I don’t know how much info do you need here but:
I used to be able to do 8-10 pull ups per set about 6 months ago. Now I barely can bang out 4-6 per set.
I can’t figure out what’s going on here. Only thing I can think of, is me gaining 25 lbs since then. All my other lifts went up in weight.
What could be the issue here?
Thanks for any kind of help
sounds like you took six months off of doing pullups. put them back into your routine and i bet you will get back up to 8-10reps.
[quote]JaX Un wrote:
sounds like you took six months off of doing pullups. put them back into your routine and i bet you will get back up to 8-10reps.[/quote]
This.
I actually haven’t. I saw it gradually go down. I didn’t think much of it, just thought that I’m tired those few times I did notice the number going down. I used to do that easy even if I did a pull movement before. I even cut out or switched cleans to go after pull ups.
Could it be that for some reason I started doing them wrong w/o noticing? It feels different now when I do them. Back then my triceps would fry first and would restrict me from going more. Now I just can’t seem to have the strength to pull myself up that many times.
This might be it, and might make me look completely stupid, but: can it be the deadlifts?
I’m just trying to figure this out
Just do it before deadlifts and see. Also, did you really mean triceps? or biceps fry first?
triceps. i know, it’s weird but that’s what happened and i can’t explain it
now when i keep thinking about it, it seems that i used narrower grip and as i pulled up my elbows went “forward” and now i’m using a wider grip and my elbows “flare to the sides”
does that make sense?
I have seen plenty of this as a military training instructor it is actually quite common.
Could be one or more of the following:
1.) Your initial form and technique were incorrect but at a lower body weight you could get away with it and may not even have noticed. eg. shitty kipping, knee pumping, arm jerking, bad grip, etc. Really skinny lean guys seemed to have this problem as soon as they gained a few kg. Heavier guys who lost weight but gained muscle also suffered due to being less flexible and tighter.
Solution: You may have to re-learn the movement. Rack chins would be a good start and focus on your close grip chin-ups/pull-ups first as they seem to help push guys numbers (reps) up again (I have no idea why… grip? less cheat? longer pull?)
2.) You gained weight (either fat or muscle…we’ll go with the later on this one) and maybe are even less flexible now due to the new muscle growth. Being heavier and tighter makes the movement more challenging. When I drop my weight down in the low 70s (kg) I can do well over 60 dead hang pull-ups or chin-ups, but now that I am gaining weight again (now at 82 kg) I am knocking out only 35 pull-ups and 42 chin-ups (dead hangs); my back and shoulders are tight as shit.
Solution: You just need time to adapt to the increased body weight and stretch out those tighter less flexible muscle groups in the upper body.
3.) Weak Grip… also could be related to the weight gain.
Solution: Do you use straps on your rows and deadlifts? Maybe stop to get your grip strength back. Try some heavy wrist rolling (supported preferable), reverse wide barbell curls, heavy spring hand grippers, etc. One great grip and forearm exercise is the Hanging Knees to Elbows (great for abs too). Hang from a high bar and try to perform 30 to 50 straight reps of touching your knees to your elbows without coming down off the bar; your arms will be screaming.
4.) Overtraining/Under Recovery; don’t much believe in overtraining per say but definitely in under recovery. For some pull-ups and chin-ups are extremely demanding compound movements and it takes everything they got to get up to the bar.
Solution: You may just need some rest and time away from them or vice versa you may have to hit them harder.
All said and done I would definitely add some Rack Chins to your training. At the top of the movement make sure to touch at least the top of your chest to the bar and hold it there for a good two-three seconds.
This has happened to me several times in the past year. Pullups have been my only vertical pulling movement and sometimes you just stall out. No biggie. Just switch out pullups for a month or so and focus on rows and pulldowns or rack chins and when you come back to pullups I have a feeling they will be better.
Thanks guys!
Ricochet- thanks for taking out time to write this up. You pretty much might be right on the money here with everything except over training. As far as weak grip goes-yeah now that’s what’s limiting me in exercises like deadlifts and cleans and stuff like that. I could do more weight, but my grip gives out. I was gonna just get me some straps, but I reconsidered it, and gonna train my grip instead as I see this as a better solution in the long term. Thanks for the advice
You gained weight, making 1 pullup, 25 pounds heavier.
very good post, ricochet
[quote]tw0scoops2 wrote:
You gained weight, making 1 pullup, 25 pounds heavier.[/quote]
x2.
ALSO of the 25lbs how much is fat? How much is sub-cut water? And how much is in the lower limbs?
6’1" , 162lb (I’m assuming pre weight gain)
187lb after weight gain
162lb x 10reps = 1620 total poundage per set
187lb x 6 = 1122
idk where I’m going with this… um… eat more
[quote]jCaesar88 wrote:
triceps. i know, it’s weird but that’s what happened and i can’t explain it
now when i keep thinking about it, it seems that i used narrower grip and as i pulled up my elbows went “forward” and now i’m using a wider grip and my elbows “flare to the sides”
does that make sense?[/quote]
The long head of the triceps helps the lats with abduction. So, Yes, they can get fried. And a wider grip is more difficult than narrow, imo, or at least it is for me.