Pull-ups: more reps for your back
Pull-ups are one of the most honest upper-body exercises: either you get your chin over the bar or you don’t. Here is a simple plan for building strength, adding reps and putting an end to the “I just can’t do them” talk.
Why are pull-ups worth the patience?
Pull-ups are especially good at building the lats, the upper back and grip strength. They aren’t just an add-on exercise for “back day”. If you want a wider, stronger upper body, pull-ups are a very direct measure of that.
Many people get stuck on one thought: the program says 3 x 12, but I can’t do it. So they make two feeble attempts and give up. Frankly, that is a bad strategy, not a bad exercise. If 3 sets and 12 reps don’t come, you need to change the structure, not throw the exercise in the trash.
Pull-ups improve in small steps
The first approach is to do many sets of low reps. For example, 10 sets of singles, or 10 x 1. Or 6 sets of doubles, or 6 x 2. Or 5 sets of triples, or 5 x 3. That is a perfectly normal way to work on a hard exercise.
You don’t have to do 3–4 sets and 10–12 reps at all costs. If your body isn’t ready yet, you build up volume in a different way. One good rep, rest, another rep. That is how you build skill and strength without breaking your technique.
Set a rep count for the workout
Another good method is to pick a fixed number of reps. For example, you decide that today you will do 30 pull-ups in total. Some days the goal may be 40 reps. What matters is that you don’t stop just because the first set didn’t look pretty.
If the plan says 3 x 10 but it isn’t coming, that doesn’t mean the workout is over. Do 30 reps in as many sets as it takes. Options include 5 sets of 6 reps, 6 sets of 5 reps, 8 sets of 4 reps, 10 sets of 3 reps or even 15 sets of 2 reps.
Use negative reps
A negative means you start at the top and lower yourself slowly. Most people are stronger in the lowering phase than in the pulling phase. Put a bench under the pull-up bar, step up, take your grip, lift your feet off the bench and lower yourself with control for about 5–6 seconds.
If your best is 5 pull-ups, your progress could look like this:
- 1. WORKOUT – 4 REPS + 4 NEGATIVES
- 2. WORKOUT – 5 REPS + 4 NEGATIVES
- 3. WORKOUT – 6 REPS + 3–4 NEGATIVES
- 4. WORKOUT – 7 REPS + 2–3 NEGATIVES
- 5. WORKOUT – 8 REPS + 1–2 NEGATIVES
- 6. WORKOUT – 9 REPS + 1 NEGATIVE
- 7. WORKOUT – 10 REPS
- 8. WORKOUT – 11 REPS
- 9. WORKOUT – 12 REPS
This approach isn’t magic. It simply gives your body lots of quality reps. Tom Venuto has described trainees who went from zero pull-up reps to 10–12 reps in a few weeks.
Pull-ups need practice, not excuses
In training, a simple truth applies: if you want to get better at something, you have to do it. If you want to be a better 100 m sprinter, long-distance running, swimming or cycling alone won’t make you faster over 100 m. The same logic applies to pull-ups.
Lat pulldown machines, biceps work and rows can help, but they don’t replace a real pull-up. If your goal is to get better at pull-ups, you also have to do pull-ups regularly.
Patience matters a lot here. Many people do 2, 3 or 4 reps and say it’s just not their exercise. In reality, progress is often very small: 1–2 reps today, maybe 3 or 4 next time. 12 reps don’t appear out of nowhere. Moving forward one set and one rep at a time is far more sensible.
Practical tips for your pull-up workout
Keep your technique clean. Start from straight arms, pull your chest toward the bar and don’t kip or swing your hips on every rep. If a rep turns into mere jerking, take a break or end the set.
Visualization can help too. Before a set, picture yourself as light, pulling yourself up smoothly. In his autobiography, Arnold wrote about how he pictured his biceps as much bigger than they actually were, both before and during training. A thought alone won’t pull you up to the bar, but focus makes the effort sharper.
Tom Venuto gave his own example: in the offseason he weighed 88–90 kg and could do 25–30 pull-ups with a wide overhand grip. With forty kilos of added weight, he did 6 solid reps. It shows that systematic work adds up.
Answered by Tom Venuto.
FAQ: pull-ups and building reps
Can I do pull-ups if I can only manage one rep?
Yes. One good rep is a start. Do several short sets, for example 10 x 1, and build up volume without breaking your form.
Do negative reps really help?
They do, if you perform them with control. Lower yourself slowly, for about 5–6 seconds, and stop when you can no longer control the movement.
How quickly can I expect to add reps?
It depends on your body weight, training and consistency. Think one rep at a time. If you get 2 today, the next target might be 3 or 4, not 12 right away.
Translated by: Janar Rückenberg
Source: Abivahendid
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