I recently had a former client reach out to me with a question regarding pull-up plateaus. She wrote:
“I am stuck at sets of 3. (I can do five, but then get too fatigued to repeat sets). I take a long rest, then another set of 3…I’m working at about 20-25 a day (3x a week). I do finger training on other days.”
Plateaus, or stalls in progression, are at the heart of training. After all, if we could progress at the same linear rate for our entire careers as athletes, there would be no need for coaches and no need for more complex programming. Take squats, for example. Just add 5 pounds each workout and keep getting stronger. Unfortunately at some point the stimulus (weight added to the squat) will not produce sufficient adaptation (“gainz”) for the next workout. In other words, you will be unable to do the prescribed number of reps at the prescribed weight. This is where having an experienced coach is helpful. Or, in the very least, knowing your options (and that there are options!) and being logical and intentional with your programming decisions moving forward.
Here are some of these options. Pick one of these and stick to it for 4-8 weeks. Alternatively, you can combine methods (for example, if you workout Mon/Wed/Fri, you can add weight each Mon + Fri and add a set on Wed). You’re aiming for a minimum of 15 total reps per workout. Rest 3 min between sets unless noted otherwise.
Added weight – stick to 5×3 (5 sets of 3 reps) and increase weight by 2.5-5 lbs each week
- Workout 1: 5×3 (0 lbs)
- Workout 2: 5×3 (2.5 lbs)
- Workout 3: 5×3 (5 lbs)
- Workout 1: 5×3
- Workout 2: 5×4
- Workout 3: 5×5
- Workout 1: 5×3
- Workout 2: 6×3
- Workout 3: 7×3
- Workout 1: 4×3,1×4
- Workout 2: 4×3,1×5
- Workout 3: 4×3,1×6
- Workout 1: 1×5, 2x(4+1)
- Workout 2: 2×5, 1x(4+1)
- Workout 3: 3×5
- Workout 1: 5×3 (5 min rest)
- Workout 2: 5×3 (4 min rest)
- Workout 3: 5×3 (3 min rest)
- Workout 1: 5×3 (1 second eccentric)
- Workout 2: 5×3 (2 second eccentric)
- Workout 3: 5×3 (3 second eccentric)
