From zero to twenty pull-ups - No experience necessary!

gemiller87 wrote: »

I repeated negative sets of W-2D2 because on Day 3 it skips to doing full pull up.

I'm not really sure how the program thinks if you couldn't do a pull up just 2 days of 5Set1Rep negatives is going to get you there TBH for people who are starting at a true no success mark.

That said, the improvement in 2 days of work and a bit of rest was indeed impressive.

Yeah I hear you on the day W-2D3 plan - Why the 1 full pull up is set up at the END of the set is a little weird. As if some one who couldn't do one pull up a week before suddenly is going to do one at a very fatigued state.
The good news is that week-1 is set up more like one would expect(and it makes me think that W-2D3 could be a typo) . At any rate, my personal opinion is that once you feel you can control the negative (5 sec at top, 5 to lower and 5 in an engaged low hang ) for all 5 negatives adding another negative each day (in a new set after rest) is the best way to get that first pull up.

yamabachi wrote: »

My goal this year was to work on being able to even do 1 pullup from a dead hang... Do you think I can still make gains following the workout schedule once a week?

Welcome to the group.

Yes, I think that a beginner can make gains on a once per week schedule. Once a week is a whole lot more than nothing and hopefully with your cross training you are strengthening some of the muscles needed to reach your goal of a dead hang pull-up as well. If you take a look at workout plans on MFP, many people are only working a body type once a week.
-BIG HOWEVER: You will reach your goals quicker if you can find out the proper work load on your exercise day and couple that with the proper rest period. For a beginner using body weight, your rest period is much shorter than one week. More like 48-72 hours.

Let's talk about goals for one minute. You stated "My goal this year was to work on being able to even do 1 pull-up from a dead hang." Do you have a similar goal for cross training? As in some kind of defined goal in mind that is concrete and measurable? Trainers often say to set a defined goal, rather than a general goal like "I want to be stronger", because it is helpful in measuring (and attaining) success. Is your cross training goal more important than your pull-ups goal? I ask because it looks like you have an issue of not enough time to excel in both at the same time. (its not you, everybody only has 24 hours in the day ) This is where periodization comes into play - If you have short burst goals, such as 6 weeks, you can increase focus on one goal, while setting the other goal(s) to the back burner, and at the conclusion of the goal sprint, reassess all your goals. Maybe as the new year get closer, you want to reach that defined goal of one pull-up and now is a good time to switch up. You could increase your pull-ups to 3/week and reduce the cross training to 2 or 3/week. There are just about six weeks left in the year!

At any rate, this is your plan. If you want to work pull-ups once a week and come back here and report your work, please do so. Also, if you want to do neutral grip or chip-ups, sweet.

There's not a lot of right or wrong debate going on this challenge . If you are pulling on a bar, we're cheering.

@LAT1963

Thank you for your interest in this discussion.

I'm sorry to hear that your situation is such that you are unable to try this challenge. Pull-ups won't be or everyone. They are a complex movement using 13 different muscles (including those of the rotator cuff) and any injury to these muscles or the surrounding ligaments and tendons can make this challenge impossible. Certain modifications, such as neutral grip, however, do lesson the rotation to the rotator cuff and can make this movement easier. This is a discussion you would want to have with your doctor, not anyone on MFP.

That said, if you have been given the red light by your doctor for all overhead pulling, there are currently 185 pages of other challenges on MFP that you can join and challenge yourself appropriately.

Good Luck

s131951 wrote: »

I would gladly join, but ignorant. What is negative referring to in this case?

Welcome to the group. According to twenty pullups

Negative pull up:
Climb up to the bar so you start in the topmost position, then slowly lower yourself. Work against the gravity and try to lower yourself as slow as you can.

When I do negatives, I like to hold a flexed arm hang up top for 5 seconds then a 5 count down and at the bottom keep "engaged" for 5 seconds. "engaged' is having your shoulders pulled down and in, almost like you are trying to hold a pencil between your shoulder blades.