# Workout routine/regiment to do 10 pull ups? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539 "2015-02-24T18:39:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/21 "2015-02-25T04:24:23Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > … it isnt actually “one arm” powering the movement, as your other arm is holding onto the arm holding the bar and both arms are pulling. No, I’m thinking of a true one-armed pullup - as in this video, [showing Alex Puccio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO5XBwXDgAs). ---
**Author:** ![CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptainAmerica_1987)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/22 "2015-02-25T05:07:14Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Trivia…prior to about 1997, the’ proper’ Marine Corps pull up allowed a kip. We were taught to kip by our recruiters. Lol seriously? Why did they eventually change it? I personally don’t recognize kipping pull ups as real pull ups. ---
**Author:** ![CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptainAmerica_1987)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/23 "2015-02-25T05:13:28Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > No, I’m thinking of a true one-armed pullup - as in this video, [showing Alex Puccio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO5XBwXDgAs). Impressive ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/24 "2015-02-25T05:17:41Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > No, I’m thinking of a true one-armed pullup - as in this video, [showing Alex Puccio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO5XBwXDgAs). Ok, that is a true one arm pullup but it’s really nothing more that a show of strength and a way to impress. There is really no/very limited training value in one arm pullups. That being said, that video was impressive, especially the fact that it was a woman doing them. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/25 "2015-02-25T05:44:18Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Ok, that is a true one arm pullup but it’s really nothing more that a show of strength and a way to impress. There is really no/very limited training value in one arm pullups. That being said, that video was impressive, especially the fact that it was a woman doing them. Solidly agreed on every point. Incredibly awesome and a bad example all at once. Lol ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/26 "2015-02-25T13:22:29Z")
I’m going to go a bit contrary to what everyone is saying here. I’d do three variations of pulls/chins - One day with as many reps as you can get in each set, followed by meeting that goal Ex. 12 on first set, 10, 8 (as close to 12 as you can get) 10 on first set, 10, 6 (whatever, again, as close to 10 as you can get) and do three sets. One day with strict predefined goal of sets/reps - Ex. 3 sets of 8 reps On the last set do a negative at the end - go to the top and lower yourself as slow as humanly possible. One day with added weight by holding a dumbbell between your legs or in a backpack. Do these for low reps/high sets Ex. 5 sets of 5, 5 sets of 3, etc. The weighted pullups will make normal pullups relatively less challenging. These are what helped me get my total number of pullups up the most. I’m able to do currently 4 sets of 12, 4 sets of 8 with 20lbs added, and 5 sets of 5 with 45lbs added. Once you get used to doing weighted pullups you can impress everyone with a muscle-up pretty handily. I imagine muscle-ups would have practical benefit in the marines also. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/27 "2015-02-25T14:11:23Z")
> [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](#): > > Lol seriously? Why did they eventually change it? I personally don’t recognize kipping pull ups as real pull ups. True story! I think they changed it because it was more a test of kip technique than strength. Plenty of dudes would max out the 20 with no problem. Lots of PFT scores went down that year. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/28 "2015-02-25T15:09:15Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Ok, that is a true one arm pullup but it’s really nothing more that a show of strength and a way to impress. There is really no/very limited training value in one arm pullups. That being said, that video was impressive, **especially the fact that it was a woman doing them**. Since the key to it is being strong but light, I’d think that it would be easier for a woman to do it due to generally less body mass, and therefore easier to obtain the necessary strength-to-weight ratio. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/29 "2015-02-25T15:50:11Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Since the key to it is being strong but light, I’d think that it would be easier for a woman to do it due to generally less body mass, and therefore easier to obtain the necessary strength-to-weight ratio. Well that is true but then again women tend to have a lower muscle/fat ratio tipping it against their favor. If anything it’s the strength of biceps/back at the expense of other muscles, especially legs. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/30 "2015-02-25T16:15:05Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > There is really no/very limited training value in one arm pullups. There are a number of rock climbers who would disagree with you on this. There was even a climber who took it one step further - one arm, one FINGER pull ups (Todd Skinner). ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/31 "2015-02-25T19:43:51Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > There are a number of rock climbers who would disagree with you on this. There was even a climber who took it one step further - one arm, one FINGER pull ups (Todd Skinner). Notice that I did qualify my answer to say that it’s not _completely_ devoid of training value, it’s just not an exercise that the vast majority of trainers would benefit from. ---
**Author:** ![CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptainAmerica_1987)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/32 "2015-02-25T20:18:18Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > True story! I think they changed it because it was more a test of kip technique than strength. Plenty of dudes would max out the 20 with no problem. > > Lots of PFT scores went down that year. Yeah kipping pull ups are more about you using momentum to swing yourself up. I don’t even view kipping pull ups as real pull ups anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptainAmerica_1987)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/33 "2015-02-27T03:33:02Z")
Has anyone here tried The Fighter Pull Up program? ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/34 "2015-02-28T12:55:00Z")
I’ve had success in the past with the Grease the Groove-method popularized by Pavel Tsatsouline. The idea is to do pullups (in this case) all day long, every day, but never to exhaustion. If 2 pullups is all you can do without straining yourself, you do just two, but do those sets of two, spaced well apart, every time you pass the pullup bar in your house / workplace etc., so dozens of reps per day, regardless of your other workout routine. There is no overtraining or -straining, given the easy (but progressing) rep count. After a week of easy, constant pulling, see how many pullups you can do, all out. Might be surprised. The quickest way I know to increase one’s pullup max by several reps. ---
**Author:** ![CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@CaptainAmerica\_1987](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptainAmerica_1987)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539/35 "2015-03-01T06:15:35Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > What is your current general workout routine? On a weekly basis? Well I try to workout whenever I can which is really basically me doing pull ups or chin ups whenever I could get a chance. I really need help in making a solid workout plan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workout-routine-regiment-to-do-10-pull-ups/713539.md?page=1)