unweighted pull ups & the front lever

[Amebix138]

Hi everyone,

My question is, if I work up to 20 pull ups and then switch my training focus mainly to the front lever, how hard will it be to maintain my pull up numbers?

Thanks,

Amebix

[Nick Van Bockxmeer]

If you include some of the bent arm and multi plane pulling variations as shown in the book...front lever pulls, rows, yewkis, etc

you should find your pull up numbers will increase.

Just working a static variation...i'm not sure but I don't think you need to worry about losing the numbers.

and for the record, I don't think you need to build up to 20 pull ups to start, as that is almost reaching into endurance category, not maximal strength needed for front lever and pulling variations using front lever.

[Joshua Naterman]

You will drop down to 12-16 good pullups if you never ever work them, but you'll build up to 20+ in around a month(or less). It wont be loss of strength, it'll just be your motor neurons lacking efficiency, and some loss of mitochondria. Don't worry, they come back fast. That's why you can build up high level muscular endurance so much faster than high levels of strength

Having said that, if your goal is a front lever you'd better start doing weighted pullups as well as the bent arm stuff suggested in BtGB. They help A LOT. I achieved full lay front lever in less than 4 months because I am very, very strong in the weighted pullup department and the core department. No matter what your goals are, strengthening the muscles involved in whatever movements you hope to achieve by any AND ALL means available will result in the best gains. Make sure on your pullups you are only gripping with fingers, the palm of your hand(including that area with the calluses) should not be holding any weight. Doing your pullups this way will strengthen your wrists, and believe me, you'll need strong wrists if you hope to achieve planche, MU, HSPU, etc. As an added bonus, they will improve your front lever, though it's not a requirement for one. If you choose to change your grip(assuming you aren't using a fingers only grip already, because if you are then good for you! ) then wean yourself off of the old grip. WIth each set you do, do as many as you can with the fingers only grip until you start to feel funny in the wrists/hand/fingers. Don't go to pain or discomfort. When you feel something funny switch back to your normal grip and finish the set. You'll find it takes 4-6 weeks to be able to do your entire workout with fingers only, and from there your strength and numbers will only increase.

[Nick Van Bockxmeer]

I tried experimenting with different grips and I didn't seem to notice too much difference.

I've been going to a beginners aerials class (silks, rope, trapeze) for a few weeks and the one thing i've really noticed is the load on the hands and forearms. They don't let you wrap the silks around your wrists (for conditioning and training) - just pure grip strength, so after a while it really gets to you - even things like inverted hang and inverted pike make your body feel twice as heavy as it is. Its kind of like gripping the ring straps instead of gripping the rings.