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Pull-up Challenge


EricMilfeld

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Okay, so I took into account the suggestions I received from my last video, and here's an updated PR.

My chin clearing the bar was a bit hard to see, but keep in mind that it's at a tilted angle. You can judge for yourself though.

BW127+79lbs Weighted Pull Up

Getting closer to my goal of 100#s weighted!

Yori, you're demonstrating some very impressive strength, but it doesn't appear the bottom of your chin has cleared the top of where the bar would be. Perhaps you actually did clear it, but the vantage point in the video doesn't demonstrate that.

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Matrix, it appeared that you "most likely" cleared the bar, but it's not possible to say so conclusively. It's just not a good angle to video. Yes, Steve had his pull-up passed from the same angle, but his height was so exaggerated that it was obviously legit. I don't mean to be a pain in the butt about it, but pull-ups are like gripper closes in that they get progressively harder as you near completion. So, we need to be sure the chin clears the bar. I don't know how most guys are, but I can perform a pull-up to within an inch or two of completion with twenty or thirty pounds more than I can do with a full range of motion.

For future reference guys, try to video at or near bar level from the front or off to the side.

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It's harder to judge with the split bars, but I have to agree with Eric, a video from a better angle would help. Yori - you're a beast! Like I said, I have done split bar for comps, and it's got it's pros & cons. Pros - you don't have to worry about smashing your throat on the bar. Cons - it's harder to judge, and harder to know in training that for sure the chin cleared.

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It's harder to judge with the split bars, but I have to agree with Eric, a video from a better angle would help. Yori - you're a beast! Like I said, I have done split bar for comps, and it's got it's pros & cons. Pros - you don't have to worry about smashing your throat on the bar. Cons - it's harder to judge, and harder to know in training that for sure the chin cleared.

Maybe he could use a bunjee cord.

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Matrix, it appeared that you "most likely" cleared the bar, but it's not possible to say so conclusively. It's just not a good angle to video. Yes, Steve had his pull-up passed from the same angle, but his height was so exaggerated that it was obviously legit. I don't mean to be a pain in the butt about it, but pull-ups are like gripper closes in that they get progressively harder as you near completion. So, we need to be sure the chin clears the bar. I don't know how most guys are, but I can perform a pull-up to within an inch or two of completion with twenty or thirty pounds more than I can do with a full range of motion.

For future reference guys, try to video at or near bar level from the from or off to the side.

Thanks for the heads up Eric. Next attempt I'm either going to have to get a pass at a buddies gym and try it or try and use two video cameras with the rear having the same angle so you see my full body and then the other mounted on the other side higher up to see my chin clear the bar. Only struggle is that to go any higher I'd end up smashing my face into the ceiling again. The one draw back with having an area with low ceilings.

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Okay, so I took into account the suggestions I received from my last video, and here's an updated PR.

My chin clearing the bar was a bit hard to see, but keep in mind that it's at a tilted angle. You can judge for yourself though.

BW127+79lbs Weighted Pull Up

Getting closer to my goal of 100#s weighted!

Yori, you're demonstrating some very impressive strength, but it doesn't appear the bottom of your chin has cleared the top of where the bar would be. Perhaps you actually did clear it, but the vantage point in the video doesn't demonstrate that.

I'll go back to the gym and try for an updated PR with 85 lbs weight.

I have a better angle in mind that would show my chin position.

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One thing you could try - take some masking tape and run some across the top of the handles, so it's clear that your chin went above. If you were repping out, this wouldn't method wouldn't hold up, but since you're going for a 1 rep max, it should be good enough.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Have not read through the thread so might have been said but terry hollands would be very good at this challenge. He's done sets of 8-10 reps at over 400lbs.

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Have not read through the thread so might have been said but terry hollands would be very good at this challenge. He's done sets of 8-10 reps at over 400lbs.

When I see big guys doing pull-ups, and by big I am talking about over 300 pounds, they are almost NEVER doing full ROM. Of course, that doesn't mean they are ineffective or anything... if guys are doing 3 inch ROM bench presses, why not limited-rom pull-ups, right?

For example, Worlds Strongest Man competitor (not sure if he has won) Derek Poundstone, who I believe weighs around 340# and is ripped, couldn't get his chin over the bar even in the FIRST rep in this video, although he got fairly close. On rep number two it is even clearer his chin did not reach the bar, and every rep after that he reaches lower and lower. He is obviously a very strong man anyways and this is not mean to sound as a critique to him, just pointing out that the 350# and 400# club are indeed extremely tough to achieve!

Here is the link.

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As one toward the 'heavier' side of the spectrum, I will also say that pull-ups to the underside of the chin, or neck, or chest are also hell on the elbows and forearm flexor tendons. I'm going to be experimenting with some programming and movements to get around this, but tendonitis from this has been limiting my progress as of late. Dan John mentioned that he doesn't think people over 40 should do more than 20 pull-ups in a workout, because of the impact on the elbows. I'm not sure I agree with that yet, but there's definitely something to beware of.

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As one toward the 'heavier' side of the spectrum, I will also say that pull-ups to the underside of the chin, or neck, or chest are also hell on the elbows and forearm flexor tendons. I'm going to be experimenting with some programming and movements to get around this, but tendonitis from this has been limiting my progress as of late. Dan John mentioned that he doesn't think people over 40 should do more than 20 pull-ups in a workout, because of the impact on the elbows. I'm not sure I agree with that yet, but there's definitely something to beware of.

What about on rings?

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Yes, certainly rings, chin-ups, partials, etc., all help to relieve the stress at the extreme of the ROM, but for strict pull-ups, it's hard to avoid the stress.

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Have not read through the thread so might have been said but terry hollands would be very good at this challenge. He's done sets of 8-10 reps at over 400lbs.

When I see big guys doing pull-ups, and by big I am talking about over 300 pounds, they are almost NEVER doing full ROM. Of course, that doesn't mean they are ineffective or anything... if guys are doing 3 inch ROM bench presses, why not limited-rom pull-ups, right?

For example, Worlds Strongest Man competitor (not sure if he has won) Derek Poundstone, who I believe weighs around 340# and is ripped, couldn't get his chin over the bar even in the FIRST rep in this video, although he got fairly close. On rep number two it is even clearer his chin did not reach the bar, and every rep after that he reaches lower and lower. He is obviously a very strong man anyways and this is not mean to sound as a critique to him, just pointing out that the 350# and 400# club are indeed extremely tough to achieve!

Here is the link.

Maybe for poundstone but not terry, he does some here in early prep for worlds

Side handle grip and only sets of 5 (as early in prep i imagine he does more closer to) but all the way down and all the way up / seen him doing regular grip pull ups in prep from britains one year

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  • 1 month later...

Is the movement standard for the comp just clearing the bar with your chin?

I'm not a huge fan of using the chin because technically, you can pull about nose-high then hyperextend your neck to get the chin over the bar, while another guy might get the chin over with neutral spine. The second person has done the same feat with a tougher range of motion.

I always train chest to bar (chest/clavicles must touch the bar or your hands) because that last little bit of motion gets your shoulders into extension and scapula into full retraction/depression. Extending the chin actually moves your chest farther away from the bar, so you're forced to stay neutral. It's also easy to standardize.

I can understand if you guys are happy with the chin standard. If that's the case, I'd be in favor of requiring the chin to cross in a neutral position as opposed to cervical extension.

Looking forward to joining the 300 club!

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Is the movement standard for the comp just clearing the bar with your chin?

I'm not a huge fan of using the chin because technically, you can pull about nose-high then hyperextend your neck to get the chin over the bar, while another guy might get the chin over with neutral spine. The second person has done the same feat with a tougher range of motion.

I always train chest to bar (chest/clavicles must touch the bar or your hands) because that last little bit of motion gets your shoulders into extension and scapula into full retraction/depression. Extending the chin actually moves your chest farther away from the bar, so you're forced to stay neutral. It's also easy to standardize.

I can understand if you guys are happy with the chin standard. If that's the case, I'd be in favor of requiring the chin to cross in a neutral position as opposed to cervical extension.

Looking forward to joining the 300 club!

Yes, we were using the chin as the standard. It seems the way you perform that may be even more difficult... But really, I haven't played around it with it all that much. There were two reasons I selected the chin as the standard: easy to judge, and I've noticed that last couple inches of movement as your chin clears the bar is the most difficult.

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I think that touching the chest is fine at bodyweight, but tends to stress the tricep tendons too much when weighted.

Also, the exercise turns more into a row than pull up, because the body tends to turn horizontally as the range gets higher. This makes it hard to judge.

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Hi all, I haven't been active here for a while as I've been ill with the mumps - but thankfully feeling a lot better now. Just before I got sick I just missed a double with 56kg at a bodyweight of 90kg for a total of 146kg (321lbs). I'll try and get a video as soon as I can get back in the gym and am feeling strong again. Spent the past couple of weeks in bed so not sure how I'll be feeling. Think that my 1RM would be about +58kg.

My goal in weighted chins is for 66kg as I've heard, and feel, that a +2/3 bodyweight weighted chin for a double is around the strength level needed for a 1AC.

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I actually had to back off my pull-up training, because with all the pull-ups, kettlebell stuff, and then grip stuff on top of it, I got some burning tendinitis going in my forearm bellies. I have since started doing partial pull-ups, just high enough to see a bit over the bar. This is a lot easier on the elbows, etc. I'm doing a lot more db and kb rows, and I'm going to add in regular reverse pushups (hanging horizontal from my squat rack bars, and rowing up). In this way, I'm hoping my 'deconstructed pull-up' will maintain the lat strength and endurance without actually doing strict pull-ups. It's an experiment in progress.

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Eric, yes it's a bit more difficult. I just like it due to it being a full range of possible motion, but i understand why the chin is the standard, especially given the name "chin up". Just wanted to clarify for when I film a submission.

Tentacle, I've done 100+ added weight for reps without tendon issue, though youre correct that there is definitely more stress when you have more elbow flexion. I don't think you need to go horizontal to touch your chest, though, nor does it make the lift easier. The more horizontal you get, the more it turns into a modified front lever pullup, which is ungodly-harder than a pullup done vertically.

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Sorry Kyle-thought I should clarify because my statement was unclear.

I meant that when the body is pulled up past chin level, the torso becomes more horizontal (not the whole body, but just the chest area), so in other words the back becomes very arched for most people. Either in an unconscious attempt to shorten the ROM (as benchers do when they arch the back) or as a compensation for strength (the body is stronger in this motion than that of a strict vertical motion), I feel that both will be common in a max attempt.

I think the above statement is more agreeable since I usually rush through explanations when I'm in a hurry.

In any case, it's Eric's contest and it's a cool idea.

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Ohhhh, gotcha. Yah people do tend to arch at the back. Im a big fan of bracing the midline and i find it actually helps me pull more weight but in a max effort i can see how some folks would let form go to get the rep.

I'm pretty excited to get in on this, though. Ive gained weight and havent trained pullups in a few months so it's going to be tough, but i started back pulling some light weight this week in preparation. 300 club should come fast but i really want 400. This is a great idea on Eric's part because historically, pullups are the domain of the little guy, but by adding bodyweight into the total it gives us a great way to measure absolute strength instead of relative.

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How much do you weigh? 400lbs would be huge! Did my first workout after illness and felt so weak, assuming that my body hasn't fully recovered yet.

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