Last week we touched on some different ways to start scaling your push-ups. The other movement we see a lot of new members struggle with is the pull-up.
Setup
Hands should be shoulder width or very slightly wider. Overhand (palms facing away) is what we do most commonly, but it’s great to make your pull-up strength progress more well-rounded by integrating underhand/palms facing toward you pull-ups – we’ll typically designate these as chin-ups.
Bands
The most common go-to for pull-up scaling. Always perform your pull-ups strict in the bands. These have become a little less popular lately, but we’ve found that with proper progression, it’s an excellent tool.
Negatives
Set yourself up with a tall box, so that you can start the movement at the top of the pull-up. Slowly let yourself down to the bottom of the pull-up. Not feasible until you’ve become strong enough to do pull-ups on the smaller bands.
Rows
Developing the upper back musculature will help you toward your unassisted pull-up. Barbell rows, dumbbell rows, or bodyweight/ring rows are effective options.
The Progression
[styled_table]| Week # | Day 1 | Day 2 | 2x/Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3×5 Push-Ups 3×5 Pull-Ups |
4×5 Push-Ups 4×5 Pull-Ups |
3 Near Max Planks 15 Push-Up Neg. 3×10 Barbell Rows OR Ring Rows 15 Pull-Up Negatives |
| Week 2 | 3×6 Push-Ups 3×6 Pull-Ups |
4×6 Push-Ups 4×6 Pull-Ups |
“ |
| Week 3 | 3×7 Push-Ups 3×7 Pull-Ups |
4×7 Push-Ups 4×7 Pull-Ups |
“ |
| Week 4 | 3×8 Push-Ups 3×8 Pull-Ups |
4×8 Push-Ups 4×8 Pull-Ups |
“ |
| Transition | Test Push-Ups at lower box height. Test Pull-Ups on a smaller band. |
Rest. | “ |
[/styled_table]
After the transition week, hopefully you can do 5 reps comfortably at a lower box height or smaller band. If you can’t, continue to increase the volume at the previous box height for another 2 weeks (9’s and 10’s). Repeat the transition week, and hopefully move on.
If at any point, you can’t do the prescribed volume, return to the beginning of the previous week, and continue from there. Hopefully the extra training will allow you to keep moving.