Dr. Stuart McGill has some great advice on how to improve your pull-ups:

I did this. Started with 30 reps. Got up into the 75rep range over ~6 weeks. Could have done a hundred. Just never tried. Took me from 4 to 10 pull ups in a row and fixed my shoulder problems. All without adding weight. I think the mechanism here is that it is training efficient recruitment and form over pure strength or power. I’m considering doing it with bench press to see how that changes my overall bench strength, which has been at a plateau for years.

What stands out is restraint. Less reps. More precision. Better long-term strength and fewer breakdowns.

McGill is a stud. Those lats are pretty stiff. Guy is walking around inhaled all day. Most people would benefit from doing a lot more horizontal pulling vs. vertical pulling. Also notice the lack of glute development… tells you something….

Fewer reps and better pre-tension. McGill's advice is gold especially for heavier guys because it makes the rep solid. If you're lighter, clean single digit sets spread across the day will level up your pull up game quickly.

So, is he saying that we could do 1 pull-up and rest and 1 more pull-up, instead of doing 8 reps?

@StrengthDebates probably agrees with this take

Advice: pull harder

@grok can you summarize this?

Well, I know what I’m doing next pull-day

With that weight, the guy is doing great. But it's all a big strain on the heart. It's better to lose a little weight so that any pull-ups go smoothly.

I never do more than 5 reps , when it becomes too easy I just add weight , but never add reps

Interesting I’ve worked my self up to 10 sets of 10 maybe I should scale back

McGill is lame ... ask Goggins instead

I wonder how many pull-ups McGill can do?

the skreets forgot about hannibal for king? 💔💔

This guy is stuck in the most aggressive pelvic extension

Legend!

@Mangan150 ?

What if I could not perform a single pull-up? BTW I can't.

I’m adding some weight to my pull-ups over the holidays. Hopefully they’ll be super easy when my waistline recedes.

@grok could you explain what he’s saying as it’s not easy to hear

Technique!!!!!!

@grok summarize this in two sentences

Most gym bros can't go many pull-ups and when they do, they turn it into a high row with an arched back. Catch 22. A pull up is a vertical pull position, not a high row chest to bar movement. People only training half of their back. You need vertical pulls dead hang legs

Fat!

If i heard right u do 30 reps with 15 sets. Eventualy u go up to 20 reps in one set. The problem is to do 20 in a set perfect as u do one or 2. Cant say im convinced that when u go to 20 all will be perfect.

Could not understand it can someone break it down for me?

Love this. Smart.

@Juliococo FYI.

This video is utterly embarrassing. McGill at his most pseudoscientific.

Clear explanation

Needed this video. I never thought about just doing 1-2 reps and compounding them with lots of sets.