If you’re serious about results, pull-ups and pull-up variations should be a staple in your training program. They are the king of upper body mass development and functional strength proliferation. The reason for pull-up superiority is the nature of the exercise itself, which requires moving the body around a fixed object, as opposed to other methods of pulling which require a mobile object moving around the body. Moving the body around a stationary object requires greater motor unit recruitment from the musculature of the upper back and elbow flexors, delivering greater results faster.
Like all bodyweight exercises, pull-ups are a motor skill requiring many attributes for proper execution; Strength, balance, coordination, proprioceptive awareness etc. Like all motor skill patterns, the best way to develop pull-up proficiency is to work on them often. In training terms, this is known as increasing the training frequency. Increasing the frequency of an exercise leads to better development, but it does carry a risk of overuse injury. For this reason, variation of grip is key. By switching the grip every few workouts, the emphasis of musculature recruitment is changed, preventing plateau and damage from overuse.
The 3 most popular grips for pull-ups are Pronated, Supinated and Neutral.
Each grip provides a different training effect based off of which muscles are overloaded to perform the exercise.
Can’t do a pull-up? Try this 6-week progression
Week 1&2
Week 1 Bodyweight – Week 2 Weighted
A1 – 5x1 30 second Iso Hold – Neutral Grip
Rest 20 seconds
A2 – 5x5 Incline Bench Y Raise – 1116 Tempo
Rest 90 seconds
B1 – 6x8-10ea Single Arm Dumbbell Rows – 2112 Tempo
Rest 60 seconds
B2 – 6x8-10 Hanging Scap Elevation-Depression – 1111 Tempo
Rest 60 seconds
Week 3&4
Week 1 Bodyweight – Week 2 Weighted
A1 - 5x1 – 30 Second Eccentric Lower - Chin Up Grip
Rest 20 seconds
A2 – 5x6 Incline Bench Y Press – 1115 Tempo
Rest 90 seconds
B1 – 6x8-10 Ring Row – 2112 Tempo
Rest 60 seconds
B2 – 6x8-10 Snatch Grip Overhead Shrug – 1112 Tempo
Rest 60 seconds
Week 5&6
Week 1 Bodyweight – Week 2 Weighted
A1 – 5x1 Neutral Grip Chin Up – 2112 Tempo
Rest 20 seconds
A2 – 5x8-12 Gymnastic Ring Y-Raise
Rest 90 seconds
B1 – 6x8-10ea Single Arm Dumbbell Row – 2112 Tempo
Rest 60 seconds
B2 – 6x8-10 Cuban Press (shrug in top) – 2012 Tempo
Rest 60 Seconds
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