Pullups

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I noticed in a thread on a training split that it included band assisted pullups in the 6-8 rep range.

A few questions for everyone

How many pull-ups can you do cold on any given day?

Can you do a muscle up?

What is your primary reason for training? (BB, PL, sport specific, ECT)

Do you regularly do pull-ups?

What do you weigh?
 

Robdjents

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I train for pl/skiing
I usually do sets of 12 to 15 but could probably do a few more...if I had to just take a guess I think I could do 30 straight I’d have to try ...never tried muscle up
I weigh 191 pounds
 

Adrenolin

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At my best, several 30 rep sets of chinups at 250-275lbs. Pullups; 20 rep sets in the same weight range. Always chose a decently thick tree branch in my parents yard to do them. Had a pull up bar, but the branch felt way better

Currently, probably 6-8 max.
 

quackattack

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Probably could do 15 straight.

Never tried a muscle up.

I train following more of a powerlifting style.

Do pull ups a couple times a week and try to shoot for 50.

Weigh around 203.
 

CJ

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These answers are from ~20 pounds ago...

~20 super strict, dead hang to clavicles touching the bar. Was a metric I tested occasionally.

Can do many MUs, both strict and kipping. I have a CF background, was part of the sport.

Train mainly for body composition now.

Don't do pullups often anymore, when I do now, it's usually with a neutral/hammer grip.

Current weight is 203 lbs.
 

Mind2muscle

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I can do 15 pull-ups with good form. Usually do them 2x/week. Have always done them since I was a teen. Current weight is 191.


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Mind2muscle

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These answers are from ~20 pounds ago...

~20 super strict, dead hang to clavicles touching the bar. Was a metric I tested occasionally.

Can do many MUs, both strict and kipping. I have a CF background, was part of the sport.

Train mainly for body composition now.

Don't do pullups often anymore, when I do now, it's usually with a neutral/hammer grip.

Current weight is 203 lbs.

Muscle ups seem like a complex movement that I’ve never attempted but can definitely appreciate. Any advice or tips if I were to give them a shot?


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CJ

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Muscle ups seem like a complex movement that I’ve never attempted but can definitely appreciate. Any advice or tips if I were to give them a shot?


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If doing them strict, 3 main things are...

1st is to use a false grip, which will keep the rings a couple of inches closer. Doesn't seem like much, but it matters. A change in the pivot point by a few inches might as well be a mile. Tape your wrists, specifically the boney point on the inside of your wrist underneath the pinky finger. It will blister and tear. Chalk the tape for added grip, tape is slippery.

2nd is to hold a tight hollow body position. This will enable your body to roll itself forward over the rings once you pass the fulcrum point. Think of walking up a see-saw, once the majority of the weight is past the pivot point, it rolls over. Keep the rings as close to your body as you can through the entirety of the movement.

3rd is just having the requisite flexibility to be able to do the movement.

Kipping is entirely different, it's all hips and timing, and getting the movement pattern down. Really tough to explain via text.
 

Mind2muscle

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If doing them strict, 3 main things are...

1st is to use a false grip, which will keep the rings a couple of inches closer. Doesn't seem like much, but it matters. A change in the pivot point by a few inches might as well be a mile. Tape your wrists, specifically the boney point on the inside of your wrist underneath the pinky finger. It will blister and tear. Chalk the tape for added grip, tape is slippery.

2nd is to hold a tight hollow body position. This will enable your body to roll itself forward over the rings once you pass the fulcrum point. Think of walking up a see-saw, once the majority of the weight is past the pivot point, it rolls over. Keep the rings as close to your body as you can through the entirety of the movement.

3rd is just having the requisite flexibility to be able to do the movement.

Kipping is entirely different, it's all hips and timing, and getting the movement pattern down. Really tough to explain via text.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Are rings a requirement for beginning muscle uppers such as my self? My gym doesn’t have rings unfortunately but many pull-up bars.


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CJ

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Thanks for the detailed explanation. Are rings a requirement for beginning muscle uppers such as my self? My gym doesn’t have rings unfortunately but many pull-up bars.


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I found the bar to be MUCH harder. I never could quite get one strict on a bar, yet could string many together on rings.

With a bar, your body has to go around it, whereas with rings your body goes through them. Your weight is just further out from the axis point with a bar.
 

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I found the bar to be MUCH harder. I never could quite get one strict on a bar, yet could string many together on rings.

With a bar, your body has to go around it, whereas with rings your body goes through them. Your weight is just further out from the axis point with a bar.
I do have athletic metrics that I've always maintained as things I'm not allowed to outgrow. When I found out a few years ago that Martins maintains the ability to do a muscle up no matter how big he gets I implemented that as a fitness metric I'm required to hit as well.

I've only ever done them on a bar with a little swing but no kipping.
 
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OldeBull1

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I noticed in a thread on a training split that it included band assisted pullups in the 6-8 rep range.

A few questions for everyone

How many pull-ups can you do cold on any given day?

Can you do a muscle up?

What is your primary reason for training? (BB, PL, sport specific, ECT)

Do you regularly do pull-ups?

What do you weigh?
Old time Marine here, so I was born and raised on pullups.
I'm 43, 215lbs. These days, I train for strength and size. I want to lift heavy weight, and look like a guy who lifts heavy weights. In a past life, I was into PL and Strongman
Can't muscle up.
I do pull-ups regularly, 2-3 times a week. I tend to pair them with squats and overhead presses. Maybe it's in my head, but I believe the hanging helps counterbalance the spinal compression from squats and overheads.
I'm good for 12-14 reps. I prefer volume, 50-100 reps per session, over the course of a lot of sets.
 
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MrBafner

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At a lighter weight could do heaps of pullups (maybe 30), but never achieved a muscle up (close, but no banana).
At a heavier weight .. sets of 10 down to 5 is a good day and firmly believe I never want to achieve a muscle up (lol, far out of my reach).

My son, could muscle up a lot on rings or the bar and looked amazing. He could do all kinds of pullups as well (some pretty fancy shit) .. but now he is nearly 20kg heavier, he'd be lucky to do 5 mups on the bar, pullups he still does but none of the fancy stuff.
 

OldeBull1

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Those that do muscle ups, why? I'm not knocking it, I just don't get it myself. It seems to me like there is a lot of risk versus reward.
Is there a training benefit (result in gains of strength or size), or is it more of a trick, doing them because you can?
 

CJ

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Those that do muscle ups, why? I'm not knocking it, I just don't get it myself. It seems to me like there is a lot of risk versus reward.
Is there a training benefit (result in gains of strength or size), or is it more of a trick, doing them because you can?
Just a party trick, in my opinion. Like you said, the risks more than likely outweigh the benefits.

Unless it's part of a sport, like gymnastics, I would never recommend them to anyone.
 

OldeBull1

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Just a party trick, in my opinion. Like you said, the risks more than likely outweigh the benefits.

Unless it's part of a sport, like gymnastics, I would never recommend them to anyone.
And don't get me wrong CJ, there is nothing wrong with that, if it's what you want to do. I don't compete, there is no reason I should train for a 500lb deadlift, other than I can. At my age, the risk outweighs the reward. Sometimes you do things just because you can, you set goals just because you want to.
 
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69nites

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Those that do muscle ups, why? I'm not knocking it, I just don't get it myself. It seems to me like there is a lot of risk versus reward.
Is there a training benefit (result in gains of strength or size), or is it more of a trick, doing them because you can?
I don't like the idea of being jacked and useless. I added them in strictly because it's an easy test of my ability to climb up something.

It's not going to give me any strength or size. It's proving to myself that I didn't get big at the cost of being physically useless.

Regardless of how big I get I like to be able to climb a tree, run a 5k, hike a marathon, wheelie a bicycle, box 5 rounds. 220 when I was young or 280 now. I like being physically capable of doing the same stuff. Maybe I can't do it all day like when I was 20 but I try not to have a story about something I used to do all the time that I can't do once now.
 
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I can do an average of 15 pull-ups but never tried muscle-ups. I train for my personal goals-- a healthier lifestyle.
 

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