The Pull-Up Paradox

Pull-ups are one of the essential elements that tests strength which also requires power and technique. As a staple exercise in many fitness routines, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of pull-up training.

The Pros....

- Upper Body Dominance: Pull-ups build incredible strength in the back, shoulders, and arms, making them a compound exercise that drives results.

- Functional Strength: Pull-ups translate to real-life movements, such as climbing, lifting, and carrying, making them a valuable exercise for functional fitness.

- Mental Toughness: Mastering pull-ups requires perseverance, discipline, and mental fortitude, building confidence and self-esteem.

Caution: The Cons

(Those who are fanatics might get offended or find it off putting but these are the facts)

- Injury Risk: Poor form, overuse, or inadequate loosening up of the muscles can lead to injuries in the shoulders, elbows, or wrists, taking you out of commission.

- Accessibility Limitations: Pull-up bars might not be readily available, limiting access to this exercise for some individuals. Trees, Rings & Suspension Trainers may give you some leeway but some believe Rings & Suspensions don't always count as pull-ups which is bullshit LOL.

- Plateau Potential: Without progressive overload or variation, pull-up training can stagnate, leading to frustration and boredom.

Progressing....

To unlock the full potential of pull-up training, focus on progressive overload, consistency, and patience. With dedication and persistence, you'll unleash some serious strength, reaping the rewards of this challenging yet rewarding exercise and its variations. Try doing them with Fat Gripz, they'll really test you. 

Some will go overboard even working around certain injuries like elbow pain which can affect your real potential. The type of guys I highly recommend you give a look through is Matt Schifferle & Al Kavadlo. If anything, they're some of the top guys on the subject of Pull-Up Training, digging into the very core of what effective methods are used to keep you strong but also pain free. However, guys like the overzealous and injury prone David Goggins are not the type of role models that really tackle the issues. He's more of a glory hound that at a glance is inspiring because of his background in the Navy Seals and his crazy running workouts/marathoning but if you look at it on another level, that dude has more injuries than anyone would want to count and his pull-ups are decent but not worth the amount done. 

There are other guys out there that are over the top about pull-up training and act like it's the only thing that matters when it comes to Bodyweight Training (spoiler alert, it isn't). For them and this is a general outlook for some of the influencers out there, that if you don't practice pull-ups and/or do them the way they teach, you're a loser. It's not true and doing 100 pull-ups or more in a workout too frequently or even GTG style can have dire consequences later on in life. Doing a few here and there either in sets or throughout the day isn't the worst thing but it's important to pay attention to how you feel and if there's pain, STOP!!! For me, I don't go any further than 20-30 total reps in my training, right now I'm at 20 doing them in sets of 3-4 and that's more than enough for me. 

It's not about the quantity, it's about technique, quality movement and feeling strong; not painful or trying to be better than anybody else, there's always going to be somebody better so why really fight it? Do what works best for you and stay on level during and after training. If you're going nuts day and day out, it's going to bite you in the ass one way or another. Being in pain and not even being to lift lift your arms or hold a cup of orange juice in your hand is NOT something people with a conscience would strive for. 

Get strong in pull-ups and make it worthy for joint health and long term strength. Be amazingly awesome. 

Getting A Little Stronger And More With The Pulls

 Experimenting has been one of my favorite things to do when it comes to training. Finding ways to get better, get stronger in areas I wasn't strong in and putting on muscle that works in my favor instead of against me. Isometrics is one of the go to methods I've used for years that has been more and more these days helped some weak points in things I've been working on like Pull-Ups and other things. Maybe it's a phase, maybe it isn't even I don't freaking know lol. 

Ever since I hit those 5 Pull-Ups at that Marine booth at the Fairgrounds earlier this summer, something clicked and wanted to see if I can get better. 5 Reps seems to be my plateau but I know I can get stronger. It may be my max reps at the moment but not my total in a workout. As of right now, my best total with the regular pull-ups is 15 which I'm happy with. With Chin-Ups its a total of 32 because in the same workout I did a total of 17 Chin-Ups when I went to the gym that one day which you can see below doing a set of 5 each of the 2 Variations. Not perfect, sure as hell nowhere as good as Jack Lalanne or Matt Schifferle (These are true masters BTW) but got to keep improving right? Isn't that what fitness is truly about, improving little by little?

Pull-Ups were never my strong suit and when it comes to muscle building, they're not the end-all-be-all move to build thick muscles in the back. Some guys can pull it off (pun intended) but other guys can look like a "get that guy a sandwich" type and be "good" at them. If you've ever seen my results, you know that there are other alternatives to building muscle for the back that is still functional and useful. I don't however want to be dogmatic about it because if I did, I would be lying to myself and I'm telling people to work on other things and experiment for themselves what can work. This is more of, what can get me going at this moment in time. 

With The weight loss, the muscle building and the adjustments I've made in my own training, it's something to pursue and see where it leads. Not doing it because it's a Litmus test for the military or something that is required of me, just want to see what I'm capable of. Trying other variations like using the Worldfit Iso Trainer or a Towel to test my grip strength. The towel can be a bitch and it has been some time, like years since I've done Pull-Ups that way but in the video below, I manage a couple that are pretty damn intense but I'm in control and getting my chin over the fists. If I really credit anything that has kept me strong in order to do that it's Isometrics. All those sessions doing 7-12 seconds of intense contractions and muscle control is paying off. I'm not expecting gymnast type results later on, that's not my intention. As a matter of fact, if there's the cream of a crop of an athlete that has dominated the Pull-Up exercise it's either a Gymnast or a Rock Climber hands down. The technique and the muscle control is what makes the Pull-Up great, not just the pull itself. 

It's fun to try certain things even at certain places like at a Park or the gym or wherever. Be serious about what you're getting into but don't be so rigid about it that you can't enjoy the experience. That's what I do my best to preach is that you want to make your training a great experience. You may not always have the motivation to go after it, fuck sometimes my motivation isn't always there but I do what I can and get the most out of what is happening to me in the moment. I may have various emotions going on and I don't want to train for hours at a time but still make the effort to get something done even if its a few minutes. 

If I really had to pick the best methods that have built my back it's Isometrics, the Chest Expander, Sandbags & working with my Fat Gripz. Pull-ups is just another link in the chain and one of the best in training that exercise comes from the Red Delta Project through the Grind Style Calisthenics System. It is by far, one of the top training practices around today and teaches how to utilize alternative equipment that you can take anywhere and work on your exercises. This is something I highly recommend. If anything, this system has been one of my biggest influences on Bodyweight Training and Isometrics.

If you want the most out of your training that is affordable and not some cheap knockoff that is priced higher than Willie Mays' career Batting Average for quite a few of the products "sold" than GSC is right up your ally man. Training should be affordable that has quality standards. Don't get a con artist who sells a 300 dollar book that's easily worth more like 30 or 40 with cheap shit that barely makes anything look believable. That's what I love about Red Delta Project, it sells courses that are reasonable in price, makes others feel inspired to train because of the enthusiasm and positive affirmations along with methods that people can understand down to the smallest detail and channel their own pace. It has expectations for sure but doesn't act like an asshole about it and gives you the feeling of "man I want to hang with this guy" kind of vibe. No ego, no narcissism and sure as hell doesn't rant about how much of a loser people are. It's like a coach that will kick your ass but cheer you on and make you feel good about yourself in the process. It makes the journey an experience you want to have. 

Keep getting stronger everyone and keep being amazingly awesome.