Pull-up plateau. page

[laertes]

Hi folks. Just wanted an quick advice. I do the Primal Fitness Blueprint and have great progressions through all exercises safe pull-ups. For example, push-ups I started at 25, now I'm at 40. The plank I could do 45 sec, now I'm at 90 sec. Pull-ups I started at 4, and can do 6 now. (The exercises below those exercises in the progression I can do completely.)

Any advice how to make more pullups? Greasing the groove, maybe? Thanks.

[BONZ]

The Marine in me is a little bit biased, but the Armstrong pullup program might help. It's done pretty well for me, I've made it back up to around 13 or 14 deadhang pullups. It was put together for Officer Candidate School newbies to get up to 20 pullups (USMC PFT requirement for maximum points) before enterring training.

[wolfman]

More volume, Do the most pull ups you can until muscle failure, then subtract two, rest a minute, then do that number. It's about quality here, get your chest as high as you can and squeez your back, and repeat that with minute rests...so 6? so do 15 sets of 4 really good pull ups, with minute rest, do this 3 days a week, it's always good to add extra back work.

[primalrob]

the marine program looks pretty good. it's got a little too much of a schedule for me, but it should definitely increase your numbers.
i also think grease the groove is a good way to go. don't just do it once a day though. do you have a door frame pull up bar? if so, put it in a busy spot of your place and do a pull up whenever you walk by. mine is near the kitchen, and i get an extra 20-30 reps in each day just feeding myself and my pets.

[Al_Kavadlo]

I wrote an article on how to increase your pull-ups that includes some tips you might find helpful (click the link!).

[laertes]

You guys are awesome! Thank you!

[wiltondeportes]

Grease the groove definitely. The typical, established way is to do them throughout the day at various intervals.

Another way that I recently discovered is to grease it all at once. Say your max is 15 pull ups. Do 3, wait a minute, do 3, wait a minute, do 3... See how long you can do doing that. Your max is 6, so maybe just do one or two per set, then wait a bit and repeat. I find this technique to be excellent not just for push/pull/sit up endurance but also running! If you can find a track or 1/4 mile square on grass, you run two sides and walk the other two. Your running ability will go through the roof!

[RobbyJ]

Hi folks. Just wanted an quick advice. I do the Primal Fitness Blueprint and have great progressions through all exercises safe pull-ups. For example, push-ups I started at 25, now I'm at 40. The plank I could do 45 sec, now I'm at 90 sec. Pull-ups I started at 4, and can do 6 now. (The exercises below those exercises in the progression I can do completely.)

Any advice how to make more pullups? Greasing the groove, maybe? Thanks.

Some great advice for you in this thread! I'd like to point out though that you ARE making progress!

Pullups 4 to 6 is an increase of 50%
Pushups 25 to 40 is an increase of 60%
Plank 45s to 90s is an increase of 100%


If you had done just one more, you'd be 75%, if you can do 4 and a "half", that would be 62.5%. Pretty darn good, and very close to the amount of progress you've made in the other strength movement Pushups!