That is a very cool and impressive goal.
I can’t really provide you with a whole program, as designing and selling programs is a big part of how I make my living.
But I’ll make a few recommendations:
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At your level of strength on the chin-up you may very well have to use a specialization approach to keep progressing. A specialization approach means that your training is focused on binging up one lift (or 1-2 body parts). That lift is trained more frequently (I like 3x a week) and the assistance work for that lift is also increased (more weekly volume). Specialization is especially effective for strength as the higher frequency allows for better neuromuscular improvements, which, especially on a chin-up, is super important.
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“When you put something in, you must take something out”. As for specialization work, people understand (and, often, like) having to add frequency and volume for the spec lift/assistance work. But they normally don’t apply the second half of the equation: reducing the amount of work for “other stuff”. The overall weekly volume of your spec plan should not be higher than your normal volume. Especially if strength is your goal. Increasing overall volume will drain your nervous system more and make it hard to perform optimally on your chin-up workouts. You should train everything except the chin-up and the key muscles involved: back, biceps, rear delts, grip) at maintenance volume; that’s around 1/3rd if your normal volume for everything except chin-ups and it’s related work. Heck, when Chris Duffin was training to be able to squat 1000lbs x 2 reps ALL he did was his squat workout. He didn’t train any other lift during his whole “prep” to preserve as much neuromuscular capacity as possible.
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At your level, I like an Omni-Contraction approach for the chin-up. That means focusing on all three types of contractions, each on its own day. For example:
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Monday: Chin-up work with eccentric focus (more on the methods later)
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Wednesday: Chin-up work with stato-dynamic or isometric focus
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Friday: Chin-up work with concentric focus (normal work)
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The eccentric-focus day will help develop tendons and connective tissue resiliency. The stato-dynamic and isometric work will improve joint stability and allow you to focus on the weak link in the chain.
- The maintenance work for the “rest of the body” can either be done on a fourth workout (ideally Saturday) or you can keep 3 weekly workouts and do a small amount of maintenance work at the end of each workout.
I would periodize the different days this way:
Block 1 (weeks 1-4)
Eccentric focus day: Slow eccentric, normal concentric. I would lengthen the duration of the eccentric phase from week to week, while attempting to at least keep using the same weight (if you can add weight, it’s a bonus). For example:
Week 1: 3-4 work sets of 3 reps with a true 4-seconds eccentric
Week 2: 3-4 work sets of 3 reps with a true 6-seconds eccentric
Week 3: 3-4 work sets of 3 reps with a true 8-seconds eccentric
Week 4: 1-2 work sets of 1-2 reps with a true 10-seconds eccentric
Stato-dynamic/isometric focus day: You include holds during each repetitions. You progress by doing the holds in more difficult positions while trying t keep using the same weight (if you can add weight, it’s a bonus)
Week 1: 3-4 work sets of 3 reps with three 2-seconds holds on each reps, during the eccentric (top, mid-range, close to bottom but not fully extended)
Week 2: 3-4 work sets of 3 reps with three 2-seconds holds on each rep; 2 during the eccentric phase (top, mid-range) and 1 during the concentric (mid-range)
Week 3: 3-4 work sets of 3 reps with three 2-seconds holds on each rep; 1 during the eccentric (mid-range) and 2 during the concentric (near the bottom but not fully extended, mid-range)
Week 4: 1-2 work sets of 3 reps with three 2-seconds holds on each rep; all 3 holds are during the concentric (bottom, mid, top)
Concentric focus day: in this first phase instead of doing a normal chin-up/pull-up you will do sternum chins. Meaning that instead of pulling until the bar is at your neck/shoulders, you pull until the bar is at your nipples/low chest.
Week 1: Work up to a 5RM then do 2 sets of 5 reps with 90% of that 5RM
Week 2: Work up to a 4RM then do 2 sets of 4 reps with 90% of that 4RM
Week 3: Work up to a 3RM then do 2 sets of 3 reps with 90% of that 3RM
Week 4: Work up to a 2RM
Block 2 (weeks 5-8)
Eccentric-focus day: Here I would start each set with ONE very slow eccentric (10 seconds) then immediately do 2 reps with a normal tempo, and finish your set by doing one last rep with the slowest eccentric that you can still do at that point. Progression will be done via volume. If you can add weight, it’s a bonus (but not mandatory):
Week 5: 2 work sets as explained above
Week 6: 3 work sets
Week 7: 4 work sets
Week 8: 1 work set
Stato-dynamic/isometric day: Same principle as during the first block, but now we only use ONE hold per rep. Do the hold around your weak point in the chin-up. Progress by adding volume. If you can add weight, it’s a bonus.
Week 5: 3 x 3
Week 6: 4 x 3
Week 7: 5 x 3
Week 8: 2 x 3
Concentric focus day: in this phase, you don’t want to push the weight or volume too much. See it as a phase to work on technical efficiency and retaining the feeling or heavy loading.
Week 5: 6 x 3 @ 75-80% (of the total weight, body weight + added load)
Week 6: 8 x 2 @ 80-85%
Week 7: 10 x 1 @ 85-90%
Week 8: 3 x 1 @ 90-92.5%
Block 3 (weeks 9-12)
Eccentric-focus day: This is an overload block. Perform heavy negatives (only perform the eccentric part).
Week 9: Use around 100-105% and perform 1 negative rep as slowly as humanly possible. Perform 3 x 1
Week 10: Use around 105-107.5% and perform 1 negative rep as slowly as possible. Perform 3 x 1
Week 11: Use 107.5-110%. Perform 3 x 1
Week 12: Use 110-112.5%. Perform 2 x 1
Stato-dynamic focus day: Here you will do partial reps from a paused position: start in the finished position, lower yourself until the elbows are around 90 degrees, pause for 2 seconds and pull yourself up.
Week 9: 3 x 5
Week 10: 3 x 3 (more weight)
Week 11: 3 x 2 (more weight)
Week 12: 3 x 1 (more weight)
Concentric-focus day
Week 9: Work up to a solid 3RM
Week 10: Work up to a solid 2RM
Week 11: Perform 3 x 2 with 90% of what you reached on week 10
Week 12: Work up to a 1RM
