Mjolnir
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Ok so over a year ago I could perform between 24-27 chinups depending on what I ate that day. On Monday I did 9 and today I did 11. Hoorah for me! Needless to say this is pathetic for me, I have a lot of work to do. Below is a link to an altered gymnast pullup routine that I have followed before with great results and will attempt to do so again.
TMUSCLE.com | Modified Gymnast's Routine
Bodybuilding.com - Improving Chin-Up Performance! - Charles Poliquin
I will be doing 3 sets of the following:
1) Wide-grip pull-up, AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
2) Rest for ten seconds
3) Medium-grip pull-up, AMRAP
4) Rest for ten seconds
5) Medium-grip chin-up, AMRAP
6) Rest for ten seconds
7) Narrow-grip chin-up, AMRAP
8) Rest ten seconds
9) Parallel grip chin-up, AMRAP
10) Rest for two minutes
11) light bicep stretching (15 seconds)
12) Rest 1 minute
13) light back stretching (15 seconds)
I will be concentrating on form and will be lowering myself at a count of 2 seconds per rep. If at some point I am unable to perform a single pullup/chinup I will climb up to the bar and slowly/steadily lower myself (eccentric movement).
After a 3 minute rest I will follow up my 3rd and final set with extreme bicep stretching, a 1 minute rest, and then extreme back stretching.
If you are unfamiliar with extreme stretching heres a link:
EXTREME STRETCHES (courtesy of the Inhuman one) - IntenseMuscle.com
and a quote from Dante/DoggCrapp:
"Stretching:
CHEST: Flat bench 90lb dumbbells chest high--lungs full of air-- I drop down into the deepest flye I can for the first 10 seconds or so with my lungs full of air and chest out---then staying there I arch my back slightly and try to press my sternum upward --this is absolutely excruciating--the rest of the 60 seconds I try to concentrate on dropping my elbows even farther down (I try to but I don’t think they are going any lower--LOL)---the last 15 seconds I’m pretty much shaking like a leaf, I have tears in my eyes and I think about dropping bodybuilding and becoming a tap dancer on Broadway (ok that parts not true)--My opinion is people should use dumbbells that are a little over half of what your heaviest set of 6-8 reps would be. I cant state this enough--extreme stretching royally sucks!!! Its painful. But I have seen amazing things with people -especially in the quads.
TRICEPS: Seated on a flat bench-my back up against the barbell---75lb dumbell in my hand behind my head(like in an overhead dumbell extension)--sink dumbell down into position for the first 10 seconds and then an agonizing 50 seconds slightly leaning back and pushing the dumbell down with the back of my head I like one arm at a time in the bottom position of a dumbbell triceps extension----going to the extreme stretch and then slightly pushing on the dumbbell with the back of my head.
SHOULDERS: This one is tough to describe--put a barbell in the squat rack shoulder height--face away from it and reach back and grab it palms up (hands on bottom of bar)---walk yourself outward until you are on your heels and the stretch gets painful--then roll your shoulders downward and hold for 60 seconds.
BICEPS: Olympic bar in a power rack or squat rack about neck high---face away from it and reach back and put both hands over the bar gripping it----now either sink down with one leg forward/one leg back or better yet squat down and try (I say try because its absolutely excruciating) to kneel. Go down to the stretch that is almost unbearable and then hold that for 45 to 60 seconds. Your own body weight is the load. What I do is put the bar at a place on the squat rack in which I can kneel at a severe stretch and then try to sink my ass down to touch my feet. If its too easy I put the bar up to the next rung.
BACK: Honestly for about 3 years my training partner and I would hang a 100lb dumbbell from our waist and hung on the widest chin-up bar (with wrist straps) to see who could get closest to 3 minutes--I never made it--I think 2 minutes 27 seconds was my record--but my back width is by far my best body part--I pull on a doorknob or stationary equipment with a rounded back now and its way too hard too explain here--just try it and get your feel for it.
HAMSTRINGS: Either leg up on a high barbell holding my toe and trying to force my leg straight with my free hand for an excruciating painful 60 seconds or another exercise I could only show people and not type here.
QUADS: Facing a barbell in a power rack about hip high --grip it and simultaneously sink down and throw your knees under the barbell and do a sissy squat underneath it while going up on your toes. then straighten your arms and lean as far back as you can---60 seconds and if this one doesn't make you hate my guts and bring tears to your eyes nothing will---do this one faithfully and tell me in 4 weeks if your quads don’t look a lot different than they used to.
CALVES: my weak body part that I couldn’t get up too par until 2 years ago when I finally thought it out and figured out how to make them grow (with only one set twice a week too) I don’t need to stretch calves after because when I do calves I explode on the positive and take 5 seconds to get back to full stretch and then 15 seconds at the very bottom "one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand etc" --15 seconds stretching at the bottom thinking and trying to flex my toes toward my shin--it is absolutely unbearable and you will most likely be shaking and want to give up at about 7 reps (I always go for 12reps with maximum weights)--do this on a hack squat or a leg press--my calves have finally taken off due to this. "
I will be doing this once a week and depending on how soon I recover will most likely also do a second arm/back workout not including pullups. Probably preacher curls, standing alternating dumbbell curls, lat pulldowns, and some deadlifts. I'll be going heavy on the weight and will be doing a 4x10 with 3 minute rests followed by stretching afterward.
Wish me luck!
TMUSCLE.com | Modified Gymnast's Routine
Bodybuilding.com - Improving Chin-Up Performance! - Charles Poliquin
I will be doing 3 sets of the following:
1) Wide-grip pull-up, AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
2) Rest for ten seconds
3) Medium-grip pull-up, AMRAP
4) Rest for ten seconds
5) Medium-grip chin-up, AMRAP
6) Rest for ten seconds
7) Narrow-grip chin-up, AMRAP
8) Rest ten seconds
9) Parallel grip chin-up, AMRAP
10) Rest for two minutes
11) light bicep stretching (15 seconds)
12) Rest 1 minute
13) light back stretching (15 seconds)
I will be concentrating on form and will be lowering myself at a count of 2 seconds per rep. If at some point I am unable to perform a single pullup/chinup I will climb up to the bar and slowly/steadily lower myself (eccentric movement).
After a 3 minute rest I will follow up my 3rd and final set with extreme bicep stretching, a 1 minute rest, and then extreme back stretching.
If you are unfamiliar with extreme stretching heres a link:
EXTREME STRETCHES (courtesy of the Inhuman one) - IntenseMuscle.com
and a quote from Dante/DoggCrapp:
"Stretching:
CHEST: Flat bench 90lb dumbbells chest high--lungs full of air-- I drop down into the deepest flye I can for the first 10 seconds or so with my lungs full of air and chest out---then staying there I arch my back slightly and try to press my sternum upward --this is absolutely excruciating--the rest of the 60 seconds I try to concentrate on dropping my elbows even farther down (I try to but I don’t think they are going any lower--LOL)---the last 15 seconds I’m pretty much shaking like a leaf, I have tears in my eyes and I think about dropping bodybuilding and becoming a tap dancer on Broadway (ok that parts not true)--My opinion is people should use dumbbells that are a little over half of what your heaviest set of 6-8 reps would be. I cant state this enough--extreme stretching royally sucks!!! Its painful. But I have seen amazing things with people -especially in the quads.
TRICEPS: Seated on a flat bench-my back up against the barbell---75lb dumbell in my hand behind my head(like in an overhead dumbell extension)--sink dumbell down into position for the first 10 seconds and then an agonizing 50 seconds slightly leaning back and pushing the dumbell down with the back of my head I like one arm at a time in the bottom position of a dumbbell triceps extension----going to the extreme stretch and then slightly pushing on the dumbbell with the back of my head.
SHOULDERS: This one is tough to describe--put a barbell in the squat rack shoulder height--face away from it and reach back and grab it palms up (hands on bottom of bar)---walk yourself outward until you are on your heels and the stretch gets painful--then roll your shoulders downward and hold for 60 seconds.
BICEPS: Olympic bar in a power rack or squat rack about neck high---face away from it and reach back and put both hands over the bar gripping it----now either sink down with one leg forward/one leg back or better yet squat down and try (I say try because its absolutely excruciating) to kneel. Go down to the stretch that is almost unbearable and then hold that for 45 to 60 seconds. Your own body weight is the load. What I do is put the bar at a place on the squat rack in which I can kneel at a severe stretch and then try to sink my ass down to touch my feet. If its too easy I put the bar up to the next rung.
BACK: Honestly for about 3 years my training partner and I would hang a 100lb dumbbell from our waist and hung on the widest chin-up bar (with wrist straps) to see who could get closest to 3 minutes--I never made it--I think 2 minutes 27 seconds was my record--but my back width is by far my best body part--I pull on a doorknob or stationary equipment with a rounded back now and its way too hard too explain here--just try it and get your feel for it.
HAMSTRINGS: Either leg up on a high barbell holding my toe and trying to force my leg straight with my free hand for an excruciating painful 60 seconds or another exercise I could only show people and not type here.
QUADS: Facing a barbell in a power rack about hip high --grip it and simultaneously sink down and throw your knees under the barbell and do a sissy squat underneath it while going up on your toes. then straighten your arms and lean as far back as you can---60 seconds and if this one doesn't make you hate my guts and bring tears to your eyes nothing will---do this one faithfully and tell me in 4 weeks if your quads don’t look a lot different than they used to.
CALVES: my weak body part that I couldn’t get up too par until 2 years ago when I finally thought it out and figured out how to make them grow (with only one set twice a week too) I don’t need to stretch calves after because when I do calves I explode on the positive and take 5 seconds to get back to full stretch and then 15 seconds at the very bottom "one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand etc" --15 seconds stretching at the bottom thinking and trying to flex my toes toward my shin--it is absolutely unbearable and you will most likely be shaking and want to give up at about 7 reps (I always go for 12reps with maximum weights)--do this on a hack squat or a leg press--my calves have finally taken off due to this. "
I will be doing this once a week and depending on how soon I recover will most likely also do a second arm/back workout not including pullups. Probably preacher curls, standing alternating dumbbell curls, lat pulldowns, and some deadlifts. I'll be going heavy on the weight and will be doing a 4x10 with 3 minute rests followed by stretching afterward.
Wish me luck!
