should I progress?

hi guys,

I've been training strict Pull Ups 2-4 times a week since august. In the beginning I wasn't able to do more than 5-4-3-3-2 set/reps. I've been at 5*5 for the past 8-10 weeks but in no way I found them not even challenging, the last few reps are still pretty hard. As my form got better with time, I added holding the top position for 5-10 seconds on the fifth repetition for every series.

I tested last night and I performed 5 L-chin with a reasonable form, should I progress then? and going for what would probably be 5-3-3-2 on L-chins?

As for dips I feel the same but, to complicate matters I can't perform russians without jerking and shifting from side to side.

any suggestion?

FYI

because of L4-L5 herniated disc my exercise pick is rather restricted: no running, jumping or bending/arching my back too much. One of the main reason why I can't start trying to scale WOD down.

thanks in advance for any hint.

Add weight?

If you have been at 5x5 for 10 weeks then yes it is time to change it. Wide arm may be good or moving toward one arm assisted.

thanks for your input jl5555, not sure if I can manage that easily at the gym, gotta take a look if there are any suitable weights around.

Philip I was actually thinking of progressing step by step, hence to L-chin ups.

blairbob, slizzardman, mr brady, dillon or any other senior/experienced member do you have anything to suggest?

Personally i think until you can perform 12 pullups easily it's not really worth progressing to any more difficult pulling movements including tuck levers etc. Although L hangs are probably a good thing to do.

Some ideas: try pyramids, do grease the groove, or utilise one arm holds like Coach Sommer's program.

Honestly i'm hardly senior here, except in age. My experience lies elsewhere, but i'm trying hard!

Pull ups have been a bugaboo for me, since i started here with no pulling experience.

I have to agree there is no need to go on until your at the 10-12 rep range.

However the mixed grip program that Slizzardman posted is a good option.

http://gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2719#p17839

I found doing the WODs did help without needing to do tons of pull ups on their own, and they also give some variety. You might do the Silzz program for 6 weeks and then do the Pulling WODs for a spell, making any appropriate adjustments for your lower backs health.

I also followed the "Slizz method" for a while but now I'm on a break from that. Definately saw progress in my abilities from a dead hang. There are several articles such as this one: http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Articles ... ccess.aspx from Poliquin that help understand how pullups fit into working out. For weighted pullups I really like the idea of using a dumbell held between your feet, go to failure, drop the dumbbell and then pump out a few more. Seems like a receipe for improvement to me.

You advance to the next progression when you can do 10r. That way work sets would be 5r. You have the book with all the progressions? Now, does LPU aggravate your lumbar? I would think it would, maybe.

I think next month I will go back to the WOD but right I'm taking it extra careful on taking it slow. M&Th I started doing pullup ladders this week. 1-2-3-4 on M and up to 5 (barely) on Th with rests of 10s-20s-30s-40s supersetted with PB dips. I played with this a few months ago and boosted my numbers back really fast after a layoff. I did try doing pyramids and gave myself quite a bit of DOMS so I prefer just the ladders (only 2 sets this week but normally 3 sets).

Maybe the answer isn't to switch to L-chins at the expense of pullups, but rather to include both in your training. Maybe 3x6 pullups and 2x2 L-Chins? Or 2x5 pullups and 3x3 L-chins? Just some thoughts. What is the most you've ever done in a single max attempt? Have you tried changing the tempo of your repetitions? The length of your rest between sets? Have you be doing this linear progression without any rest for the past 4 months? Have there been back off weeks? What do the rest of your workouts look like?

If you want to stay with pullups you can start doing uneven pullups/chinups, they eventually end in a one arm chinup. Uneven pullups are simpe one hand grabs the bar the other grabs a towel or rope hanging from the bar, the lower your non-working hand is the harder it will be.

thank you very much guys, I appreciate it a lot.

I tested my max reps in a row and it was 11 slow controlled, sure last one was a bit of a struggle.

what I'm trying to do is working "gently" on my lumbar, I mean as far as my lower back doesn't bend or arch much it's not too bad, obviously plyometrics, sprinting and powerful movements in general are off limits, but L-sit in the various form I think should strenght the area without too much strain, at least the doctor told me so few months ago.

I won't progress then, I'll stick to regural 5*5 PU and dips, making it somewhat harder and adding few L-chins and russian dips along the way before completely substitute it and progress.

What a bummer to discover that the supposed 6-8 weeks before proceeding on will probably become 12-16!!

Again, tank you very much for taking the time.

Do you do them slow all the time?

Maybe experiment with tempo to provide some variety. Personally back when i did pullups i found it useless to do anything but explosive concentric and controlled negative...controlled negative isn't necessary, but is a lot better if you're looking for strength.

Although it is a bit different for gymnastics, but why would you ever pull up slow in real life?

the wods employ a variety of tempos for good reason.

It's good for increasing the time under tension and provide different stimuli to prevent stagnation. There are also other reasons for applying tempoes and pauses.