Pavels Fighter Pull Up workout program

A single glance at Mike Tyson’s back during a punch serves as a stark reminder of the pivotal role the latissimus dorsi (lats) play in a fighter’s performance. The latissimus dorsi serves as the crucial link between your arm and the rest of your body precisely when the punch lands. If the “armpit muscle” remains inactive, channeling your body mass into the punch becomes impossible, leaving your shoulder susceptible to potential issues.

The pullup is the logical choice of an exercise to strengthen your lats. If you ask

an experienced bodybuilder how to work the latissimus most thoroughly he

will tell you to look up, force your chest open, and draw your shoulder blades

together on the top of the pullup. This may be okay for bodybuilders, but what

does this have to do with fighting? You move in the ring in what gymnasts call

“the hollow position” –the scapulae flared and the chest caved in. This is the

way you should finish your pullups. Look straight ahead and hunch over the

bar. Touch your neck or upper chest to the bar to make sure there is no

question that you have completed the rep. Lower yourself under complete

control and pause momentarily with your arms fully straight before going for another rep.

Here is a powerful Russian pullup program adaptable to any level of ability.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

5, 4, 3, 2, 2

5, 4, 3, 3, 2

5, 4, 4, 3, 2

5, 5, 4, 3, 2

off

6, 5, 4, 3, 2

6, 5, 4, 3, 3

6, 5, 4, 4, 3

6, 5, 5, 4, 3

6, 6, 5, 4, 3

off

7, 6, 5, 4, 3

7, 6, 5, 4, 4

7, 6, 5, 5, 4

7, 6, 6, 5, 4

7, 7, 6, 5, 4

off

8, 7, 6, 5, 4

8, 7, 6, 5, 5

8, 7, 6, 6, 5

8, 7, 7, 6, 5

8, 8, 7, 6, 5

off

9, 8, 7, 6, 5

9, 8, 7, 6, 6

9, 8, 7, 7, 6

9, 8, 8, 7, 6

9, 9, 8, 7, 6

off

You start with an all-out set and then cut a rep in each consecutive set for a total of five sets.

The next day add a rep to the last set. Then a rep to the set before that, etc. The system is

intended to be used for four weeks. In the end of the month take two or three days off and

then test yourself. It is not unusual to up the reps 2.5-3 times. In other words, you are likely

to end up cranking out 12-15 reps if you started with 5. If you can already do between 6 and

12 reps start the program with the first day your PR shows up. For instance, if your max is 6

pullups start with Day 7; if your max is 8 start with Day 19.

If you run into a snag with this routine, back off a week and build up again. If you hit the

wall again switch to another routine.

Here is how the program applies to those who currently max at three pullups. The below is

also excellent for anyone whose goal is pure strength rather than reps; just hang a kettlebell

or a barbell plate on your waist to bring the reps down to three.

3, 2, 1, 1

3, 2, 1, 1

3, 2, 2, 1

3, 3, 2, 1

4, 3, 2, 1

off

4, 3, 2, 1, 1

4, 3, 2, 2, 1

4, 3, 3, 2, 1

4, 4, 3, 2, 1

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

off

Now you are ready to move up to the 5RM program.

For a fighter capable of 15 pullups the routine would look like this:

15RMx12, 10, 8, 6, 4

15RMx12, 10, 8, 6, 6

15RMx12, 10, 8, 8, 6

15RMx12, 10, 10, 8, 6

15RMx12, 12, 10, 8, 6

off

15RMx14, etc.

A stud with a 25-pullup max would do it slightly differently:

25RMx20, 16, 12, 8, 4

25RMx20, 16, 12, 8, 8

25RMx20, 16, 12, 12, 8

25RMx20, 16, 16, 12, 8

25RMx20, 20, 16, 12, 8

off

25RMx22, etc.

You can see that the higher the RM, the quicker the reps drop off. The reason is simple. You

should have no problem doing four reps a few minutes after 5RMx5. But x24 is not going to

happen after an all-out set of 25. The higher the reps, the greater the fatigue. Therefore

you need to start more reps down from your rep-max and cut the reps more between sets.

Experiment. An extra day of rest here and there is also in order; the recovery from sets of

fifteen or twenty is not nearly as quick as from fives and triples.

Yakov Zobnin from Siberia, the Heavyweight World Champion in Kyokushinkai, “the world’s

strongest karate”, stands over 6’6” and tops the scale at 220 pounds. In spite of his

basketball height and exhausting full contact training, the karateka maxes out at twenty-

five strict pullups. What is your excuse?

Power to you!

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