by Ed Thompson
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In my experience and through observation and reading it is clear to me that the most neglected area of the serious strength trainer is his ability to do pulling movements, which are devoid of lower body assistance, such as chin-ups.
How many times have you seen someone in the gym with a big bench press and a non-existent squat? I have literally seen 400 lb benchers struggle to do a set of full squats with 185 lbs. Conversely, although much more seldom, I have seen "squat monsters" doing darn close to 600 lbs on the squat who couldn't do "squat" relatively speaking, on the bench press. My point is that we all have proclivities to work some movements harder than others and over time that is what we determine what our strengths are.
While a bench press isolates the pushing prowess of the upper body, and squats develop the ability of the legs, hips, glutes, and lower back, popular pulling movements of even the most dedicated strength trainer tend to fall short because of the tremendous level of lower body influence on their execution.
Think about the following pulls: deadlifts, cleans, power cleans, snatches and high pulls all derive a tremendous amount of their impetus from the lower body.
Better than sixty-five percent of our musculature resides below our waistlines. Then, there is our upper body of which the overwhelming majority of muscle mass is in our backs. For many of us this is a virtually untapped and under recognized treasure of strength. While it is true that the aforementioned pulling movements do work the back, it is also true that to a great extent they lack isolation and intensity because of the heavy emphasis on the lower bodies contribution to pulling (which does not take place on pressing movements such as military presses, bench presses and dips which, while being compound movements, are isolated from the lower body.)
The question then, is how do we increase pure upper body pulling ability, which will in turn influence the strength and power of our body as a total unit? Exercises such as bent-over row and T-bar rows, when looked at critically (especially when the trainee uses lots of weight) tend to become momentum driven, utilizing the legs to gain advantage and thus robbing the back, and our pure upper body pulling apparatus of its full potential.
The answer is simple, yet brutal. Chin ups (underhand grip) and pull ups (overhand grip), rope climbing (without using the legs) and pegboards all allow for concentration on pure pulling strength devoid of lower body influence.
Many otherwise strong individuals have missed the mark on these critical movements. Over the years I have seen countless individuals capable of deadlifting in excess of 500 lbs, struggle to do ten dead hang pull ups. Excuses abound. Pull ups (I use this term interchangeably with chin ups) are claimed to be the province of gymnasts, acrobats, people weighing under 165 lbs. and individuals with "no real lower bodies, so it is easy for them to do pull ups."
"I'm not good at pull ups because I am heavy."
"I'm not good at pull ups because I have big legs."
"I have a big deadlift, who needs to do pull-ups?"
Pull-ups are a gut check. They are unglamorous and not often an "ego lift" for strength trainers. In a lot of cases the ability to handle ones weight on pull-ups is a good indication of ones state of body composition. It's harder to do pull-ups if you are lugging a lot of extra fat around. Of course even that is not definitive, as we shall see in a moment. The biggest reason people are bad at pull-ups is that they don't do them.
Factoids:
I have personally seen more than a few female athletes and strength trainers perform 10 to 15 pull ups at a time, routinely, from a dead hang. Who said women don't have the potential for strong upper bodies.
Undefeated heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano was credited in his biography of routinely doing over 30 pull-ups at a time as part of his training regimen (body weight in the 185 lbs. region.)
The July 1972 edition of "Sports Illustrated Magazine" did a pre Olympic profile of weightlifting icon Vasily Alexeyev. The super-heavyweight weightlifter from the former Soviet Union, often referred to as Uncle Vasily. He was reputed by the magazine [
pas sur de la source donc...] to be able to do more than 32 pull ups at a bodyweight in the mid 300 lbs. range. Talk about pure pulling strength.
Strength and Health magazine at the end of the 70’s beginning of the 80’s did an article on a father and son team who specialized in pull-ups. I am sketchy on the details but if memory serves they could do over 60 pull-ups apiece, and get this, the father was over sixty himself!!!
Jack Lalanne, on a TV show in the 1950's, did 1000 chins along with 1000 push ups in 1 hour 22 minutes. They weren't done consecutively.
Former WSM Jon Paul Sigmarssson did 25 consecutive pull-ups at 300 lbs bodyweight. [25x126kg]
Former bodybuilding great, Marvin Eder did 80 consecutive chins at 190 lbs. [mais aussi 8xBW+200lbs, soit 8x177kg]
Former WSM competitor and bodybuilder, Mike Dayton did 85 pull-ups at 198 lbs.
The most pull-ups ever done is 370 reps, by Lee Chin-Yong of Hong Kong at age 62 in 1988. Lee Chin-Yong was 5'3" tall and 130 lbs
Stop rationalizing and start pulling. Think of deadlifts, cleans, etc...As what they truly are, full body movements. Don't rob yourself of pure upper body pulling power, which will aid you in everything you do.
Here are some tips:
1. Before you run out and start buying all kinds of equipment for your home gym, erect a pull up bar (in a doorway). Make sure it is sturdy. This tiny investment takes up virtually no space and can provide you with the workout of your life.
2. Don't use wraps or any grip aids other than chalk for pull-ups.
3. Do all sorts of variations. Overhand, underhand, close grip etc... Be careful not to do overly wide grip pull-ups or pull ups behind the neck as these can affect shoulder stability.
4. Make a goal of being able to do at least 20 dead hang pull ups, and meet that goal. You can do it.
5. Eventually work up to doing weighted pull-ups.
6. As with all strength achievements do not look for overnight success. You want to do thirty-five dead hang pull-ups? Make a five-year plan. You want to be able to do some one-arm pull-ups? Make a five-year plan. The key...STICK TO IT!!!
7. Seek out a YMCA, high school gym or community center and learn how to climb a thick rope. Get supervision for this (we don't want you falling) and learn both hand over hand climbing as well as reach-and-grab climbing (rope climbing for speed-takes a lot of pulling strength.)
8. Once you become proficient at pull-ups and rope climbing, get a weight vest and wear it when you do your workouts. After a time you will be using a thirty-pound vest (they usually have variable weights) and you will have forgotten it is there. Imagine what un-weighted pull-ups will feel like afterwards.
9. Erect a sturdy 2" x 4" in your home, not too long and well supported and do pull-ups by grabbing the beam at its greatest width.
10. Practice two arm and one arm static holds for time and with weight to increase your grip strength.
11. Hang by one hand and pinch grip a couple of weight plates in another. Who knows? Maybe one day you will be able to do a one-arm pull-up while pinch gripping weights in your other hand. What a feat that will be.
13. Quit rationalizing. Pull-ups are essential to the well-rounded strength athlete. Start your pulling strength plan today.
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Tractions Dips/DC SQT SDT et voila
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