Pull-Ups Progression

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

I’ve been running a 531 variation and have already seen progress. I’ve gone from 185x5 (barely) to 185x9 (fast) on the squat, very quickly.

Part of the program is getting chin-up/pull-up work in between sets. I can get 5 or so chin-ups (no kipping), with slow negatives so thats not the problem. I cannot pull myself up with a wide pronated pull-up grip however.

How should I go about progressing pull-ups when I can’t get a true one as of right now? How should I go about strengthening my lats/traps/back so I can get pull-ups into my routine.

2

just do chins. Once you get bitchin’ at them you’ll be able to do pull ups.

3

[quote=“kingbrady, post:1, topic:214086”]
I can get 5 or so chin-ups (no kipping), with slow negatives so thats not the problem. I cannot pull myself up with a wide pronated pull-up grip however.[/quote]

This is kinda like saying “I can back squat 185 for 9, but I can’t front squat 185x1. Why not?” They’re different exercises with different leverages and different muscle recruitment. Keep doing what you’re doing.

Nothing at all wrong with sticking with chin-ups and getting them up to 10+ reps, and then think about working on pull-ups. If it’s really bothering you (which it shouldn’t), there are a ton of pull-up articles right here. Pretty much any one of them can help, but they often put pull-ups into the forefront of training.

Since you’re just getting on a roll with your current plan, I, again, suggest sticking with the chins for quite a while longer.

1 Like
4

I couldn’t do pull-ups with a good ROM previously, so I stuck to doing chin-ups.

For reasons that I cannot explain on my own, I became able to do pull-ups with full ROM for a couple of reps when I started doing weighted chin-ups.

So try weighted chin-ups when you get a chance. Mind you, I was capable of doing 10+ chin-ups before I started on the weighted ones.

5

As a beginner nothing wrong with doing lat pulldowns now and then especially if your gym has Hammer pulldowns.