My wife Amber maxed out at 17 Pullups one time. And I'm pretty strict with her, they were all the way down and all the way up. She used to only be able to do 2 when she first started.
You're now saying, "but I can't even do one Theo, where the heck do I start?"
First, if you're carrying extra weight, let's get that off. Practically speaking, depending on how much extra it is, a pull-up may not be as possible as it could be if extra pounds are weighing you down.
Once that's out of the way, we need to get your body used to holding itself up. I'm a big fan of assisted pullups for training. Using things like super bands or the assisted machine you see at the gym will allow you to get in the high rep range with good form. But I don't think there's any better way to get yourself to bodyweight pull-ups until you really expose yourself to holding your bodyweight off the ground without any assistance.
Here are 4 TRICKS that will help you get from ZERO PULL-UPS TO ONE:
1. HANG TIME: CAN YOU HOLD YOUR OWN BODYWEIGHT?
This always looks easier than it is. Can you grab that bar, let yourself hang with your feet off the ground, and stay there for about :30 seconds. That's pretty good. From there try to get to :60 seconds. I practiced dead hangs for a while and saw a big boost in my pull-up ability. Why? Because it gives you some massive grip and forearm strength.
2. NEGATIVES: CAN YOU LOWER YOURSELF SLOWLY FROM THE BAR?
I don't care how you get up. Use a stool or chair or jump your chin above the bar. Then lower yourself slowly for about :3-:5 seconds. Do this for about 5-8 reps.
3. ISOMETRIC HOLD: CAN YOU HOLD YOURSELF AT THE TOP?
Again, it doesn't matter how you get up there. Get your chin above the bar, pull your shoulder blades slightly back to set them into place, brace your core, and squeeze for as long as you can.
4. WEIGHTED NEGATIVES: A VERY BIG TRICK OF THE TRADE, CAN YOU LOWER YOURSELF SLOWLY WHILE WEIGHTED?
This would probably require you to use a high chair or bench, something that will already put you in the top position of the pull-up. Using a weighted vest or belt or holding a dumbbell between your legs like I do (let's say 10-15lbs), lower yourself slowly again from the bar for about :3-:5 seconds. Here's what happens---your body gets used to holding a heavier load on the eccentric portion of the pull-up and it makes your regular bodyweight seem much lighter to hold and lift up.
SO NOW WHAT:
You're now probably saying but how do I put all of this together? Don't go overboard. You can't do every one of these tricks every workout. I would take #1 and #2 and do two sets of each throughout the week. I would then take #3 and #4 and mix those in once or twice a week as a bonus.
Then from here you can go to your horizontal pull-ups and assisted pull-ups. Yes, there are many different styles of pull-up grips that you can mix in to give you variation, but I'm a very simple dude when I train. Stick to the basics, keep yourself safe, and just get yourself used to holding yourself and lowering yourself from that bar.
WORKOUT EXAMPLE:
Day 1:
1 set of hang time
1 set of negative pull-ups
2 sets of assisted pull-ups
Day 2:
1 set of hang time
1 set of negative pull-ups
2 sets of horizontal pull-ups
Day 3:
2 set of iso holds
1 set of weighted negative pull-ups
1 set of assisted pull-ups
Pretty soon you'll be surprised as heck when all of a sudden you pull yourself right above that bar from a dead hang position. You actually probably won't even believe it.
But I will.
It's not about me,
Coach Theo
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