Pull Up Station Tip #2
Pull Up Station Tip – How to Integrate Pull Ups Into Your Workout
A lot of people aren’t sure how they should integrate pull ups into their current workout. Should they be done at the start of a workout? At the end? Should they have their own specific set and rep scheme? Should they have their own day? Should they be done just a few at a time throughout the day?
Really, pull ups aren’t any different than any other exercise or movement you’d have in your workout. By that I mean they shouldn’t get any special treatment or be looked at any differently than any other exercise. The same principles you’d apply to getting better at them (doing more reps, using external resistance and adding more weight, etc) are the same principles you’d apply to any other exercise you might do.
The big difference with pull ups (and why most people have to approach them differently) is that they can’t do them very well. So, in the event you’re not good at doing pull ups, here are a few methods you can use to get better.
Pull Up Station Method #1 – “Negative Reps”
There are two parts of every rep – the “lifting” (the part of the rep where you’re exerting force) and the “lowering” (the part of the rep where resisting against the weight). The “lowering” part of the rep is also called a “negative”.
Negatives are great because your body is actually much stronger during the negative portion of a rep, so you can use them to get much stronger very quickly.
First, you’ll position yourself under your pull up station. You’ll need a block or bench or stool or something placed under the pull up station so that you can step onto it. Step onto said block, and use your legs to get into the ‘top’ position of a pull up in your pull up station. Then, as hard as you can, resist slowly on the way down. Try to make the Negative last 5-10 seconds.
Then step on the block, putting your chin above the pull up station, and repeat.
Do this for 3-6 sets of 4-8 Negatives. (You’ll want to cut the set off when you can’t lower yourself slow and under control.)
Pull Up Station Method #2 – “Grease The Groove” (GTG)
GTG is a method of doing pull ups (or almost any exercise) popularized a few years ago by Pavel Tsatsouline. The basic idea is that you train yourself to get better at doing pull ups by consistently doing them throughout the day.
If you want to do GTG, you will need consistent access to a pull up station during the day. At a minimum, you want to be able to do 5-6 sets throughout the day. Better yet, you’ll want to have a pull up station nearby that you can just hit, do a few reps, and resume what you were doing – say 8-12x/day.
First thing you’ll do is go to a pull up station and test your max – how many pull ups can you do in a row with good form? Once you know that number, divide it in half. That is the number of reps you’ll do each time you hit the pull up station. Do this every single day for 6-7 days, then retest your max again.