Pull-ups: how to learn pull-ups from scratch and pull-up tips. Jumping pull-ups. Correct breathing technique
Perfect Pullups
Follow these tips for correct execution exercises that develop upper body strength.
About 5 strength exercises for your workouts you can read
Most people say that the difference between chin-ups and strict pull-ups is where your hands are pointing. (When pulling up to the chin, the hands are turned with the palms inward, with the strict ones, with the palms outward.)
But we think otherwise: the very term “chin-ups” just says that when doing this exercise, all you need to do is touch the bar with your chin.
This is close to insufficient.
To get the most out of the exercise (and the repetitions that can be counted), we advise you to pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. That's why we call them "strict pull-ups", no matter where your hands are on the bar.
Let's look at the pull-up technique. There is a definite difference between kipping (where you use momentum for more reps) and hanging pull-ups, without swings, until your chest touches the bar. This article is about the latter.
Kipping pull-ups are definitely good if you're competing for reps. But if you need to develop a big, powerful back, there is no substitute for strict pull-ups.
To do a proper strict pull-up, start by gripping the bar with your arms completely straight at the elbows. This is called the "hang" position. Without swinging your torso to create momentum, pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar and your elbows are at the center of your torso.
Don't be lazy and don't let gravity pull you down. The return to the starting position is of great value in building muscle and strength. Slowly return to the hanging position. Repeat.
If you do pull-ups as I just described, 20 consecutive pull-ups will be enough to reach your goal. Most guys won't do that, unfortunately. If you're doing 20 reps, it's a game changer for your upper body strength. Whether your hands are palms in or out on each rep doesn't really matter for the most amazing 20 pullup pattern. So you can use both grips in equal amounts.
Here's how you can do 20 pull-ups.
1. Pull up.
If you want to pull up well, pull up more. Sounds too simple to be effective, doesn't it?
Many people want to find some "magic" exercise that will allow them to do better pull-ups, but it doesn't work that way.
Here's the thing: people often perform deadlifts upper block(a machine that imitates the pull-up movement), thinking it would enhance their pull-up skills. But it won't. You need something really worthwhile.
I understand that some of you are only able to do one good pull-up. So be it - but do a few pull-ups a few times. Distribute these small sets in your routine - one pull-up between sets of various other exercises in your workout program today is a good way to improve it.
Aim for 25-50 strict pull-ups three times a week (25 if you're a beginner). If you don't go to the gym, set up a bar at home and do a couple of pull-ups every time you walk by.
If you can already do five pull-ups, do as many sets of two or three reps as you want until you reach 50 pull-ups in one workout.
Sense in quantity - counting full repetitions, over time, their number will increase.
2. Master negative pull-ups.
Some guys can't even do a single pull-up. The best way start is the practice of slowly lowering to the starting position of the hang.
Grasp the bar and hold as you would in the top pull-up position. Slowly lower yourself, returning to the hanging position should take you 4-5 seconds. Do these sets every workout.
Soon you will be able to do your first pull-up.
Guys who have already learned how to pull up will also find something valuable in negative pull-ups. Even if you are already almost able to complete all 20 pull-ups, during each workout do one set of fewer pull-ups, but with the slowest possible return to the hanging position.
Trust me, it works.
3. Work the muscles responsible for pull-ups.
Exercises that work the same muscles as pull-ups will help you gain large quantity repetitions.
Set the barbell at about waist height on a squat rack or on a Smith machine (this exercise is perhaps the only benefit of the Smith machine). Hang from the bar with your arms shoulder-width apart, keeping them completely straight, in a position exactly above your shoulders, your heels should touch the floor. Your body should be in a completely straight position from ankles to head.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and continue to pull yourself up to the bar until your chest touches it. Freeze in this position, then return to the starting position. Remember to stay upright during the exercise. Do at least three heavy or failure sets in every workout.
A few more exercises to add to your routine: bent over rows, deadlift With wide grip, traction on a t-bar.
Hello, friends! People come to me from time to time with various questions in the field. I try to help whenever possible. Sometimes there are questions that cannot be answered in two sentences, and in particular the question quoted below. I think that he may be of interest to many: “How to increase the number of pull-ups for a short time? The answer turned out to be quite voluminous, detailed, and anyone who wants to increase the number of pull-ups in a short period will be able to familiarize himself with the recommendations. There will be a forum for questions in the near future, but for now I suggest this format.
Hello! I'm here for help...
I understand that you are Maxim?)
I downloaded from the site)) I have a dispute with my physical education teacher ... He does not believe that I will be able to pull up at least 20 times by October ... Now my result is 13-15 pull-ups ... Please tell me how to do it, so that by October, do 20 or more times ... Do it according to a training program or is there some other system?
Thank you in advance!
And thank you for such a great site!
Yes, physical education teachers are different, including those who are not quite literate in the framework of their professional activities. At school and in universities, physical education is only for the mark. When I studied at the school, the fizruk was hard on us. His room always stank of fumes and tobacco smoke. Swollen forever ... What kind of physical education teacher from such a person, if he cannot even be a worthy member of society? Yes, none!
But in the technical school, as he studied, then there the physical education teacher and with a heavy barbell squatted (for 100 for sure), and in other exercises he had good performance.
Now let's get straight to our question.
Nutrition
First of all, you need to start with nutrition. I'm not saying that without proper nutrition, nothing will work, but if you eat right, the results will be much better than they could be otherwise. The basic principle is that the number of calories consumed should be more than the number spent (but not by much).
It is necessary to understand the properties, .
There are still 4 months until October, and during this time you can get far beyond 20, if this is really a goal, and not a positive assessment.
Pay attention to pull-ups
This is the main principle, following which, you can come to such a result. At the same time, I would like to note that the indicators that are currently available in other exercises on the horizontal bar, parallel bars, will decrease by a very low proportion, and possibly increase. (For example, I did only the elements for a certain time, excluding the base, but in the end I found that the base went up). This result is not only for me, but, nevertheless, if you decide to abandon other exercises (for example, parallel bars), then after 2-3 weeks check the indicator in push-ups on the uneven bars. In addition, the form in push-ups on the uneven bars returns very quickly, so it seems to me that you should not worry about it.
Focus only on pull-ups. If the goal is to achieve 20 pull-ups in as soon as possible, then it’s better to train a little according to a different principle, - not according to programs from books, since they have a slightly different orientation.
Keep a workout diary
Be sure to keep a training diary to see progress, and if something goes wrong, adjust the program. In the diary we write down everything that relates to training!
Training days
The more total time training, the better the indicator, but far from the time spent on the horizontal bar, it all depends. Directly, the number of fruitful training days depends on nutrition. For example: if you didn’t eat well today, then in training there may be no desire to train at all, there will be lethargy, etc. General fatigue, unwillingness to train, is most often associated with nutrition, and not with overtraining. But, overtraining is very possible if the general training experience small Therefore, the number of training days should be set depending on the training experience. If the training experience is small, then you do not need to train more than three times a week. As training progresses, you can increase the number of training days. During the first 6 months of training, you do not need to train more than 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Then you can move on to 4-5 workouts per week. Saturday and Sunday are always best days off. four day program it is better to perform with a day off on Wednesday, and of course on Saturday and Sunday.
If we still have 4 months ahead, then we can do something like this:
- 1 month: 3 workouts per week
- Month 2: 4 workouts per week
- 3rd and 4th month: 5 workouts per week
Given that the number of pull-ups in the range of 13-15 times. But in general, you can start with 4 workouts - it will be even better.
- 1 month: 4 workouts per week
- 2-3-4: 5 workouts per week
It may be difficult to train for 5 days, in which case you need to return to the 4-day program. If even 4 days is difficult, work 3 days.
Not all workouts have to be hard. At good nutrition, and existing experience, even hard workouts on all days will not drive into a stupor. But, nevertheless, if you feel weak, feel that the muscles have not recovered from the last workout, then do nothing difficult on this day, do less volume, or take a day off in favor of rest and nutrition.
Number of sets and rest between sets
There should be many approaches (here you need to analyze in more detail). Of course, on days when you realize that you have not recovered, when other difficulties arise, the number of approaches should be limited, making 5-10 approaches.
For training, you need to perform 15-20 approaches. Rest between sets should not be short. We are waiting for the acids to leave the muscles, and we do the next approach - this is 4-5 minutes. In total, it will take us about 100 minutes to train, if we do 20 approaches. Do not rush to immediately do 20 approaches - start with 10-15, at first.
Number of repetitions
But with the number of repetitions it will be more difficult. The number of repetitions can be selected according to two principles.
- One rep for all sets
- With a decrease in the number of repetitions
Since I am an adherent of the first option, which has been repeatedly tested on many people, we will consider it. But keep in mind that you can try to work according to the second option, where we do each approach to the maximum, and with each approach the number of repetitions will decrease.
We need to perform a selected number of repetitions in 15-20 sets, which we will perform in training. We take 60-70% of repetitions of the total. That is, if we do 10 repetitions maximum, then we need to do 6-7 repetitions in 15-20 sets.
In details
You need to constantly progress, but you should not immediately try to surpass yourself.
If a person pulls himself up 13-15 times, then the conclusion suggests itself that there is already some experience. To get to 20 pull-ups and beat that as soon as possible, I suggest starting with a four-day training day where you do 15 sets of 9 reps per set.
Start program
Monday: 15 to 9
Tuesday: 15 to 9
Thursday: 15 to 9
Friday: 15 to 9
Progress as follows
Initially, you must answer for yourself which technique suits you and which does not. If you want to pull up until your chest touches the bar, then you should do it, if up to the chin, then you should try to do it that way.
So let's get started with this program. When we perform 15 to 9 with the technique that we need, we can move on to the next step - increase the number of repetitions by ONE. In the next workout, we are already doing 15 to 10. We may not reach a couple of reps in the last sets, or perform them with the wrong form, but this is not terrible. Now you need to do 15 to 10 with good technique. Having completed this goal, we move on to 15 to 11.
The basic principle of power pull-ups: no cheating, swinging.
The number of approaches can be increased to 20 if you have the time and energy to train with this number of approaches, and if your life is not directly related to physical activity.
Do not forget that if the body categorically refuses to train, then take this day off.
During the day, if possible, just go to the horizontal bar and do a couple of repetitions, or just hang on the bar without loading.
Also, I want to say a few words to people who say that daily training leads to overtraining. As I said, the concept of overtraining is too exaggerated, and when proper nutrition it is not a threat. Do builders, loaders and people of other professions associated with hard physical labor often hear about overtraining? Don't think…
As the respected Andrey Nikolaevich Kochergin says: “Lack of choice greatly simplifies the choice!”. By following this rule, you can achieve a lot.
By the end of each month, do more weekends, 3-4 in a row, and after the weekend, give it your all, check how many repetitions you have added. Based on the obtained indicator, improve the program.
In 4 months, you can easily reach 20 pull-ups. Rather, even up to 30, if the recommendations are followed ...
Training with additional weights and rubber bands as tools for progress
In training, you can also use additional weight and rubber bands. Since rubber bands are quite problematic to use - you need suitable bundles (harness) and conditions for fastening, then we will consider additional weight.
You can use kettlebells, a backpack with weights and much more as weight. You can hang a stone or a bottle of water on your belt - there would be a desire.
In order to increase the number of pull-ups, you can use additional weight, but, of course, not in every workout. It all depends on the possibilities and, in general, on the desire to train with extra weight.
You can include weight in this system in different ways:
- Last set to do with weight, to failure (through training)
- Turn on periodically more complete workout with weight according to the principle of 10-15 - 60-70% of the maximum.
Conclusion
That's basically it. If you have any questions that relate to the workout, then ask - do not be shy. Interesting questions will be discussed in the framework of a full-fledged article.
You may also be interested in other articles:
Andrei, my old friend, was one of the first to respond to help, having learned about mine a month later. He sent me a detailed guide based on his own experience, for which I am very grateful to him.
With his permission, I will publish his letter, it will be interesting to hear criticism, and perhaps it will simply be useful to someone.
I'm posting it "as is"
Program 20 pull-ups per month
1 month = 30 days (or 31). Before the “demonstration” of the maximum possibilities, you need to rest for 2-3 days. That is, it turns out 27 training days (or 28). Divide by 2 (a day of classes alternates with a day of rest) and you get 14 days of training. The system that my friend and I worked on is called the “pyramid”.
Before pull-ups and after - mandatory stretching. Rest between pull-ups - 1 minute. If you can’t make it through the next set, you may need to rest a little more at first, take a couple of minutes and do the sets completely.
Every day will be difficult, the forces will leave, but you need to try to get together and complete the approach completely, even with small jerks (about them - at the end). “Finishing the set completely” is also a psychological moment, by the end of the session you will already have the mood - I will hang until I finish the set of 20 pull-ups.
On some days it will seem that the muscles hurt and you won’t be able to exercise - at one time we still went to the horizontal bar, warmed up and started to do. As soon as the muscles warm up, the pain somehow goes away and you finish everything perfectly. In general, about the fight against pain - here is a summary of common tips: stretching, contrast showers, massage, sauna, vitamin E, etc.
I consider driving music to be an obligatory attribute of classes. Get on with the player. Music somehow helps to do more.
After a while, corns may appear. If they don't bother you, you can do nothing. If there are problems, use athletic gloves, but I personally feel uncomfortable in them - you don’t feel the grip.
In the process of training, it sometimes seemed to us that at the end of the workout there was a lot of strength left, on the same days we either practiced a second time (the first time was always at lunchtime) - in the evening, or simply increased the number of pull-ups (we switched 1-2 days ahead according to the program) . But I do not recommend rushing the first 3 workouts - you are not used to such loads, so the loads should be gradual at first, you start from scratch, as it were.
If it is too difficult to do all the approaches in one workout, you can reduce the pyramid in the opposite direction and start it with small numbers. But don't confuse "just hard" with "impossibly hard". If it will be easy for you to study, you need to increase the load, otherwise you will not develop, but just have a good time. A good sign for me is that when I'm tired after a workout, I just want to sit down and lie down to rest, sleep. The other extreme is when you took too much high bar on approaches and “tear” yourself, after training your hands hurt unrealistically and after a day of rest you still feel acute pain. You will no longer be able to do it, and recovery takes time, which you have very little. Try to monitor your well-being and work out the training honestly, but do not go too far - the day after tomorrow you need to do it again, so there should be no injuries.
There are some more tips at the end of this document.
I'm based on the information you provided me. Now you do a maximum of 6 pull-ups, so I see your pyramid like this:
1 and 2 day
| An approach | pull-ups | Total pull-ups |
| 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | 4 | 18 |
| 6 | 3 | 21 |
| 7 | 2 | 23 |
3 and 4 day
| An approach | pull-ups | Total pull-ups |
| 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 5 | 4 | 19 |
| 6 | 3 | 22 |
| 7 | 3 | 25 |
Day 5
13-14 day
| An approach | pull-ups | Total pull-ups |
| 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 3 | 5 | 15 |
| 4 | 5 | 20 |
| 5 | 5 | 25 |
| 6 | 5 | 30 |
| 7 | 5 | 35 |
Two more days of rest.
My guess is that by this point you should be able to do 15 reps with little effort and 5 more reps to do. It is possible that everything will go well for you and you will be enough for 20 times without jerks.
If you practice in the morning or in the afternoon, then on day 8 (rest) you can try to do one (and only one, this is after all a rest) maximum approach. I'm sure if everything goes according to plan, you can do about 12 pull-ups. Do not exactly 12, but as much as you can - more or less. Do not forget to “squeeze” in small jerks when there is no more strength. It will just give you a picture of where you are right now and you can adjust your program.
Regarding the small "jerks" that I spoke about. I mean
Pulling up 20 or 15 times from scratch, and achieving such a result in just six weeks - isn't this the main desire of guys and girls in an effort to improve the body? Let's talk about what the program "15" or "20 pull-ups in six weeks" is and what you need to do in order to achieve the goal.
About the program
The author of the program below is United States Marine Corps Major Charles Armstrong, who developed a technique to establish new record in the pull-up area at a time. If you follow the program, it will be possible, without overloading the body and without a routine, to achieve the desired number of pull-ups in 6 or a maximum of 8 weeks. After the program ends, everyone who has followed it steadily will be able to do 15 or 20 pull-ups at a time!
The main condition for the program is the regularity of the exercise and effort! Every day, working on pull-ups according to the program below, you can set your personal record. You will need to train for 5 days each of six or eight weeks.
Workouts in the morning
Do three sets of push-ups for the maximum number of repetitions. Why exactly push-ups, and not pull-ups right away, when the goal is exactly 15 pull-ups or even 20 per repetition? The thing is that push-ups are one of the most suitable for strengthening. shoulder girdle exercises. How did Armstrong see training in the morning? He believed that you need to start the morning with push-ups, and then continue to do exercises after morning procedures. Thus, in the morning you will need to perform three sets of push-ups with the maximum number of repetitions, and then take a contrast morning shower.
You will need to do this every morning for all the declared 6 weeks. If you follow the instructions, you will notice the result in a week! In addition, regular push-ups will help prepare your body for push-up workouts.
Daily push up program
As soon as your body begins to receive the minimum load necessary to perform pull-ups, you can proceed directly to the program. You will need to start pulling up no more than 4 hours after morning push-ups. The program will include 5 main training days, which will be repeated over 6 or 8 weeks. Give yourself 2 days off to recover! It will be better to study on weekdays, resting on Saturday and Sunday.
The main goal of the program is to improve performance when doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar! You can work on the exercise using a comfortable grip. How worthy the result will be will directly depend on conscientiousness during the exercises. That is, it will be important to learn how to do pull-ups not only a lot, but also with the correct technique!
First day
Do five sets, each with as many pull-ups as you can do. You can rest 1.5 minutes between sets. Do not worry if at first you manage to do the minimum number of repetitions. By the end of the week, after push-ups and daily workouts, you will see that things have moved forward.
Second day
Start training according to the "pyramid" scheme. You will need to start with one repetition, doing more with each set. As soon as you get to a set, when you can no longer do one repetition more than the number already completed, take a short pause (no more than 10 seconds) and do the last set with the maximum number of repetitions possible for you at this stage.
The third day
You can train using the "training sets" method. For this workout, you will need to do 9 sets with three pull-up options: wide, medium, reverse. You can rest for a minute between sets.
Fourth day
Try to increase the number of approaches. If in the previous workout this number was nine, then in this one you should try to make at least twelve, again, changing the grip option in every fourth set. You will need to gain the number of sets until you have enough strength to finish three sets with one grip. This day of the week in training program will break all records in terms of complexity and duration. If you can increase the number of working sets, then starting next week, you will need to add one repetition to each set.
Fifth day
You will just need to duplicate that day training week which was the most difficult for you.
Training sets - what you need to know?
To understand what the training set should be in your case, you will need to conduct several experiments. When talking about a training set, it means performing a certain number of repetitions. Naturally, in each case, this number is purely individual and depends on the level of physical fitness. 
The number of repetitions in your case should be such that you can do the indicated 9 approaches with him on one day and increase their number on the next. So, for example, if you are able to do 9 sets of 3 reps and no more, then initial stage your working set will be exactly 3 repetitions. Let the first approach be not as voluminous as we would like. That's not the point. The main thing is to do all approaches with the same number repetitions. Over time, following this program, you can significantly expand your personal training set.
Do not drastically change the number of repetitions in the training set! Do this gradually, adding one repetition from workout to workout. And if you have already added a repetition to the set, then, no matter how difficult it may seem, bring the workout to the end with the above number of sets.
In conclusion, we note that the program is effective and efficient, but only in cases where the motivation and desire to increase the number of pull-ups in one approach for several weeks is really strong enough. Although at the initial stage it is difficult for the body to cope with the load and it will be difficult to stick to the program, you can handle it if you really want it! At the end of the program, the body adapts, and the number of repetitions will begin to increase!
If you start working on the program from scratch, then you can reach the number of "20 repetitions" no sooner than in six or eight weeks. If you already have certain skills and results, for example, you are able to pull up 10-12 times at a time, then the program will help you reach the mark of 20 pull-ups in four weeks.
- probably one of the best exercises for the development of the muscles of the back, arms, chest, shoulders, as well as the press in some combinations. No other horizontal bar exercise can replace the pull-up, which can be used to gain mass and increase strength. With pull-ups, you can strengthen your grip and increase its strength. This is one of the best exercises for building a wide and powerful back. But in everyday life, a properly pumped back protects the spine and ensures proper posture.
The question of how to increase the number of pull-ups on the horizontal bar probably worries every turnstile. Easy enough, you just have to put your efforts and perseverance. Absolutely anyone can learn how to pull themselves up twenty times, be it a ten-year-old boy or a seventy-year-old man, the main thing is motivation. Today we will talk about twenty pull up program. The program can be used alone or in addition to your workouts.
Program 20 pull-ups
If a beginner athlete cannot pull himself up even once correctly, then you should start doing negative pull-ups. Once you can complete 20 of these pull-ups, you can safely switch to regular ones.
The training schedule is as follows:
- The first approach - 6 pull-ups;
- The second approach - 5 pull-ups;
- The third approach - 5 pull-ups;
- Fourth approach - 4 pull-ups;
- Fifth approach - 3 pull-ups.
Rest between each set, but no more than 3 minutes each time. Before pulling up, be sure to do a warm-up to warm up your muscles and prevent injury. After pull-ups, do relaxation exercises. Workouts should be done every day. first ten days
