Bodyweight Training: The Power Behind Pull Ups
June 11th, 2009
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by admin · Filed Under: Announcements · Articles · Strength Building · Success · Underground Strength Show · Videos · muscle building
When I started doing pull ups back in high school I could only do 2 or 3 in a row.
But, I read ALL of Arnold’s books and I remember him tlaking about goal setting, and one of those goal setting stories related to his pull up goals, in which he would do pull ups until he could no longer hold onto the bar.
Sounded like a GREAT idea, so I went to the gym freshman year in high school, I was 14 years old, asked my Dad to pick me up in 3 hours. I LOVED the gym and would stay ALL day if i could.
I did set after set of pull ups that day. Eventually 3 pull ups in a row became 2, and then 2 pull ups in a row became 1.
After 2 hours my hands were shot, my lats were fried and I couldn’t even pull myself up anymore.
For 3 or 4 days my lats were so freaking sore it hurt simply having my arms hanging at my sides. The soreness went into my arm pits and man was I aching, but man did I LOVE IT 
Today, at 220 lbs I can easily crank out 20 + pull ups and very close to 30 pull ups.
Check out this video of me and 2 of my earliest clients cranking the playground pull ups…
If you can’t crank pull ups you better start practicing.
I do various forms of pull ups 5 days a week. It is this regular practice that allows me to crush the pull ups and jack up my back, shoulders, biceps, forearms and grip.
Thoughts or comments on the video? Post them below!
Let me know what other bodyweight videos you want to see and stay tuned for tomorrow because I seriously have my favorite video coming that I know you WILL love!
Peace!
–Z–
PS: In a few days I’ll be releasing my Lost Art of Bodyweight Kit. Stay tuned because you will have the chance to win a FREE copy
12 Responses to “Bodyweight Training: The Power Behind Pull Ups”
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Hey Zach,
Totally agree…if you’re not doing pull ups why not?
On the swings you used for pull ups it’s also good to grab a vertical bar at the corner and a horizontal top bar as you pull or chin up that way your arms are uneven and it hits your muscles at different angles that normally you wouldn’t get.
That helps build your strength big time.
One kind of upper body workout I like that drives your strength through the roof is branch walking.
Actually, I just posted a video of me doing just that earlier on today, if you want you can see it on today’s post at my blog, http://www.DumpTheGymFitness.com.
Hope that gives some of your readers some more ideas to crank it up.
Keep Strong,
Danny
Zach,
Bodyweight training esp. pull ups are a basic foundational movement that many people can’t perform!!! They settle for the lat pulldown machine bs. That’s not how to build strength! Your stuff is great!! You set a great example on how to build real world strength, by keeping it basic, but intense!! I think too many people tend to put the cart before the horse, so to speak.
Zach, I too, totally agree that pull ups are a must in your training. Variety counts here, you want a big back, shape, width, and definition, Pull Up!!
pushups+pullups that is an exercise that will blow your body and mind…seriously I liked it \m/.One more thing I need to ask you,could you post some videos,or if you could give me some ideas how could I inprove mi lover abs???
P.S. Danny boy I think that your videos are interesting,but very dangerous,if you continiou to hang on that branch you might fall down from the same and get really hurt ;D
Hey Zach,
I do pull ups, but there are so many variations that there is always room for more ideas.
I agree also with how you said for people to get OUTSIDE and do stuff. Sure you get jacked in the gym, but outdoors has a million bucks of potential just waiting. The more I’m into the Underground, the more real that is to me.
It’s incredible how every time I watch these sort of films I want to hit it out and work out right now. Zach, you’re amazing, man. Respect.
Never Back Down,
–Stephan–
Zach,
Sick variations on the pull-ups. One of the exercises I have come to affectionately refer to as “The Fundamental Five”.
That burpee chin/pull up combo has gained notariety as a “chirpee” lol- sounds soft but you as well as I know you crank out a few sets of chirpees and you’ll be lucky if you aren’t doubled over and puking!
Sick job! I will surely encorporate pull-ups with my team this summer!
- Chris
Zach,
First time visitor, but not my last after poking around here on your site:)
Great video. With the rage audio intro, I felt like running outside and pumping out a set of pullups myself. Never seen the side-to-side pullups where ‘coop’ peaked his head on either side of the bar. Definitely want to try that next time.
Love the double-bi shot of Arnold too!
Dude this reminded me of when I was just starting to appreciate how fun working out was. I used to hang on pull up bars/monkey bars at school when I was in like 4th grade and would climb these things for hours. Same with the trees at school.
I remember being in 7th grade and being able to crank out 9 pull ups in a row, being able to easily climb the climbing rope, etc. I had a solid foundation from just messing around outside and having fun!
I remember cranking out pull ups everywhere, I even bought a door pull up apparatus and would do 5 every time I went in or out of my room.
To this day now my best is 29 pull ups at a bodyweight of 185; people underestimate how effective these are. Weighted pull ups, chins, narrow grip, wide grip, doing them on rings, blast straps, the frame of the squat rack, tree branches, etc. Don’t need much to get an effective training session in!
Get that chin over the bar and get to work! Ditch the lat pulldowns and start pulling UP!
-John Cortese
guys, thnx for the awesome comments,danny, love that tree climbing, ur a natural w/gorilla strength!
i have a million more variations of pull ups.
i’ve been cranking bodyweight like crazy lately especially after knee surgery.
i feel awesome!
yesterday i did this workout:
15 minutes of max rounds of # 1A – B
1A) recline rope row x max reps
1B) squats x 5 reps
1C) ring push ups x 10 reps
# 2 circuit below, was done non stop, NO rest
2A) mixed grip pull ups x 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 reps
2B) close grip push ups x 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
2C) reverse lunges x 5 ea. leg
# 3 circuit:
3A) DB Hammer Curls 50 x 6, 70 x 6
3B) triceps exercises w/bands 2 x max reps
4A) DB Tate Press 45 lbs 2 x max reps
4B) slow motion pull ups 2 x 5 reps
5) captains of crush grippers 4 x 3 – 5 reps ea. hand
6) rolling thunder 3 x max time w/ 110 lbs
This was an awesome workout and my upper body was shot!
If it wasn’t raining I woulda hit the prowler and sled to keep working the legs
Today I’ll be doing more bodyweight and some Kettlebell work!
Keep the comments coming guys!
Peace!
–z–
I love doing pull-ups in the park. I can always seem to crank out a few more with the kids shouting and egging me on, plus the grip diameter always kills. Keep up the good work.
Great stuff. A few years back this is all the training, and variations of this, is all that I was doing. Mountain climbers Pulls and Muscle up is awesome work. In England it is the same no Monkey bars and all those fun stuff that used to be around when I was a kid. Health and Safety bull.
Like what you guys are doing.
God Speed
Z-
Loved the post about pull-ups man. People knock pull-ups and bodybuilders but if they studied the bodybuilding culture they’d see that the big dogs before the juice like Larry Scott and Steve Reeves got jacked on pull-ups!
Jimmy