This programme starts from a simple observation: doing one all-out set, three times a week, doesn't work for long. You plateau fast. What drives your pull-up count up is the total number of clean reps. Everything is built on that.
The starting test
Before you start, measure your maximum. Warm up, then do a single set of strict overhand pull-ups: start with straight arms, chin above the bar, no swinging. The set ends at the first incomplete rep.
| Your maximum | Where to start |
|---|---|
| 0 | How to do your first pull-up |
| 1 to 4 | The starter programme, further down |
| 5 to 7 | Block 1, week 1 |
| 8 to 11 | Block 2, week 5 |
| 12 or more | Block 2 with one more rep per set, or weighted pull-ups |
The rules of the programme
- Three sessions a week, never two days in a row. Monday, Wednesday, Friday for example.
- No sets to failure, except the end-of-block test. Every set ends with at least one rep in reserve.
- Full reps. A shortened pull-up doesn't count. The technique is detailed in the guide to pull-ups.
- The rest times are the ones in the table. Shortening them turns the session into an endurance test and makes you miss the last sets.
- A short warm-up: 30 seconds of dead hang, 5 scapular pull-ups, then an easy set at half your maximum.
Block 1: weeks 1 to 4
For a starting maximum of 5 to 7 pull-ups. Goal of the block: 8 to 9.
| Week | Session 1: fixed sets | Session 2: pyramid | Session 3: volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 × 3 | 1-2-3-2-1, twice | 8 × 2 |
| 2 | 6 × 3 | 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 | 10 × 2 |
| 3 | 5 × 4 | 1-2-3-4-3-2-1, then 1-2-3-2-1 | 7 × 3 |
| 4 | 3 × 3 | 1-2-3-2-1 | Test: one maximum set |
"5 × 3" reads: 5 sets of 3 reps. Rest: 2 minutes in session 1, 90 seconds in session 2, 1 minute in session 3. Week 4 is lighter on purpose: you arrive fresh for the test.
If your starting test gives 6 or 7, add one rep per set in session 1.
The three sessions, one by one
Session 1: fixed sets
The same number of reps in every set, around 60% of your maximum. This is the strength session: long rests, slow execution, two to three seconds on the way down. The last set should look like the first.
Session 2: the pyramid
You do 1 pull-up, you rest, 2, you rest, and you climb to the top before coming back down. The small sets at the start serve as a warm-up, the ones at the end are done under fatigue without ever getting close to failure.
Session 3: volume
Lots of small sets with little rest. Each set is easy, it's the accumulation that does the work. If you miss a rep before the end, stop the session there: you've done your dose.
Block 2: weeks 5 to 8
For a maximum of 8 to 11 pull-ups. Goal of the block: 12 to 13.
| Week | Session 1: fixed sets | Session 2: pyramid | Session 3: volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 × 5 | 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 | 8 × 3 |
| 6 | 6 × 5 | 1 to 6, then back down | 10 × 3 |
| 7 | 5 × 6 | 1 to 6, then back down | 8 × 4 |
| 8 | 3 × 5 | 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 | Test: one maximum set |
If the week 4 test gives fewer than 8, don't move on to block 2: repeat block 1 with one more rep per set in session 1.
TipLog every session: date, sets done, sets missed. After three weeks, it's this logbook that tells you whether you're progressing, not how you feel on the day.
What you can expect
Let's be honest: going from 5 to 15 in eight weeks happens, but it isn't the rule. The usual pace is 3 to 4 pull-ups gained per block. Starting from 5, expect 8 to 9 after block 1, 12 to 13 after block 2, and a third block to reach 15.
This third block is block 2, with one more rep per set in sessions 1 and 3. Two factors change the speed a lot: your bodyweight, and how long you've been training. The first pull-ups come quickly, the last ones slowly.
If you can do fewer than 5
With 1 to 4 pull-ups, the sets in block 1 are too close to your maximum. Spend four weeks on this programme first, then retake the test.
| Session | Content | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 to 8 sets of 1 pull-up (2 if your maximum is 3 or 4) | 2 min |
| 2 | 4 sets of 3 slow negatives, 5 seconds each | 2 min |
| 3 | 4 sets of 5 band-assisted pull-ups | 90 seconds |
For session 3, pick a resistance band that leaves you 5 to 8 clean reps. How to choose according to your weight is in what resistance to choose.
If you plateau
- You miss sets two sessions in a row: go back one week and start again from there. It isn't a failure, it's the normal adjustment of the programme.
- Your test doesn't move at the end of a block: check your reps first. Clean sets in training and a half-range test can't be compared.
- The inside of your elbow hurts: drop session 3 for two weeks and switch to a neutral grip.
- You sleep badly or eat too little: no programming makes up for that. Keep the sessions, cut the volume by a third.
- You've put on weight: every extra kilo is a kilo to lift. Your maximum can stall while your strength goes up.
Common mistakeAdding sets "to go faster". The programme already raises the volume every week. Adding more means arriving exhausted at week 3 and going backwards.
The bar-at-home option
If you have a bar at home, there's another route, known as grease the groove: no session, but very easy sets spread through the day.
- One set at half your maximum, 4 to 6 times a day.
- At least one hour between two sets.
- Five days a week, two days with nothing.
With a maximum of 6, that makes 3 pull-ups each time and 60 to 90 a week, without ever straining. The method works very well from 3 to 10 pull-ups. Don't combine it with the programme: it's one or the other.
It requires a bar you walk past. A door pull-up bar fits without drilling. A wall-mounted bar is more stable and gives you several grips. The comparison is in how to choose a pull-up bar.
After 15 pull-ups
Beyond 12 to 15 reps, adding pull-ups no longer builds much strength: you're mostly training endurance. Two ways to go on.
- Added weight. A dip belt and 5 to 10% of your bodyweight to start. The method is in weighted pull-ups: where to start.
- Harder variations: L-sit pull-up, explosive, archer, then the muscle-up.
This programme only covers pulling. For the rest of your body, see the 3-session full-body programme.
Mentioned in this guide
Multi Grip Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar, 6 Handles200 kg · 6, foam · Wide, standard, narrow63,90 €
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