Breaking the Pull-Up Plateau: 3 Tips to Get Stronger

For years, I had one specific strength goal: to complete a set of 10 strict-form pull-ups. As a regular runner but only an occasional lifter, I found this goal challenging.

Strict pull-ups—using an overhand grip, pulling your chin above the bar, and returning to a full "dead hang"—are a great measure of relative strength.

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Unfortunately, life and marathon training kept getting in the way. I would make progress, get to six or seven reps, hit a plateau, and then lose all my gains when I shifted focus back to running.

This time, however, was different. Without a major endurance race on the calendar, I was able to stick with my goal.

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I focused on research-backed tips and finally pushed past my plateau to hit those 10 reps. After years of trying, it was a huge moment of personal victory.

Here are the three science-backed tricks that worked for me and can help you break through your own pull-up plateau.

1. Lower Reps, More Sets

One of the biggest changes I made was to train more like a powerlifter than a bodybuilder. Research from the City University of New York found that low repetitions (1-5 reps per set) are better for building pure strength, while higher reps focus on muscle size and endurance.

Since my goal was to get stronger, I stopped trying to max out my reps on every set. Instead of doing three sets of as many reps as possible, I switched to five sets of just four reps.

This allowed my muscles more time to rest between efforts, which meant I could complete more high-quality pull-ups in total during a session.

Over time, I increased those four reps to five, and then six, completing 30 total reps in a workout.

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2. Use Resistance Bands

A major difficulty with pull-ups is that you can't easily adjust the weight—you're always lifting your full body weight. This makes it hard to practice if you can't yet complete a full rep.

The solution is to use a resistance band. By looping a band around the bar and placing your feet or knees in it, you can reduce the amount of weight you have to lift.

When I couldn't complete my target reps for a set, I would use a band to finish the remaining reps. This allowed me to complete my planned workout volume for the day.

This approach provides benefits similar to using an assisted pull-up machine, helping you build the necessary strength over time.

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3. Take Longer Rests

Powerlifters are known for taking long rest periods between sets, and there's a good reason for it. Longer rests allow your muscles to recover more fully, enabling you to perform each set with maximum strength and power.

Pull-ups engage multiple muscle groups in your back, arms, and core. If one of these groups fatigues faster than the others, it can prevent you from finishing a set.

Research has shown that longer rest periods allow for more total repetitions across multiple sets.

I increased my rest time between sets from one minute to two-and-a-half minutes, and my results improved dramatically.

While it meant spending more time on a single exercise, the payoff was well worth it.

Source: techradar

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