The Best Pullup for Muscle Gain: Self-Assisted Pullups
Ther..
🕑 Added 2020-08-31 00:08:04 +0000 UTC
The Best Pullup for Muscle Gain: Self-Assisted Pullups
There are no substitutes for pullups. It targets your back, biceps, rear delts and forearms, mobilizes your shoulders, and decompresses your spine. Plus every serious home gym has a pullup bar.
My favorite pullup to build muscle is the self-assisted variation. Yes, many of you will discount this option as a regression for people who can’t do regular pullups- and it is. But it can also be used for warmups, drop sets, or back-off sets.
I can do sets of 10+ unassisted pullups yet I get a much better mind-muscle connection and pump with this self-assisted option, especially when I'm already taxed after doing weighted low-rep pullup strength work.
The key to getting the most out of this move is to use:
1. LITTLE TO NO ASSISTANCE ON THE DESCENT
This is the eccentric phase where you are strongest. Take at least 3-4 seconds to smoothly lower from top to bottom. Slowly stretching your lats under load is a research-proven and battle-tested method of beefing up your back and bulletproofing your shoulders.
2. ONLY AS MUCH ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED ON THE ASCENT
Place your feet on the floor or on top of a box or bench based on your particular pullup setup. The legs are there to just inch you up and unload your bodyweight ever so slightly as you fatigue. Progress to just one leg to make it even harder to assist your upper body pulling muscles.
I recommend 2-3 sets of 10 reps lasting at least 60 seconds in duration with a slow & controlled tempo. Mix your grips for training variation and max gainz. My favorite gripping option is gymnastics rings or ring handles since they allow for rotation and are easy on the hands and joints.
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Full home programming at TheDailyBJ.com
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