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Most men over 50 can’t do a single pull up. That’s not a fitness problem. It’s a longevity problem. Upper body strength is one of the clearest predictors of how well you age. My client Eric is 50. He now does weighted pull ups. Here’s the exact progression from... show more

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.

146,106 subscribers

19,289 views • 18 hours ago •via X (Twitter)

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11 Comments

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

Pull ups are an elite bodyweight exercise. Being able to do these is a show of strength, health and longevity. They also build your lats, traps, delts and biceps. But most people can't even do one. Never fear. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

I'm going to show you exactly how to use negative (eccentric) reps to go from zero to pumping out pull ups for fun. Follow this plan to a tee. In weeks you'll be hitting pull ups and building a lean, strong physique. Wide shoulders, narrow waist. Yes please.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

Eccentric (lengthening) reps have massive benefits: ⚬ Increase load on the muscle ⚬ Decrease energy demands on the muscle ⚬ Increase muscular strength ⚬ Increase mechanical tension (key driver for hypertrophy) We use all four to fast-track your pull up strength.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

1. How to perform eccentric (lowering) reps ⚬ Find a block or bench to stand on ⚬ Start in the very top position of the pull up ⚬ SLOWLY lower yourself over 4 seconds to a full stretch ⚬ Be honest on speed. Zero momentum.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

2. The program Stage 1 — 6 sets of 2 reps (eccentrics only) Stage 2 — 6 sets of 3 reps Stage 3 — 7 sets of 3 reps Stage 4 — 8 sets of 3 reps Stage 5 — 9 sets of 3 reps Stage 6 — 10 sets of 3 reps Every rep perfect. Be honest on speed.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

Your speed through each stage will vary. That's fine. Once you hit 10 sets of 3 with perfect eccentrics, retest your pull up strength. You'll now pump out multiple full reps. Recycle the same program — but with full reps this time. Boom.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

Can't do a single 4 second eccentric yet? That's cool too. Start with rack chins or inverted rows and run the exact same progression until you can do eccentrics. Then go from there. No excuses.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

This is about laying out your volume intelligently to build progressive strength over time. Not overnight. Over weeks and months. More pull up strength and reps = the wide shoulder, narrow waist.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

To summarize: 1. Use 4 second eccentric reps 2. Program over weeks/months 3. Gradually increase reps, then sets 4. Retest pull up strength 5. Recycle the program with full reps Get ready to build a body you're proud of. Eric is 50. He's now cranking muscle ups too.

Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.18 hours ago

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Karl Matt Button │ Apex Fitness Adv.14 hours ago

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Only 2% of women in world could do pull ups effectively. And only 10% of men. To pull up your body weight, is a core strength program.

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28,608 views • 11 months ago

Back on the grind 💪🏽 with a cool plug at the end ☺️ Weighted pull-ups with 50 lbs. Sets of 10 reps alternating pull-up with toes to bar. Add weight, build power! Testing the strength after a month away from the gym. Goes to show that discipline and consistency travel and

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Jimmy Drew

23,078 views • 1 year ago

The pull-up is the one exercise I see people quit on the fastest. They try a few, can't do them, decide they're just "not a pull-up person," and move on. But the thing is, strength is a skill. A lot of it is just your nervous system learning the exact movement, and your body only gets good at what you actually practise. That's why you can lift heavy on a barbell and still struggle to pull your own bodyweight up. It's a different skill, and it takes time. So no, you're not bad at pull-ups. You just haven't trained them yet. Start with regressions like slow negatives or banded reps, and try grease the groove method (thread below). That's exactly how a skill gets built. One day the bodyweight that felt impossible starts moving. Genuinely one of the best feelings in the gym.

The pull-up is the one exercise I see people quit on the fastest. They try a few, can't do them, decide they're just "not a pull-up person," and move on. But the thing is, strength is a skill. A lot of it is just your nervous system learning the exact movement, and your body only gets good at what you actually practise. That's why you can lift heavy on a barbell and still struggle to pull your own bodyweight up. It's a different skill, and it takes time. So no, you're not bad at pull-ups. You just haven't trained them yet. Start with regressions like slow negatives or banded reps, and try grease the groove method (thread below). That's exactly how a skill gets built. One day the bodyweight that felt impossible starts moving. Genuinely one of the best feelings in the gym.

Dr Neha Chawla || FreeGym

24,318 views • 4 months ago

I don’t love programming in a way that feels like it limits or boxing you in For that reason I like prescriptions like this, try it on your next pull up session 12x2 weighted pull ups Then do sets of 4 body weight only until you can’t anymore I ended up at a total of 40 reps

I don’t love programming in a way that feels like it limits or boxing you in For that reason I like prescriptions like this, try it on your next pull up session 12x2 weighted pull ups Then do sets of 4 body weight only until you can’t anymore I ended up at a total of 40 reps

Official Strength Debates

20,945 views • 8 months ago

Well, Brian Sauvé told me recently that he needed to know what my 1RM weighted pull-up was so I established one this morning at the end of my upper body session. I’m not too mad at 200lbs(body weight) + 90lbs for a 1RM. I think he and I may be tied on this right now, so I guess we have an obligatory race to 100lbs+ on our hands. More weighted pull-ups will be added to the weekly rotation🪓

Well, Brian Sauvé told me recently that he needed to know what my 1RM weighted pull-up was so I established one this morning at the end of my upper body session. I’m not too mad at 200lbs(body weight) + 90lbs for a 1RM. I think he and I may be tied on this right now, so I guess we have an obligatory race to 100lbs+ on our hands. More weighted pull-ups will be added to the weekly rotation🪓

Tate Taylor

13,636 views • 1 month ago

If you have a lower shoulder on one side, it’s not only a problem with the shoulder itself. Understanding how the rib cage and rest of the upper body influence this posture is key for resolving it. Here’s what you need to know 👇

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Conor Harris

60,312 views • 9 months ago

Will I ever be able to do a single pull-up? 😭 Right now, all I can do is dead-hang and hope for the best. 😒 Fitness community, what helped you get your first pull-up?

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puregold

25,846 views • 4 months ago

Push-ups get dismissed as “too easy” because most people never load them properly. If you’re doing sets of 30–50 reps, you’re not building as much strength or muscle as you think. Progression matters. Here’s how I scale the load on push-ups without machines or a weighted vest: • Start with standard push-ups • Elevate the feet to shift more load to the upper body • Add bands to increase resistance • Use rings to increase range of motion I didn't show it, but you can also elevate you feet while doing the ring push-ups to add more load as a 5th progression. Every step increases mechanical tension—which is the real driver of muscle growth. Stop repping out on push-ups. Start adding load...and enjoy the growth.

Push-ups get dismissed as “too easy” because most people never load them properly. If you’re doing sets of 30–50 reps, you’re not building as much strength or muscle as you think. Progression matters. Here’s how I scale the load on push-ups without machines or a weighted vest: • Start with standard push-ups • Elevate the feet to shift more load to the upper body • Add bands to increase resistance • Use rings to increase range of motion I didn't show it, but you can also elevate you feet while doing the ring push-ups to add more load as a 5th progression. Every step increases mechanical tension—which is the real driver of muscle growth. Stop repping out on push-ups. Start adding load...and enjoy the growth.

Ted Ryce

65,584 views • 5 months ago

“As long as your body is healthy, you have thousands of problems. But the moment your body gets sick, you only have one problem.” Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi said this so calmly when asked about sports, and it stopped me cold. He explained that any sport is good because the foundation of everything is taking care of the body. When your health is solid, life throws endless worries at you — work, relationships, goals, daily stress. But the second your body breaks down, all of that disappears and you’re left with just one single problem: getting healthy again. That’s why he says respect, nourish, and love your body first. It’s the most precious thing you have right now. Such a short, simple truth from a Shaolin Master, yet it completely reframes how we prioritize our days. How often do you actually put your physical health at the top of the list — or does it usually slip to the bottom?

“As long as your body is healthy, you have thousands of problems. But the moment your body gets sick, you only have one problem.” Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi said this so calmly when asked about sports, and it stopped me cold. He explained that any sport is good because the foundation of everything is taking care of the body. When your health is solid, life throws endless worries at you — work, relationships, goals, daily stress. But the second your body breaks down, all of that disappears and you’re left with just one single problem: getting healthy again. That’s why he says respect, nourish, and love your body first. It’s the most precious thing you have right now. Such a short, simple truth from a Shaolin Master, yet it completely reframes how we prioritize our days. How often do you actually put your physical health at the top of the list — or does it usually slip to the bottom?

Camus

85,730 views • 6 months ago

Vertical Pulling is the name of the game for a lot of swimming. 🏊 💪 Big ROI swimmers ➡️ Weighted Pull-ups +20% ↗️ upper body pulling strength = up to 5-7% 📈 faster sprint times (Rejman et al., 2017). Research shows that improving maximal pull-up strength significantly increases swimming start force & sprint velocity (Rejman et al., 2017). Another study by Cuenca-Fernández et al. (2015) links upper-body power gains directly to faster 50m & 100m freestyle times. All 4 strokes can improve from increase vertical pulling Strength + Power development.

Vertical Pulling is the name of the game for a lot of swimming. 🏊 💪 Big ROI swimmers ➡️ Weighted Pull-ups +20% ↗️ upper body pulling strength = up to 5-7% 📈 faster sprint times (Rejman et al., 2017). Research shows that improving maximal pull-up strength significantly increases swimming start force & sprint velocity (Rejman et al., 2017). Another study by Cuenca-Fernández et al. (2015) links upper-body power gains directly to faster 50m & 100m freestyle times. All 4 strokes can improve from increase vertical pulling Strength + Power development.

Grant House 🍃

12,831 views • 1 year ago

Make pull ups a primary exercise. Train all sets to failure and vary your grip every workout to hit different angles. When I started I could only do 1 rep per set so I did 50 sets of 1 rep until my body adapted. Today my typical session looks like 12, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6 reps for 50 total. A few notes for elite form: > Keep your entire core tight through every rep up and down. > Feel your lats pulling on your abs on the way up. > Exhale on exertion and inhale on the descent. Mix in negatives occasionally for controlled slow descents that build serious strength. The pull up builds a thick back, v-taper, grip, core and delts all in one movement. A hard body demands pull ups.

Make pull ups a primary exercise. Train all sets to failure and vary your grip every workout to hit different angles. When I started I could only do 1 rep per set so I did 50 sets of 1 rep until my body adapted. Today my typical session looks like 12, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6 reps for 50 total. A few notes for elite form: > Keep your entire core tight through every rep up and down. > Feel your lats pulling on your abs on the way up. > Exhale on exertion and inhale on the descent. Mix in negatives occasionally for controlled slow descents that build serious strength. The pull up builds a thick back, v-taper, grip, core and delts all in one movement. A hard body demands pull ups.

Robert ₿reedlove

330,039 views • 5 months ago

NEW: Senator Mazie Hirono says making FBI agents pass a pull-up test is "harsh" because there are women with "physiological differences" who can't do them. Hirono: "Are you requiring these kinds of pull-ups?" Patel: "If you wanna chase down a bad guy and put him in handcuffs, you better be able to do a pull-up." Hirono: "The reason I ask is that there are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pull-ups is really required of FBI agents." Patel: "Doing one pull-up is not harsh." What a joke.

NEW: Senator Mazie Hirono says making FBI agents pass a pull-up test is "harsh" because there are women with "physiological differences" who can't do them. Hirono: "Are you requiring these kinds of pull-ups?" Patel: "If you wanna chase down a bad guy and put him in handcuffs, you better be able to do a pull-up." Hirono: "The reason I ask is that there are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pull-ups is really required of FBI agents." Patel: "Doing one pull-up is not harsh." What a joke.

Collin Rugg

1,448,835 views • 1 year ago

✅If you can do around 40 consecutive push-ups, it’s a strong indicator of good fitness and a much lower risk of heart attack or stroke A study published in JAMA Network Open (2019) involved over 1,000 male firefighters. Here’s what it found: 1. Men who could complete more than 40 push-ups in a single attempt had a 96% lower risk of heart disease events (heart attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest) over 10 years compared with those who could do fewer than 10. 2. The push-up test was a simple measure of overall fitness, particularly upper-body strength and cardiovascular endurance. 3. Push-up capacity correlated strongly with aerobic fitness (VO₂ max), a key predictor of heart health. Important caveats: 1. The study included middle-aged men (mean age ~40) who were physically active firefighters, not the general population. 2. It shows association, not causation: Being fit enough to do 40 push-ups reflects good cardiovascular fitness, which lowers heart disease risk. 3. The protective effect comes from the fitness level and not the push-ups themselves. (VC: Dr Jacob George)

✅If you can do around 40 consecutive push-ups, it’s a strong indicator of good fitness and a much lower risk of heart attack or stroke A study published in JAMA Network Open (2019) involved over 1,000 male firefighters. Here’s what it found: 1. Men who could complete more than 40 push-ups in a single attempt had a 96% lower risk of heart disease events (heart attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest) over 10 years compared with those who could do fewer than 10. 2. The push-up test was a simple measure of overall fitness, particularly upper-body strength and cardiovascular endurance. 3. Push-up capacity correlated strongly with aerobic fitness (VO₂ max), a key predictor of heart health. Important caveats: 1. The study included middle-aged men (mean age ~40) who were physically active firefighters, not the general population. 2. It shows association, not causation: Being fit enough to do 40 push-ups reflects good cardiovascular fitness, which lowers heart disease risk. 3. The protective effect comes from the fitness level and not the push-ups themselves. (VC: Dr Jacob George)

Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM

48,880 views • 11 months ago

Chin-ups feel easier than pull-ups for a reason. It’s not just grip — it’s anatomy. In a chin-up (underhand grip): - Your biceps line up better with the force → they actually help pull - Your elbows stay in front of your chest → pecs assist with stabilization Result? The load gets shared, so the movement feels smoother and you can usually do more reps. Save this if you train back 👇

Chin-ups feel easier than pull-ups for a reason. It’s not just grip — it’s anatomy. In a chin-up (underhand grip): - Your biceps line up better with the force → they actually help pull - Your elbows stay in front of your chest → pecs assist with stabilization Result? The load gets shared, so the movement feels smoother and you can usually do more reps. Save this if you train back 👇

Cardio Arena

25,806 views • 3 months ago

Just started focusing a little on upper body work. Last year I could barely do one pull-up. Starting this journey to 10 now this year at 5 (kinda weak) underhand grip pull-ups. Before my implants I found 12 easy. Ever since I’ve have struggled getting 5-7. #fitness #pullups

Just started focusing a little on upper body work. Last year I could barely do one pull-up. Starting this journey to 10 now this year at 5 (kinda weak) underhand grip pull-ups. Before my implants I found 12 easy. Ever since I’ve have struggled getting 5-7. #fitness #pullups

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