Zeb- one further point on the peaking program. You started off with 33% of your projected max but it is not clear what your current single set max was at the time and what increase you achieved.
What projected maxes should be used if moving up from say 10 or 15 reps? Although we may all like to jump 5 reps, perhaps a 20% increase or only 2 reps if working from 10 might be more realistic or is this too conservative?
Also, if we’re aiming for 12-15 push-ups, the 3% increases don’t really translate to a full rep like they do with 30 reps. Should we just average out the total number of reps for that session.
Ex: Aiming for 15 push-ups
5 sets at 43% would be 32 total push-ups. So would 7,7,7,6,6 be good?
peterm533,
It really depends upon what level you are at. If you can currently perform 10 clean dead hang chins a goal of 15 or so is reasonable. That is 50% of your current max. However, if your best is 20 reps going to 30 that quickly may present some problems. In this case a goal of 25%, or 5 reps is more realisitic.
zulu,
Your goals can be a bit more lofty if you are currently at 10 to 15 reps, as I stated in the above post. Don’t be afraid to have a short term goal of 40% to 50%!
Thanks Zeb.
Sorry to labour the point but can you revisit the non peaking program?
On two sessions a week how would you set up the sets/reps assuming that a single set of high reps through the peaking program is the ultimate goal.
Somewhere in there presumably some consideration will not to be given to working partials as you previously advised.
Lastly- push up prog?
Give me your current total and I will be glad to write a 6 week program for you.
You may PM me if you like.
ZEB- I sent you a PM. Did you get it?
Zeb, thanks for this post it is definitly an informative read.
I do have a question pertaining to my chinup ability that I was hoping you could help me with however.
I have been doing 3-4 sets of max rep chinups 2 times a week to try to get my total up. I still am plagued by the same problem I have always had however. My first set I can bang out 12 reps no problem but the reps of subsiquent sets seems to fall exponentially. IE the reps done will look like: 12,7,6,4. This happens even if I rest 2 mins between sets. Do you have any specific suggestions that will help me with this problem? Obviously I will keep banging out the chins/pullups but I was wondering if anything specific could be done to address this.
Thanks a lot.
OK, sorry guys. Last night I just found out I am a liar.
I tried high rep chins for the first time in over a year. I guess I can’t do 20. I used to be able to. I got 17, and barely got my chin over for the 17th.
I still think 17 is pretty good for my size and weight, but it’s not 20, like I claimed earlier. I’m sure if I trained for reps I could get back to 20 in a month or so, but that’s not my goal.
I just wanted to clear the air, and after Zeb wrote that he has never seen anyone over 15% bf do 20, I had to “prove” that I could. Oops. Sorry for lying.
Anyway, my obsession with the one arm chin is growing and starting Monday my training will be based on accomplishing it. I will train chins and pull ups 3-4 days a week and the rest of my workout will be sort of a maintenance mode.
In all honesty it may take me through the rest of the year to accomplish a one armed chin, but I’m prepared. I will open a new post on my chin workouts for the nation to watch my progress. Wish me luck.
Get on the bar,
Todd
blam,
The number one reason that your sets are dropping off so drastically is lack of rest!
When you are performing even close to max reps per set you need at least 4:00 rest in between. Somtimes as much as up to 6:00 rest depending on your own level of fitness.
I have performed four sets of 20+ reps with a 3:30-4:00 rest in between. However, if I were to rest only 2:00 I would be getting more like 15 per set.
It’s all about rest when you are attempting those high rep sets!
maloneted,
You are not a liar if you really thought you could do them, which you did. By the way, 17 consecutive dead hang chins is fantastic! Congrats!
ZEB,
just wanted to say I think this is one of the best programs I’ve seen to date on T-Nation. For me the most effective too. i’ve been suffering from acute shin splints for the last six weeks. (they’re getting better thanks to help from the t-folk on this forum.) In looking for good exercises in the gym that would help me stay off my feet none served me better than pull/chin-ups. After reading your article I decided to stay away from the pull-down machine and just “do” the chins. I put them first in my work out and train using them 2/3 times a week.
From being able to do 2 chins (ridiculously low starting point I know) I have progressed to 14 dead hang chin-ups in about six weeks. my body is responding fabulously to it and I am loving the routine. I aim to hit the 20 rep range by the end of september but I have to say it gets harder to add the extra rep. Maybe I’ll start adding weighted chins to the program and see how it goes from there.
Negatives really helped a lot. Staying away from the gravitron and pull down was key though. I’d just keep putting myself back on the bar during the course of an hour’s workout until I could do no more chins at all. This really helped. In between I’d do my regular workout, and on back days I’d incorporate a lot of heavy rowing on a hammerstrength lever machine.
r-s
[quote]raoulsam wrote:
From being able to do 2 chins (ridiculously low starting point I know) I have progressed to 14 dead hang chin-ups in about six weeks.
r-s[/quote]
Man, that’s absolutely awesome.
I am pleased with it but keep in mind that I only weigh 155lbs so it’s not that awesome. If I had to lug 210lbs up a chin bar I’d be on 2 all over again.
I only started working out a couple of years back. (I used to weigh 127 lbs at 5’ 10"). It’s all quite new to me, but T-Mag helps a great deal.
excellent article, ZEB. thanks for sharing the wealth 
chins/pulls have really been a weakness with me, my best has bee 8 proper in a row. want to increase that to a SAFE 12 for many sets. your advice will take me there!
raolsam,
While I love to do weighted Chins, I am not a big fan of weighted Chins if you are trying to increase your numbers strictly for reps!
Congratulations on doing so well on my program! You will be at 20 in no time!
If any of you guys find your progress slowing try to figure out where your sticking point is. If it’s at the top then begin adding just one or two sets of half reps at the top part of the movement.
I hope so. It’s a worthy goal to aspire to.
When’s your push-up training article going to appear?
R-S
[quote]ZEB wrote:
If any of you guys find your progress slowing try to figure out where your sticking point is. If it’s at the top then begin adding just one or two sets of half reps at the top part of the movement.
[/quote]
ZEB,
My sticking point is and has always been at the top, so I am going to devote most of my training to weighted isometrics at the top of the chin. A gymnastics coach wrote a short article on this subject in which he reports that training one-arm lockoffs endowed him with excellent weighted chin strength and respectable chin endurance.
I’ll let you all know what this isometric work does for me; I am optimistic.
What arm 1 arm lockoffs?