I haven't done any programs in while and they usually seem to be my most viewed posts I do, so I wanted to throw another one at you guys. This one isn't really a full program but things you can add to a current program to help you reach a new milestone.
I can't tell you how many people tell me they want to be able to do their first pull-up when we start training together. Back when I was coaching CrossFit it was a goal of every single person in the gym, especially ladies. Because of this demand, I created a pull-up progression that will finally help you get that first rep.
What does it take to be able to do a pull-up? Well, you need grip strength to be able to hang from a bar, you need scapular strength to maintain and active shoulder, you need strong Lats to be able to pull your elbow down, and you need strong biceps and forearms to flex your elbow. Yes, I know that's not everything but it covers the basics.
First, let's be clear, the one thing most people can do to be able to get get better at all of those things and finally get that first rep is to lose weight. It's no surprise that most people are overweight, In fact, 66% of the U.S. population is either overweight and obese. This means if you're reading this there's a 66% chance that losing weight will probably help you get a pull-up. I know that this isn't what most people came here for but it's the truth. Don't worry, the workout is still coming,
Outside of that there are 4 things you need to work on to get your first one...
Isometric Holds
Vertical Pulling Movements (pull-up specific)
Horizontal Pulling Movements (pull-up non-specific)
Isolation Exercises
Let's take a look at a few of each and then I'll add them into a program you can use
Isometric Holds
Isometric means that you're not moving. These are exercises where you're holding yourself still in one position. The two big ones here are hanging at the bottom and holding at the top.
-Hanging at the Bottom
Hanging from a pull-up bar needs to be the first exercise that you master before you can move on to any other pull-up specific movements. To do this correctly, hang from the bar with a just-wider-than-shoulder-width grip and hang for almost as long as you can. Make sure that you pull your shoulder blades down just slightly to keep tension on the muscles and not on the connective tissue. Once you can hold for 30 seconds with perfect posture then you're good to move one.
-Holding at the Top
The other iso-hold you need is to hold yourself at the top with your chin over the bar. To get there, jump yourself up and hold your chin over the bar as long as you can. Once you drop too low then jump down. To progress from this, you can work on a slow negative. That is, after your chin drops below the bar, lower yourself as slowly as possible throughout the entire range of motion. Be careful with this as negatives can make you really sore, so make sure you don't jump right into these.
Vertical Pulling Movements (pull-up specific)
- Scapular Pull-ups
This exercise helps you get stronger on the always-important bottom portion of the movement. Hang from the bar with an active shoulder then pull your shoulder blades down as far as you can, raising your body slightly. Your arms should stay straight during this movement. Come back to the hanging position and continue for the prescribed number of reps.
- Slow Pull-up Negatives
This one fits here too so I added it again. Jump your chin over the bar then lower yourself as slowly as you can.
- Lat Pulldown
This is a basic strength building exercise for the pull-up as it mostly mimics the same movement. Start with your arms 95% straight then pull the bar down under your chin. You should lean back just slightly when performing this exercise. You don't want to relax your arm 100% and lose muscle tension.
-Assisted Pull-up Machine
I want to start this by saying I am NOT a fan of banded pull-ups. They help you through the important starting portion of the movement and prevent you from building much strength there. I am ok with the assisted pull-up machine though, since the assistance is the same throughout the whole movement. This can be a decent way to build strength but make sure you're actually lowering the assisted weight as often as possible.
Horizontal Pulling Movements (pull-up non-specific)
The muscles you use to pull horizontally, like a row, are nearly identical to pulling vertically, like a pull-up. This means getting stronger with horizontal movements can translate to vertical strength as long as you still work on vertical movements as well.
-TRX/ Ring/ Inverted Row
Use some type of suspension trainer to pull your own body weight, The more often you can get used to using your own weight the better. As you get stronger, you'll be able to walk your feet farther forward to make the movement harder. Add a scapular row to make them better. This is just like the scap pull-up where you pull your shoulder blades back without bending your arms
-Single Arm Dumbbell Row
This might be my favorite rowing movement out there. I've talked about this plenty so I don't need to go into detail
- Bent Over Barbell Row
My second favorite back exercise. You can use a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells to do this one.
Isolation Exercises
-Reverse Curls
These are just like a bicep curl but with a pronated (palms down) grip. They hit the forearm based elbow flexor muscles more than a normal curl. An EZ bar or dumbbells are my favorite for these.
-Bicep Curls
I don't need to talk too much about these. Do curls to get your arms stronger and guns bigger.
Now that we've talked exercises, let's look at how you can put them together to make a decent program. You can either start by adding a few exercises above to your current program or you can use them all to write a new one. This program would make up most, if not all, of your pulling work for the week but you would still need pressing and lower body to have a well rounded program.
Let's take a look
| Day 1 | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Scapular Pullups | 3 | 10 | |
| Top Holds + Negative | 3 | 10sec | |
| Single Arm DB Row | 4 | 6 | |
| Assisted Pullup | 3 | 10 | |
| Alternating DB Bicep Curl | 3 | 10e | |
| Day 2 | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| TRX Row + Scapular Row |
3 | 10 | |
| Pullup Negatives | 4 | 3 | |
| Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8 | |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 10 | |
| EZ Bar Reverse Curl | 3 | 10 | |
Try this program for a few weeks, making it just a little harder each week, and I know you'll nail that first pull-up.
If you feel like you're stuck in a fitness rut, or aren't sure where to start, then shoot me a message or email and we can get you on a free 1-on-1 call so I can get you some help. Also, if you want to receive a free copy of my Top Muscle Building Tips and Top Fat Loss Tips then make sure you subscribe via the pop-up window. That will also let you join the private Facebook group that I am about to open, This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.
See you tomorrow!
Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
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Email: gsherceg@gmail.com
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