Pull-Up Strength While Bulking

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hey everyone.
So I’ve been bulking for the last 3 months, adding about 1.5 pounds per week during that period. While I’ve been seeing significant progress in most of my lifts, my pull up strength seems to be remaining relatively constant (I can, and have been able to do about 8 pull ups before failure on my first set).

Should I still be striving for more pull ups or adding weight, or can I assume that since I’m bulking at a rate of about 1.5 pds. / week, my strength has been increasing at a reasonable rate?

If my goal is to maintain strength when I start to cut in a few months, can I assume that my strength level on pull ups will require added weight to compensate for my then to be lower body weight?
Thanks.

2

That is the reason i use the lat pulldown…you can actually tell the progress your making…and don’t have to spend time calculating it!

3

another vote for the pulldown
Try it if you haven’t yet. See if you like it. I hate pullups and love the pulldown. My lats didn’t grow until I started doing them.

4

[quote]Clown Face wrote:
That is the reason i use the lat pulldown…you can actually tell the progress your making…and don’t have to spend time calculating it![/quote]

I use the lat pull down machine from time to time at my gym, but I like to use free weights/movements whenever possible as opposed to isolation machines. The general consensus seems to be that free weights are a better choice. Also, I work out at my college gym (usually packed), and with only one lat pull down machine, it can prove difficult to get in on it.

5

[quote]Spitzer1 wrote:
Clown Face wrote:
That is the reason i use the lat pulldown…you can actually tell the progress your making…and don’t have to spend time calculating it!

I use the lat pull down machine from time to time at my gym, but I like to use free weights/movements whenever possible as opposed to isolation machines. The general consensus seems to be that free weights are a better choice. Also, I work out at my college gym (usually packed), and with only one lat pull down machine, it can prove difficult to get in on it.
[/quote]
The lat pulldown is not an isolation machine, and that is not the general consensus.

6

I am no math guy for sure but if you are heavier and doing at least the same. I would think it is progression. Just sayin.

7

Weighted pullups > pulldowns

8

Doing both > choosing between one or the other.

9

i only just started doing pullups recently (2months) and i enjoy them heaps :slight_smile: much better than lat pulldowns cos u dont have a tendancy to cheat as much

/hijack - mr popular better make post #1000 a good one, go bag someone or something or i dont know, abuse Thibs or prof x or suck up to them, either way do something exciting…
im so lonely :wink:

10

Figure out what you can hang off a belt for three reps. As you bulk, see if you can increase that weight by as much as you’ve gained in body weight. Is it arbitrary? Yeah. But I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do it.

11

Never done pull-ups for a back exercise. Never have, never will. I can do em. I’ve got 12 when I was 235 and the next day I felt discomfort in my shoulders. Since then I said fuck it. I have greater width and thickness than all the trainers at my gym that religiously do pull-ups even with plates.

12

[quote]pro-a-ggression wrote:

/hijack - mr popular better make post #1000 a good one, go bag someone or something or i dont know, abuse thibs or prof x or suck up to them, either way do something exciting…
im so lonely ;)[/quote]

Done.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sex_girls_pictures_hot_pics_photo_women/post_whoring?pageNo=1#2832494

13

hahahaha nice… oh wait… fuck, should i have said this in that thread… eh!?

mr squiggle

14

Do pullups, pulldowns are for the pussies who don’t like lifting their body weight but would rather sit down and pull a bar down. I’m not saying pulldowns suck but pullups are better. So sure yeah do your pulldowns but make sure you’re doing your pullups too.

16

Wasn’t this the bodybuilding forum once?

For lat width:
properly performed Rack Chins > Limited (bottom half) ROM Pullups/Pulldowns > Full Rom Pullups/Pulldowns.

(what’s next, “you either have standing strict military presses in your routine, or you’re a pussy”… “If you don’t Flatbench, you’re a pussy!” ?)

17

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Wasn’t this the bodybuilding forum once?

For lat width:
properly performed Rack Chins > Limited (bottom half) ROM Pullups/Pulldowns > Full Rom Pullups/Pulldowns.

[/quote]

So from your flow chart, you’re saying Rack chins are better than the others right? I’m just making sure I’m reading it correctly.

Also, after continuously hearing the term “Rack Chins” and not knowing wtf it was, I just checked it out on youtube. I know I can’t pass judgment because I have never performed them but, they just look like a pussy version of a pull up or chin. Why are they superior?

18

[quote]rudilerm wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Wasn’t this the bodybuilding forum once?

For lat width:
properly performed Rack Chins > Limited (bottom half) ROM Pullups/Pulldowns > Full Rom Pullups/Pulldowns.

So from your flow chart, you’re saying Rack chins are better than the others right? I’m just making sure I’m reading it correctly.
[/quote] Better in the context of building latwidth for most people. [quote]
Also, after continuously hearing the term “Rack Chins” and not knowing wtf it was, I just checked it out on youtube. I know I can’t pass judgment because I have never performed them but, they just look like a pussy version of a pull up or chin. Why are they superior?[/quote]

Of course they look like a pussy version. Who gives a fuck?
Yet they build latwidth so much better for most people (when performed correctly).

Great stretch, no cheating…

(There were some pics of Justin Harris’ before and after lat-spread in the DoggCrapp thread… He practically had no lats before despite being big…)

Bodybuilding isn’t about doing exercises just for the sake of doing those exercises.
So if something looks awkward, but is worth the trouble… Why complain?

Btw, when referring to limited ROM pull-ups/chins I meant:
(lo and behold, he isn’t even a bodybuilder and still thinks like that… Judging from his back, he may be doing something right)

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=89100&tid=126

19

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
rudilerm wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Wasn’t this the bodybuilding forum once?

For lat width:
properly performed Rack Chins > Limited (bottom half) ROM Pullups/Pulldowns > Full Rom Pullups/Pulldowns.

So from your flow chart, you’re saying Rack chins are better than the others right? I’m just making sure I’m reading it correctly.
Better in the context of building latwidth for most people.
Also, after continuously hearing the term “Rack Chins” and not knowing wtf it was, I just checked it out on youtube. I know I can’t pass judgment because I have never performed them but, they just look like a pussy version of a pull up or chin. Why are they superior?

Of course they look like a pussy version. Who gives a fuck?
Yet they build latwidth so much better for most people (when performed correctly).

Great stretch, no cheating…

(There were some pics of Justin Harris’ before and after lat-spread in the DoggCrapp thread… He practically had no lats before despite being big…)

Bodybuilding isn’t about doing exercises just for the sake of doing those exercises.
So if something looks awkward, but is worth the trouble… Why complain?

Btw, when referring to limited ROM pull-ups/chins I meant:
(lo and behold, he isn’t even a bodybuilder and still thinks like that… Judging from his back, he may be doing something right)

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=89100&tid=126

[/quote]

Ok cool, fair enough. I might try them and see what the fuss is all about. Lol the dumbbells in that video above the chins are hilariously big.

20

[quote]rudilerm wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Wasn’t this the bodybuilding forum once?

For lat width:
properly performed Rack Chins > Limited (bottom half) ROM Pullups/Pulldowns > Full Rom Pullups/Pulldowns.

So from your flow chart, you’re saying Rack chins are better than the others right? I’m just making sure I’m reading it correctly.

Also, after continuously hearing the term “Rack Chins” and not knowing wtf it was, I just checked it out on youtube. I know I can’t pass judgment because I have never performed them but, they just look like a pussy version of a pull up or chin. Why are they superior?[/quote]

At first I thought rack chins were more a back thickness exercise than a back width one, but I realized I confused them with the fat man pull ups.
Unless you are huge and so unable to lift you own BW for a decent amount of reps I don’t really get the point of doing those rack chins, to me the movement pattern seems very similar to the chin ups.