotlookingabsjusttotrimmdown
mystomachmanythanksgerryandrewsnewry

Karim August 1,
2012 at 2:23 pm #

Ifirstfellinlovewiththepullupasachildwhiletrainingingymnasticsanditisstillamajor
partofmyandallmyclientsworkouts.

brad
August
4, 2012
at 5:54 am #

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ihavebeendoingpullupsforyears,butlastmonthimusthavehurtamusclenearmy
shoulderblade(left)itfeelslikeapinchednerveasmyneck,andshoulderisaffectedtoo,
alongwithmybackitriedtoworkoutagain,butthepaincameback.anyideashowlongthis
takestoheal,andwhatiactuallydidtomyself?

guest October
12, 2012 at 1:04 pm
#

Dude,notsureifyoufigureditoutornotbutitsoundslikeyouhaverotator
cufftendonitis!

Alfie

williams March
12, 2013 at 8:51 am
#

Neverstartyourpullupstaticanddangling.Thisputsstressonyourtendonsandneck.
Beginyourpullupapproximatelythreequartersofthewayupasthisputsthestresson
yourmuscles.Iamonly15buthavewitnessedthesameproblem.

Jason Thorpe
August 31, 2012 at
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11:28 am #

Thatfirstpieceofadviceaboutnotgoingtofailurewasnewtome,butthenagainIvealways
suckedatpullups.MaybeIvefinallyfoundthekeytobuildsomerepswillreportback,
thanks!

izzo

September 2, 2012
at 9:03 am #

hatetobethatguy,butyoutheauthorofthispostcomesoffasrudeandsnobby,andthese
arentreallytipsonhowtoimprovepullupsbutonhowtodothemcorrectly.

Nick

September 14, 2012

at 6:18 am #

ImjoiningtheMarinesandmyPFTrequiresacertainnumberofpullups.Myrecruitertoldme
itisfromadeadhangpositionthatIllhavetostart,willthataffectmynumberofrepsthat
much?Also,Ivebeendoingthingslikebicepcurlsandjustfreeliftingdumbellstostrengthen
mybiceps,doyouthinkthiswillhelpmuch?

Joe

September 29, 2012

at 2:23 pm #

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Goodtips,particularlytheelbow/tendonsavingsuggestions.
Perhapstheterminologyismainlytogetthispostreadandtoslapsomeofusintopullup
action,butmakingpullupprowessequivalenttomanhoodoverlooksthatdifferentbodiesare
primedtododifferentthings.
I,forone,wouldnotcallShaqONeilunmanlyeventhoughgivenhislengthofarmsand
weightheprobablycannotpumpoutmultiplepullups.
Yep.
Joe

chin
up
monkey
October 9, 2012 at
7:39 am #

LMAOatthisIfyousuckatthempeoplewilllaughatyouandyourmanhoodwillalwaysbe
questioned.

dan

October 31, 2012 at

6:50 am #

ehyguyineedawaytoimprovemyimprovemypullupima20yerasoldandwiegh83kgi
needsomehelptoimprovethematthemomentidoingbetween4and5

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Jason Smith
December 8, 2012
at 1:13 pm #

HeyJason,Icandoamaxof16strictpulls,25kippingpullupandImusingadipbeltwith
variouskettlebellwhenImtrainingstrength.butIreallywouldlovetodoaonearmpullup(I
onlyevermetoneyoungmanwhocould,hewasanIsraelicommando)doyouhaveanytips
ontrainingmyselftobeingabletodothis?
thanksJason

tofique
December 14, 2012
at 1:06 pm #

isthispullupsincreaseourheight

abdallah
January 11, 2013 at
12:30 pm #

icando15pullupsandim13yearsold!imgonnatrythesewaysnexttimeitrain

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Dragon August
11, 2013 at 5:01 pm
#

Trythemwhenyouareinmid20sor30sthengetbacktous.Hereisthekey,dontstop
doingthem.

dylan January
23, 2013 at 3:41 pm
#

Whatdoyousuggestforcondyle&stressintheanconeusandflexors.minearefvcked:(Have
adjustedmygriptohang[notgriphard],doinggriprotation,bicep,overgrip,andunder,still
jacked.ImjustgotVoodoocompression/tackbandstohelpdontcareifIlookstupidbuteven
pickinguprandomstuffuphurtsnow.anysuggestionsmang?
haventseenyouforaminutehopeyouregoodbrutha

Phillip March 22,

2013 at 10:11 am #

Icanonlydo12whatrepsshouldidoformysets?

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Wyatt March 26,

2013 at 11:54 am #

IamaPooleefortheunitedstatesMarineCorethiswebsitewasveryinformativeformeand
mysquaddeadarmhangchinupsareaneverydayoccurrenceforourPTIcando21pullups
theresmuchworktodo.

Nick
April 2,
2013 at
8:32 am #

HeyguysIcantevendoasinglepullup.itsnotbecauseilackstrengthactuallyinevertried
theseandnowicantdoasingleiam22yrsold62andiweigh190poundsanyhelpwould
beappreciated

dylan April 2,
2013 at 8:34 pm #

Organizeyourscapularcomplexintoretraction.Overhangyourgrip.Alsouseaelastoband
togetthemotorandmusclerecruitmentonpointatfirsttillyoucangounassisted.Pullto
thechestandkeepyourjawloosewhichrelaxstheneck.
Im220and62andstarteddoingthem4monthsagoandnowdo100nite[inrepsof5
10]shvtwillgetyouwide!!GLbuddy

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Brendan May
27, 2013 at 6:15 pm
#

HeyguysIm14andicando18pullups,igoalmostallthewaydownalso.Iwilltryanduse
thesetechniques.Thanks!

Brad
June
20,
2013 at 11:50 pm #

Cantdoone.Shoulderswontletme.Anytestthatrequirespullupsshouldbereplacedwith
deads.

minon July 16,

2013 at 5:02 am #

Hi.Arealmanisathinker.Thatswhyhumansaresuperiortoanimals(thatandthe
opposablethumb).
Inalmosteveryotherwaywerephysicallyinferior.Agreatapewouldripaheavyweight
championsheadrightoff.Arinowouldsquashus.Comparedtothebeasts,werelikelittle
squirrels.Itsnotourstrongpoint.
Fishswim,cheetahsrun,birdsflyhumansthink.
Itsthebrain,itsallaboutthebrain.Lookattheatomicbomb,gameover.Brainswin.
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Robbie August
12, 2013 at 5:30 pm
#

Workingoutwillmakeyouphysicallystrongandmentallystrong.Yourcommentisbashing
strengthtrainingwhichisridiculousbecauseyoureonastrengthtrainingwebsite.Your
brainisnotgoingtohelpyouifyourebeingattackedbyamuscularrapist.Thinkabout
thatsmartguy.

Brad
August
20,
2013 at 8:01 pm #

Icandoasetof28pullups,andhavesetagoalof40.Ionlydopullupstwiceaweek
(usuallyweighted,sometimesoffrings),andamabigfanofplentyofrecoverytime.ShouldI
increasemyfrequencytoreachmygoal?
GREATarticle!

Matt

October 10, 2013 at

12:44 pm #

Heyguys,
WhatIhavedonetoincreasemypullupsisprettysimple,butIdidntnoticeanybodytalking
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aboutit.Itsaweightliftingtechniquecalledmuscularendurancetraining.Itsallabout
increasingthenumberofsets,notreps.This,inturn,increasesthenumberofrepsyoucando
perset.
Forexample:
Ifyoucanonlydo2or3pullups(likemeacouplemonthsago),startbydoing10setsof1(1
x10)takingbetween60and90secondsrestbetweeneachset.
Ifyougettothepointwhereyoucantdoanotherwholepullup,getyourchinoverthebarwith
helpfromachairandloweryourselfdownslowly(countto4).Finishyoursetsthisway.
DothisworkouteveryOTHERday,noteveryday.Ifyouwanttogetstrongerandbuildmuscle
youcantworkthatmuscleeveryday.Doingsooverworksitanditwillactuallygetsmaller.
Yourbodyneedsalotofresttobuildmuscle.
Whenyoucansuccessfullydothe10setsof1,youcanprobablybumpitupto10setsof2or
3.Whenyougettherebumpitupto10setsof5or6.Youwanttobeforcedtodoing
negatives.Pushyourself.Beforeyouknowityouwillbedoing10setsof10(100pullups!),and
youwillprobablybeabletodo2530+pullupsinoneset!
Thebasicrulesformuscle/strengthbuilding:
1.Liftalotofweight.Ifyoucantdoalotinoneset,spreaditout.Donegativestofinishyour
sets.
2.Fuelyourmusclesimmediatelyafterworkingout.Takeyourcreatine,protein,andcarbs
rightafteryouworkout,within30minutes.
3.Getalotofsleepandasufficientbreakbetweenworkingoutthesamemusclegroup.Ifyou
cantdomore/liftheavierthisworkoutthanyoucouldlastworkoutthenyoudidnttakealong
enoughbreak,addanotherdayofrest.Thisisextremelyhardformostpeople,butyouwill
thankmeforitwhenyoubustthroughyourplateausbecauseyouletyourbodyhealproperly.
Thatsit.Gogetit.

Ren

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October 15, 2013 at

1:39 am #

Icando20deadhangpullupsbuticantseemstoimproveanyfurther.Doyouthinkitwill
workbytrainingwithaweightvest?Thanks=D

Ruwan October
23, 2013 at 9:42 am
#

Iam14.ThishelpedmetremendouslyIcannowfeelthetensioninmymuscles.Ijustwantto
saythankyouforyourtremendoushelp.

a.b

January 3, 2014 at
5:23 am #

icantdoasinglechinupicando25pushupsbutnotevenasinglechinup.givemesome
tipssothaticanmanagetodoatleast3chinupsin2months

Total

Arnold February
22, 2014 at 1:52 am
#

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Checkfirstthearticleabove(thefirstpointisVERYimportant,donotgotofailure!).Then
Idrecommendmachineorbandassistedpullups,somethingthatmakesthemovementa
littleeasier.Youcouldalsoasksomeonetoassistyouwiththereps,butthegradual
progressionwouldbealittletrickytoimplement:maybehe/shewouldfirsthelpyouwith
twoarms,thenwithone,thewithaweakergripandsoon:D
Ifstrengthisgoal,increasetheload/decreasetheassistanceafteryoucando6CLEAN,full
rangeofmotionreps.Formorehypertrophy,dothesameafter12reps.
IwouldntrecommendnegativerepsorstaticholdsastheycaneasilyburnoutCNS(longer
recoverytimesforthenervoussystemevenifthemuscleswouldalreadyhavebeen
recoveredfromtheworkout)andbecausetheyignorethemostimportantpartstrength
wise,whichistheconcentricportionofthelift.Trytofindawaytodofullrangeofmotion
reps,personallyIhaventfoundpartialrepstobethatusefulonchinups.
Shoulderwideunderhandorneutralgripchinupsaresafestfortheshoulders.

JasonFerruggiahasbeencalled,"Theworldsgreatest
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