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Only .00001% of the population has genetics to do 1-arm pull


RatioFitness
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RatioFitness

I heard somewhere that only .00001% of the population has the genetics to do a 1-arm pull-up. I won't say where I heard this. If you really need to know you can PM me.

What do you think of this statement?

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Quick Start Test Smith

Hmmmm... what does that .00001% have that the other 99.9999999% doesn't?

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RatioFitness

If I had to guess (and I do), I would say some combination of levers, muscle attachments, genetic recovery ability, joint structure, and superior genetic response to training (i.e. trainability).

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I call bullshit. On many different forums, there are guys who are pretty average in pull-ups, but they very much want to do an OAC because of gymnastic videos etc. So they train a lot and in the end, after a year or two, they've achieved a OAC. I have yet to see a dedicated guy who DOESN'T get a one-armed chinup in the end.

This is a very persistent myth on the internet that in my opinion is just created to justify people's laziness to train.

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Alvaro Antolinez

I think is from Poliquin, or at least Poliquin made this quote quite famous. Maybe that is the rate of body builders able to do a OAC. :twisted:

I am far from the OAC (yet) but I think that with time, training and improving my body composition (quite unfavorable right now :oops: ), I don´t see why I won´t achieve at least one. Time will tell. :D

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Christian Sørlie

I have heard that it's 1 in 100 000, don't know if that's what the % adds up to. But I now know 3! people who can and I am on negative only (slow, controlled) OAC, moving forward, so hmmm.

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Rafael David

So I'm a freak of nature or a mutant or both because I'm already doing sets of 2 cosecutive reps per arm (bar bellow the chin and slow negative)! :shock:

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Martin de Jesus Ponce Robaldino

I think that just one in every 10000 people can do them, not cause genetics, cause they have thee determination for achieving it...

I will be one of them =)

Greetings from Mexico!

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WitnessTheFitness

Out of the population as a whole very few people can do them, but that's simply because very few people do dedicated strength training in the first place, not because they're some genetic monsters. A single rep OAC or pullup I would only place in the lower end of intermediate bodyweight strength. My 1RM for a OAC is with 20lbs of ankle weights, yet I'm still worlds away from a full planche or iron cross.

Now people that can do 10 reps...they're monsters :twisted:

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Joshua Naterman
Out of the population as a whole very few people can do them, but that's simply because very few people do dedicated strength training in the first place, not because they're some genetic monsters. A single rep OAC or pullup I would only place in the lower end of intermediate bodyweight strength. My 1RM for a OAC is with 20lbs of ankle weights, yet I'm still worlds away from a full planche or iron cross.

Now people that can do 10 reps...they're monsters :twisted:

I would definitely place a good, controlled OAC or pull up at the bottom of the advanced bodyweight strength for pulls, that is a lot of one arm pulling strength. Can't really be compared to a butterfly, though I would never argue that it is as hard either :)

Yea, these ratios you hear about are horse manure. Pure advertising and hype, don't ever take statements like these at face value.

Very few people strength train consistently with programs that are truly effective (and by this I mean they build their structure, take many small steps forward, each step only as they are ready, and keep the body balanced so that injuries don't halt training).

If everyone trained in this fashion, it is fair to say that nearly everyone could achieve OAC. It is completely outrageous, in my opinion, to think that this is not true. It doesn't mean everyone can do it right now, exactly as they are, that would be equally stupid.

And as for the OP, why would you ever post a statement and then have a line like "I won't say where I heard this, but you can PM men and I'll tell you" That's just... not a post of your usual caliber.

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Load of crap! Anyone who sets the goal to get a OAC and train for it the propper way could get one. It might take longer for some people but I´m sure anyone dedicated would get it in a matter of time.

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Philip Chubb
And as for the OP, why would you ever post a statement and then have a line like "I won't say where I heard this, but you can PM men and I'll tell you" That's just... not a post of your usual caliber.

Considering the day this topic was made, I am guessing OP doesn't want to say because Ido said it.

With smart training and dedication, anyone can achieve it. Most people are just lacking one or the other.

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Coach Sommer
Only .00001% of the population has genetics to do 1-arm

It is a ridiculous statement. Unless I have a much larger percentage of the world's population within the walls of my gym than I had previously thought 8)

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

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Edward Smith

I believe Poliqiuin said something more to the effect 'it has been estimated that only 1 in X amout of people are strong enough to do a one-arm pull up'. It was used as just a throwaway comment (and not founded in genetic ability, just strength).

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  • 2 weeks later...
Andreas Magneshaugen Ullerud

When i comes to the OAC and genetics i have story to tell which i find interesting. For some ago i showed my dad a video on youtube of a gymnast who preforming a one finger OAC. Too my surprise my dad actually said he could do this when i was in i twenties, and the funny thing is he has never done anything sports related. At that time he had bodyweight around 80 kg and height at 192 cm. My jaw pretty much fell on the floor when he told me this. Most of his strength probably came from working at our family farm since i was very young, i guess odd object lifting i quite effective :) .

The genetics thing is kind of because my mom is also pretty strong, and I ended up with body type of marathon runner. When i first tried a PB dip i didn't even manage do one single rep.

I'm not trying brag about my genetics or family, but the story surprised me so much that i thought i should share it :D .

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Andreas Magneshaugen Ullerud

I agree with you Danny, but what the meaning of your post? Like a pointed out my post wasn't meant to brag, i was just very surprised when my dad told me he could do it, especially when he never trained for it. The guy the video wasn't weak, he could do an inverted cross and hold a two finger front lever for 30 seconds if i remember correctly.

Edit: Here's the link to the video:

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  • 2 weeks later...

You do realise that would mean only ~7000 people in the world could ever hope to do a oac... It's really sad how some people will believe anything because it's a 'statistic'.

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I guess if 99% of the population has to climb trees every day for living they'll jump around on one arm like chimps.

But 99% of the people are way too fat even to stand from a chair. Fat chimps will also have trouble hanging on one arm.

BTW? What would be the best way to start training for OAC? I don't mean strength here but what to do to increase the shoulder stability and strength so that it doesn't get dislocated at the first attempt?

I'm asking this because I have a shoulder issue. I can do pull ups but I really need to improve my shoulder stability before I could even think trying any OAC.

I got this problem first while overdoing dips 5 years ago and it became much more serious after I pushed myself to do as many behind the neck pull-ups last year. I don't feel any pain if I do chin-ups or narrow grip pull-ups but any wider grip pull-ups cause pain.

I visited a doctor... without success.

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Joshua Naterman

Your scapula are dysfunctional. You need to re-learn how to use them and correct your posture and form. That much I can tell you 100% for certain. Beyond that, once you have taken at least 3-6 months to truly relearn scapular motion you will want to build your pull ups in all the grips and eventually start doing pull ups with ropes, and then climbing ropes.

Make sure you use very slow (8-10s concentric and another 8-10s eccentric) movement exclusively for at least the first 3-4 weeks with a weight that allows perfect movement. I spent 8 weeks on this phase, personally. I am about 12 weeks in, and I have made substantial progress in many areas. I have to remember that I am not yet healthy enough for true strength training right now, and I expect my rehab to take me through the end of the summer, by which time I should have successfully integrated faster heavier movements on top of this core of very slow stability work. I am slowly starting that process now.

If you don't do this, be prepared to have intermittent or consistent problems pretty much forever until you do decide to properly fix yourself. That's just the way it is, I wasn't thrilled at first but now that I am gaining steam I am absolutely loving how good I am feeling and I am finally doing things correctly. The strength will come later.

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Thanks for your answer! Yesterday I have watched your rehab video. I will get springs tomorrow. I hope springs are OK for the job because I cannot find rubber bands.

Do you do these exercises every day?

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