How to Master Doing Pull-Ups: Advanced

You can do 20+ pull-ups and feel you have reached your limits? You have paid your dues with blood,sweat and tears. You think, "What else can i do, eh?" Sure, you are doing quite well, but there's PLENTY more you can do! You have only just begun to tap into strength reserves you never knew were possible! I'm here to show you how! (Just passing on the buck.)

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A pull-up station outside, in the garage , or in your doorway.
• Determination and will-power; things are going to get intense!

1. A person can only do so many pull-ups;endurance DOES have it's limitations eventually. But that doesn't mean you can't continue to build more strength. One good variation of the pull-up is to simply just add weight. The best way is to buy a weighted vest. Some are adjustable; you can take out packs of weight as desired, and as you get stronger, you can add more. If too pricey, you can fill a backpack with freezer zip-lock bags of sand as needed. A great strength builder! You can have heavy days where you only do several sets of 4-6 reps, then on next workout, just use your own bodyweight and crank out the higher reps.
2. Another way of developing great pulling strength and awesome grip power is to drape a towel over the pull-up bar and to pull yourself up by the towel itself! Even harder still is to drape and thread a 1.5 to 2 inch manila rope over the bar and pull up from the rope itself. If you can pull out reps that way, you have a vice-grip my friend!
3. The 'Ultimate' pull-up is the one-hand pull-up! Some may feel it impossible to ever attain that move(and many might be correct!), but don't knock it until you try it, right? One technique that may help you attain the 'impossible' is to do 'side-to-sides'. Do a slightly wider grip than usual, and when you pull-up, instead of going straight up, pull up and to the side of one arm. As you drop back down, alternate up to the opposite arm. It will put more stress than usual on each arm at a time, with some assistance from the other arm.
4. Once you start to improve on the side-to-sides, start trying the 'one-arm assisted chin-up'. To do this hard move, put your underhand grip of one arm in the middle of the bar. Have the 'assistance' arm gripping the bar off-set to the side a bit to help you as you begin pulling up. In other words, instead of a 50/50 equal pull of your arms, it will be more like 70/30. Then, as you get stronger, you can put more and more emphasis on the 'main' pulling arm(75/25, 80/20,90/10, and so on.) The goal is to eventually go 'solo' with just one arm and do a pull-up with just one-single arm! Rotate arms of course. If you can even do reps with just one arm, then you are a better man than me buddy! Good luck!

Tips & Warnings

• Concentration and intensity is a big plus in this advanced training. Stay focused and keep you eye on the prize.
• Always use good form. Don't be tempted to cheat to get extra reps, because you are only 'cheating' yourself!
• If you are at the advanced level, then the good news is that you already have a strong base and are less likely to get injured, BUT, keep in mind, that these moves are advanced and put a LOT more pressure on your joints, ligaments, tendons,etc. If you begin to experience 'bad' pains, then back off! Listen to your body first and foremost!