john_ventresco

A pull-up is an upper-body strength exercise. The pull-up is a closed-chain movement where the body is suspended by the hands and pulls up. As this happens, the elbows flex and the shoulders adduct and extend to bring the elbows to the torso. The term chin-up, traditionally referring to a pull-up with the chin brought over the top of a bar, was used in the 1980s to refer to a pronated, or overhand, grip, with a supinated, or underhand, grip being called a "reverse-grip" chin-up. In later decades, this usage has inverted, with some using "chin-up" to refer to a pull-up done with a supinated hand position, while "pull-up" refers specifically to the exercise done with a pronated hand position. Pull-ups use many different muscles of the upper body, including the latissimus dorsi and the biceps brachii. Terminology In past decades, the term pull-up also referred to open-chain pulling exercises done with a barbell.[8] These exercises are now more popularly known as the bent-over row (in the 1950s)[8] and upright row (in the 1970s). Some have associated a "pull-up" with utilizing an overhand (pronated; palms facing away) grip. This includes by the Boy Scouts of America,Guinness World Records "makes a difference between" pull-ups and chin-ups according to grip. Organizations such as the United States Marine Corps however, see pull-ups including both the overhand and underhand grips. Variations of pull-ups, beyond being named for their grip, can also be named based on how high the body rises, by naming it after the body part that either comes into contact with or passes over the top of the bar. A "chest-up" or "sternum-up" for example, indicates that the chest or sternum meets the bar, requiring extra scapular adduction and depression. As a physical test Pull-ups are a common way to measure the upper body strength of the "pulling muscles". They are used by the United States Marine Corps as a part of the Physical Fitness Test, although marines may also choose to substitute push-ups. Pull-ups were also used as part of military test in Singapore, where the IPPT for National-Service men is used. It is also used in the NAPFA test for male students above the age of 14. It was then removed in 2014 with the announcement of a new IPPT format. Grips: Pull-ups can be done with a supinated, neutral, or pronated grip (often called "chin-ups", "hammer grip pull-ups", and "pull-ups", respectively). Grips may match each other or be different (mixed grip). Grips may also rotate throughout the movement, such as by doing them on rings, rotating handles (false grip) or pull up handles. The range of motion used by trainers can vary. The fullest possible range is with straight arms overhead (elbow directly above shoulder), to pulling when the arms are at the sides (elbow directly below shoulder). People sometimes only train portions, such as avoiding locking out the arms at the bottom, or stopping when the head/chin/neck touch the bar. Positions within the range are also trained isometrically, as in flexed-arm and straight-arm hangs for time. The width of the grip may also differ. When grabbing and holding the bar during the pull-up, the hands can be apart at shoulder-width, or wider, or narrower enough to touch each other. This may make the pull-up more difficult and may limit the range of motion compared to the shoulder-width grip. Muscles used Extension, adduction, and transverse abduction of the shoulder Latissimus dorsi Deltoid (posterior) Pectoralis major Teres major Teres minor Infraspinatus Triceps brachii (long head) Coracobrachialis Adduction and inferior rotation of the scapula Trapezius (lower and middle fibers) Levator scapulae Rhomboids Pectoralis minor Flexion of the elbow Biceps brachii Brachialis Brachioradialis Isometric flexion of the fingers Flexor digitorum profundus Flexor digitorum superficialis Flexor pollicis longus Flexor pollicis brevis Flexor digiti minimi brevis Isometric anti-extension and anti-rotation of the spine Rectus abdominis Internal oblique External oblique Safety Organizations such as the American Council on Exercise give advice such as "care should be taken not to unduly put stress on your shoulder during this exercise". Elbow pain due to tendonitis, bursitis, and ulnar nerve entrapment can occur as a result of excessive pull ups and improper technique.

Introduction If you can’t yet do one full pushup, this training plan is for you. And you’re in good company – zero is by far the most common amount of pushups I see people being able to do. You’ll be surprised how quickly that first pushup comes. Follow the training plan and you can’t go wrong. Training Principle When you can’t yet complete one full pushup, do not train towards it by attempting full pushups. It’s the number one mistake I see. Day Sets Circuit 1 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50% Kneeling-PU 50% PU-Plank 2 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+1 Kneeling-PU 50%+1 PU-Plank 3 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+2 Kneeling-PU 50%+2 PU-Plank 4 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+3 Kneeling-PU 50%+3 PU-Plank 5 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+4 Kneeling-PU 50%+4 PU-Plank 6 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+5 Kneeling-PU 50%+5 PU-Plank 7 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+6 Kneeling-PU 50%+6 PU-Plank 8 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+7 Kneeling-PU 50%+7 PU-Plank 9 4-8 1 Negative-PU 50%+8 Kneeling-PU 50%+8 PU-Plank etc... Negative-PU = Negative Pushup Kneeling-PU = Kneeling Pushup PU-Plank = Pushup Plank The Exercises A negative pushup is just the first half of a standard pushup, i.e. going from the top with arms straight, to arms bent with your nose touching the floor. Lower yourself as slowly as possible while remaining under control into the bottom position. A kneeling pushup is the same as a standard pushup, except that you are on your knees instead of on your toes. A pushup plank is holding the top position of a pushup for a set amount of time. By themselves, each exercise is a simpler variation of a pushup movement. Together, they provide just the right amount of training and intensity to fast-track your way to a full pushup. The Circuit Perform each of these three exercises one after the other, like a mini-circuit. Do the negative pushup, immediately followed by kneeling pushups, immediately followed by the pushup plank. This counts as one set. The Sets Start out by doing four sets spaced out throughout the day. In other words, perform only one set at a time, and leave a minimum of one hour between each set. The idea is to be as fresh as possible for each set. For example, for four sets, do one set when you wake up, one set in the afternoon, and two sets in the evening (at least one hour apart). Percentage Notation Where the table references a percentage, e.g. 50%, this means to perform 50% of the maximum number of reps you can do for that particular exercise. For example, if you can do a maximum of 12 kneeling pushups in one go, then you perform 6 kneeling pushups when the table asks for 50%. Likewise, 50%+1 is 7 reps, and so on. Round up when necessary. A pushup plank is measured in the number of breaths you are able to take while holding the plank position. Count the number of exhales during the plank hold. So if you can hold a pushup plank for a maximum of 20 breaths, and the table asks for 50%, you should hold a plank for 10 breaths. Preparation Before you start the training plan, see how many consecutive kneeling pushups you can do, as well as how long you can hold a pushup plank for. Calculate the table percentages based on these values. Intensity Each set should be low-to-moderate intensity, fairly challenging but not too challenging. It is very important that you do not regularly cross into high intensity for any set. You want to train as frequently as possible but stay as fresh as possible. Your freshness will suffer if the intensity is too high. You can tell when you have crossed the line into high intensity when: you begin to make funny faces you hold your breath your speed slows down you feel the burn These are signs that your sets are too intense. As you increase the reps by one each day, you will inevitably get to the point where the sets begin to get too difficult for present purposes. Be actively on the lookout for the above signs. Here’s what to do when you see these signs: Instead of continuing with the sets, re-assess your maximum consecutive kneeling pushups and maximum consecutive planks. If everything has gone to plan, you should have increased both from your initial assessment. Take these new values and start from the beginning of the table with them. The intensity should have dropped back down to a manageable level, but you should also be on a higher level than first time round. Follow the progression until you venture back into that high intensity zone. Reset, rinse and repeat. Each time you re-set and start from the beginning of the table, you have the option of increasing the number of sets per day by one. This ensures a continuous progression in training volume. Use your judgement about adding an extra set. If the last set of the day is creeping into that high intensity zone, dial it back a bit. Example Let’s say I can do 8 consecutive kneeling pushups and hold a pushup plank for 12 breaths. On Day 1, my circuit involves doing a negative pushup, immediately by 4 kneeling pushups, immediately followed by a 6-breath pushup plank. I do 4 sets throughout the day. On Day 2, my circuit is a negative pushup, 5 kneeling pushups, and a 7-breath pushup plank. 4 sets throughout the day. By Day 6, I’m up to 9 kneeling pushups and 11-breath pushup planks. These sets are getting pretty difficult, and I’m starting to hold my breath towards the end of them. I decide to re-assess my max efforts and get 12 kneeling pushups and 16 breaths on the plank. So on Day 7, I restart at the beginning of the table with 6 kneeling pushups (50% of 12) and 8-breath pushup planks (50% of 16). The intensity is much lower now, so I decide to add a fifth set for the next wave of training days. Completion You graduate from this training plan when you can do one full pushup, under control, with good technique. For the first five days of this training plan, concentrate on the training and do not attempt a full pushup. Thereafter, you can start each day by seeing how close you get to a full pushup. The moment you can do a full pushup, move on to the next training program.