Broke the 40-pullup barrier

Recently I broke the 40 pullup barrier, and have been working on learning some other exercises such as muscle ups and the human flag. I have also been utilizing more of the explosive variety of pullups.

Here is a video of the first time I reached 40 pullups -
http://youtu.be/ypziXE0yDIo

Plateau-breakers

I have reached 38 pullups in 50 sec. thus far, and am hoping to reach 40 within another week. The progress certainly doesn't come quite as fast and easily as before, but I certainly can feel my energy and strength increase each week. I got pretty sick for a week, and still managed to basically stabilize my strength during that time, but now that I am feeling better I am considering different options to help bust through this sort of mini-plateau I feel I am about to reach.

Some supplementary/dietary options:

1. Increased carbohydrates before workout
2. Small caffeine boost (not a large amount, as that will drain my adrenals)
3. Cordyceps pre-workout supplementation (easy to find here in China)

Workout options:

1. Use of wrist straps or gloves (have not started using either yet)
2. More high rep exercise to help body adapt to increase lactate threshold
3. More training on vertical plane such as dips, as this has been shown to increase pullup strength and stamina

Hopefully I will pass 40 pullups quickly, as I am eager to reach my goals! However, I am happy that my progress hasn't been halted, and seems to overall be going smoothly thus far.

Current Diet

I wanted to touch upon my current diet, and some improvements I am going to implement regarding nutrition.

Currently, as I am living in China, I am unable to find some of the foods/supplements that would help me to optimize my diet. However, I can still find the bare essentials such as eggs, liver, oatmeal, fruit, vegetables, etc.

Current Diet:

Breakfast: 3 Eggs, 1 cup oatmeal w/ coconut milk/shredded coconut (P 28 C 60 F 25)
Lunch: Chicken & Rice or Pork and Rice, Fruit (P 30 C 60 F 25)
Snack: Figs, Almonds, Yogurt (P 20 C 100 F 25)
Dinner: Liver Soup with bone broth (P 30 C 5 F 20)
Totals (P ~110, C ~225, F ~95)

I found that my protein intake has been a bit low for my body weight (175 +/-), so I am attempting to boost my protein intake as close to 175 grams as possible, while keeping carbohydrates and fat at roughly the same point. I will add a few more eggs each day, increased amounts of meat, and possibly slightly more dairy.

Current Supplements:

Ecklonia Cava
Multivitamin (food based)
Biotin
Vitamin C
Trace Minerals
Iodine

Halfway Point!

Today I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go. I ate a big meal and went to the gym. I had no idea that I would manage 31 pullups in a row today, but I am feeling great about it. Here is a breakdown of the workout below:

• 1 set of pullups to failure (BW x 31)
• Barbell Curls: 84 x 8, 94 x 4, 50 x 21 x 2
• Reverse Barbell Curls: 40 x 15, 50 x 12
• 3 30 sec. bar hangs
• 2 finger switching x 20 
• 1 finger switching x 4
• 1 arm pullup x 1 (with jump start)

The 2-finger switching is when I only grip the bar with two fingers of one had for half the set, then vice versa. I still couldn't manage a regular one arm pullup, but kicked off slightly to at least benefit from the negative portion of the rep, and to help me gradually adapt to one arm pullups.

Achieving the unachievable

So far I have gone from 17 pullups in a row(1/15/14) to 28 pullups in a row(3/24/14). It looks so far as if I am well on track to reach my goals, and I believe that anyone with a decent diet and workout plan can definitely do the same. Many people will say that it is impossible for most people to get over the say 40 or 50 pullup barrier, but I believe it is definitely possible for just about anyone, assuming you find ways to bust the plateaus and continue to work on your weakpoints.

If your weakpoint is your back, then one method may be to work your biceps and forearms first, and then complete your 3 sets of pullups (or however many you wish to do). This will ensure you utilize your back muscles to a greater extent as your arms will already be somewhat exhausted. I tried this method my last workout, and the vascularity on my arms increased to a great extent, which certainly is a nice added benefit. This is one of the likely benefits of those doing high-rep exercises such as pullups. I have never before had visible bicep veins, and finally they have began to appear, which certainly has aesthetic benefits.

Purpose of this blog

Why is my main physical goal to reach 60 pullups in a row?

Pullups have throughout history been known as one of, if not the cardinal gauge of upper body strength. Military forces throughout the world use them as one of the primary gauges of upper body strength.

Marine Recon is said to require 20+ full range pullups in a row.

The Russian Spetsnaz requirements are said to be 18 dead-hang weighted (10 kg) pullups in a row.

To become a Navy SEAL the bare minimum pullups is 8, while one should be able to do 20 or so to be competitive.

I was previously a recreational bodybuilder/powerlifter (about 7 years ago). Recently, I started working out again, and have felt newly invigorated as a result, and hope to continue down this path once again.

I have set an attainable goal of 60 pullups in a row, that once accomplished, I hope to surpass as well.

If you are looking to increase your strength/stamina and/or increase muscle mass, you can follow along and maybe pick up a few things along the way as a document my progress.

I started this journey as of 1/15/14, and at that point in time had managed 17 pullups in a row. As of now (3/13/14) I have progressed to 24 pullups in a row, and have began to incorporate hangs, heavy forearm work, and work towards one-arm pullups as well. I will be uploading videos of some of my more productive workouts. I am also doing a full-body workout routine at the moment, also attempting to reach PRs for Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift, etc. However, as the pullup is in my opinion the ultimate gauge of upper body strength-stamina, this is my primary goal at the moment.