So to work my back, I do pull ups/chin ups. Since starting BJJ again, I haven't been lifting as much as I used to (0-1 per week whereas before it was 2-3 per week).

I tried to do a few pullups today, and I managed 2. When I used to be able to pull off 8 easy.

My usual routine is to warm up first, then do singles with increased weight, until I can't do anymore.

Should I keep doing it that way? Should I go back to a "traditional" 5x5 like I do for my other work outs? Or should I try my new idea, which is to just pull up a few times every time I walk by the bar (which is fairly often)? Eventually adding weight.

The last idea would throw off the whole "rest period" part of training. But when I used to do a 5x5 (more like a 4x4...) for pull ups, I got some pretty bad gains, too.

Ideas?

Well, since you can't do more than 2, doing that two once in a while when you walk by the bar seems like a good idea to me.

Just make sure you give it a try once or twice per day at least.

I'm sure it will come back real fast. We're talking a few weeks ago here, not years, it's just that my back strength seems to drop real fast unless I keep working it.

How the hell do Bao's and Broken Finger's threads get higher than this one? I need more help!

Sorry dude, it's more fun to poke the idiots with a stick. Also I can't do a pullup. I blame my stubby little tyrannosaurus arms. I hit my back with rows and pullovers..


Anyway, your new idea should be cool as long as you don't over do it. i personally think you get very solid gains like that - ie farmboy strong, construction worker strong etc.

That's what I was thinking.

With pretty much any other lift, I'd have to load the weight and it would be dangerou. With pull ups, if I can't do the rep, I can just let go.

Also something I didn't mention is that I went from 145lbs to 170lbs, so I guess I did make some decent gains...

No wonder the number of reps you could do with pullups went down after that weigth gain.

"Thug Workout" on Youtube. Try some variations with your walk-by tactics. Your stale, bitch!

P.S. PL mentioned me! I'm soooooooooooo special!!1!!!!1!!!one!!!

I swear by the dumbell/cable woodchop

Koto, sic 'em!

I'm hoping he was making fun of you, actually.

Me too.

Dump the increase in weights cuz you've just hit a plateau. You have passed your peak since you have been training at the max for too long (periodization is your friend:)

What you'll want at this point is to take a 1 or 2-week break. After that just do a 2 or 3 sets of bodyweight chin up until failure, independently of how many reps you can do per set or in total. That should be your warm up and work out no more than twice a week for a few weeks.

Then take another week of break. After the short break do your original routine, either the 5x5 or the increased weight until failure... you'll be surprise.

Keep in mind that total strenght of your upper body does not increase at the same rate as your body increases weight. Legs are somewhat different, but arms, pecs and arms wont be able to keep up with a rapid increase in bodyweight, specially for chin-ups.

Another thing that you may want to try is to use a twisted beach towel, pass it over the handles where you do chin ups, and instead of grabbing the handles, grab the ends of the towels to do chin ups. Doesn't matter if you can only do 2 or even 1, even a partial. This will do wonders to your grips and arms - you can't hit your back if your arms give up first.

My grip is probably the only thing I have going for me, actually. It's a lot stronger than the rest of my body (proportionally, I mean). I'll try the towel idea, then. Why not increase it as well?

I already moved up to 4 chin ups at a time. I just did them after my lifting routine today, so I was already tired, too.

I'll just do body weight for now and start doing weights in a few weeks. Never really thought of periodization, maybe I should.

I'm thinking of cancelling my gym membership for a while too, as I won't have time to go there in conventional hours with my new job, so I'll just go to parks in the middle of the night, and scare children by using their playground equipment to torture myself, as seen so often in this website: www.bodyweightculture.com