I agree, I was heavier than most when I started and found bodyweight stuff hard, I started off doing assisted and didn't feel it helped much.
I think aiming for a number of total reps is better, aim for 15 total reps in the lowest amount of sets, at the start it might be 15x1 rep then in a few weeks you might be doing 7x2 reps, etc, before you know it it'll be 3x5, best way to increase I think.
I was using one of those assistance machines for pull ups to begin with, but I was not progressing at all. I did it for an entire 12 week routine and still couldn't wide pull up my own body weight. Than I came across a thread Fadi wrote about body weight exercises, basically don't use assistance, you need to treat the movement as a strength building movement not a bodybuilding one. So basically I used negatives and partials until I could do one full rep.
Example;
10xNegatives (eccentric movement), just jumped up etc.
Than
10xPartial concentric (as high as I could go, even if only an inch to start)
Than
10xStatic holds (for as long as you can on each rep)
I started this 3 weeks ago twice a week, and now I can do 2 full reps.
I now do:
10x2 (or that is the aim, I'm getting about 5x2 than I do singles)
Than
10xStatic holds (at abut half way up, as thats where I'm weakest)
So I think assistance machines or partners don't really help, or didn't for me.
Well done Champ, really well done and congratulations x100! I really liked and was very impressed with your entire post.
Your timing of this post was impeccable since I'm still in pain after performing 4 sets of 3 eccentric reps for the wide grip chin ups on Sunday the 20th just gone. I jump up through the concentric phase and slow it right down during the eccentric (negative) phase. Pain!
Please never forget the king of all methods: VARIETY.
Fadi.
Example;
10xNegatives (eccentric movement), just jumped up etc.
Than
10xPartial concentric (as high as I could go, even if only an inch to start)
Than
10xStatic holds (for as long as you can on each rep)
I started this 3 weeks ago twice a week, and now I can do 2 full reps.
I now do:
10x2 (or that is the aim, I'm getting about 5x2 than I do singles)
Than
10xStatic holds (at abut half way up, as thats where I'm weakest)
So I think assistance machines or partners don't really help, or didn't for me.
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