Chapters: Ch 1 · Ch 2 · Ch 3 · Ch 4 · Ch 5 · Ch 6
Pull-Up & Upper Body Training
Average Pull-Ups by Age: How Many Should Men and Women Do? Reference charts showing average pull-up counts by age group and gender, with context for interpreting where one falls relative to norms. Useful for setting realistic training benchmarks and tracking progress against population-level fitness standards. physiqz.com — https://physiqz.com/exercises/average-pull-ups-by-age/
Push Pull Legs: Routine Builder App (physiqz.com) Interactive app for building push-pull-legs training splits with exercise selection, volume, and frequency parameters. PPL is a foundational programming structure that allows adequate recovery while hitting each muscle group twice per week. physiqz.com — https://physiqz.com/workout-routines/push-pull-legs-routine-ppl/
Go From 0 to 10 Pull-Ups In A Row (YouTube) Step-by-step progression from zero pull-up capacity to ten consecutive reps: band-assisted pull-ups, negatives, scapular hangs, and frequency prescription. Designed for beginners who need a structured entry point rather than ad-hoc training. https://youtu.be/syS4M1G-rII
The BEST Pull-Up Training EVER (Trevor Bachmeyer, YouTube) Trevor Bachmeyer’s approach to pull-up strength development, covering grip width, full range of motion importance, and periodization across beginner and advanced levels. His method emphasizes quality of movement over raw rep counts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt-gONQS1_c
Do Chin-Ups Help Pull-Ups? (everphysique.com) Analysis of the carryover between supinated-grip chin-ups and pronated-grip pull-ups; how bicep dominance in chin-ups transfers to the harder pull-up movement. Practical guidance on programming both variations to accelerate pull-up progress. everphysique.com
Pull-Ups vs Chin-Ups (setforset.com) Detailed comparison of muscle activation, difficulty, and use cases for pull-ups versus chin-ups. Includes EMG study data and recommendation frameworks for choosing between them based on training goals — lat width, bicep development, or grip variation. setforset.com
Neutral-Grip Chin-Ups (livestrong.com) Overview of the neutral (hammer) grip pull-up: joint-friendlier than both supinated and pronated grips, making it valuable for climbers and anyone with elbow or shoulder discomfort. Covers setup, cues, and programming integration. livestrong.com
Neutral Grip Pull-Ups (ignorelimits.com) Additional resource covering neutral grip pull-up mechanics, advantages for wrist and elbow health, and how to incorporate the variation alongside standard pull-up training for a more complete upper body pulling program. ignorelimits.com
Rows vs Pull-Ups (neatstrength.com) Comparative analysis of horizontal rows (barbell, dumbbell, cable) versus vertical pull-ups for back development. Discusses when to prioritize each, how they target different portions of the lats and rhomboids, and programming for balanced upper back development. neatstrength.com
Inverted Row vs Pull-Up (barbend.com) Barbend’s breakdown of inverted rows as a scalable regression from or complement to pull-ups: muscle targets, difficulty scaling, and who benefits most from adding inverted rows to their training. barbend.com
Why You CAN’T Chest to Bar Pull-Ups (YouTube, Saturno Movement) Saturno Movement explains the specific mobility, strength, and technique gaps that prevent climbers from achieving chest-to-bar contact on pull-ups. The chest-to-bar standard is relevant to both CrossFit and competitive climbing where full ROM pull-ups matter. YouTube — Saturno Movement
Braden T Hunt: Beginner Pull-Up Progression (@bradenthunt) Twitter thread by Braden Hunt laying out a practical entry-level pull-up progression for people who cannot yet complete a single rep, framing it as one of the highest-value upper body exercises for total return on training time. https://x.com/bradenthunt/status/1814314336468516868
Jack Krucial: Ring Exercise Circuit (@CombatTherapist) Combat-therapist Jack Krucial’s ring training circuit: ring push-ups, low-to-high ring pull-ups, ring tricep dips, ring facepull, and ring extension pelican curls. Gymnastic rings provide instability that recruits stabilizer muscles not activated on fixed bars or benches. https://x.com/CombatTherapist/status/1810281535020691843
Reed Strength: Full Body Workout Without Weights (@CoachGeoffReed) Geoff Reed’s Twitter thread on building strength and mobility using only resistance bands and gymnastics rings — a kneesovertoes-style approach for sustainable joint health. Targeted at those training at home or seeking gym-free options. https://x.com/CoachGeoffReed/status/1813353900449190194
Reed Strength: Road to First Muscle Up — 12-Week Plan 12-week practice plan for building from ring pull-ups and dips toward the muscle-up transition, with shoulder-specific prehab included. The muscle-up is a milestone calisthenics skill requiring both pulling strength and explosive coordination. https://x.com/moveorperish/status/1814725611568439298
Reed Strength: How to Create Uncommon Mobility in Your 40s (@CoachGeoffReed) Geoff Reed’s framework for maintaining and building exceptional mobility after 40, when recovery slows and soft tissue becomes less elastic. Focuses on active flexibility work, joint health protocols, and integrating mobility into daily movement. https://x.com/CoachGeoffReed/status/1835430571998052802
Dips Guide: 15 Variations (setforset.com) Comprehensive dip guide covering chest dips, tricep dips, ring dips, Korean dips, and weighted variations. Includes setup cues, muscle targeting, and how to sequence dip variations for progressive overload in a calisthenics program. setforset.com
3 Tips to Fix Elbow Pain from Pull-Ups (YouTube) Video addressing medial epicondylitis and elbow flexor tendinopathy common in heavy pull-up training, with corrective exercises, load management, and technique adjustments to train around pain while allowing tissue recovery. YouTube
How to Un-F*ck Your Shoulder (YouTube) Blunt, practical video on restoring shoulder function after impingement, rotator cuff strains, or overuse injury common in overhead training and climbing. Covers shoulder health fundamentals: external rotation, scapular stability, thoracic extension. YouTube
How to Fix Scapular Winging (YouTube) Tutorial on identifying and correcting scapular winging — where the shoulder blade protrudes abnormally during pushing movements — caused by serratus anterior weakness. Includes diagnostic tests and corrective exercise progressions. YouTube
Tyler Van Acker: 12 Exercises to Bulletproof Your Shoulders (@Tyler_Van_Acker) A curated set of shoulder prehab exercises for long-term joint health, particularly relevant for climbers, overhead athletes, and anyone with prior shoulder injuries. Covers face pulls, Cuban rotations, band pull-aparts, and more. https://x.com/Tyler_Van_Acker/status/1826253439648633067
Conor Harris: Most Common Shoulder Mobility Limitation (@Conor_Harris_) Conor Harris — movement specialist — identifies the single most common shoulder mobility restriction he encounters and how it creates upstream dysfunction in overhead pressing and pulling movements. Includes a simple self-assessment test. https://x.com/Conor_Harris_/status/1823419409245069517
Conor Harris: Why Your Hamstrings Are Actually Tight Harris argues that what most people call “tight hamstrings” is often neurological tone or anterior pelvic tilt, not genuine muscle shortness — and that stretching alone fails to resolve it. The real fix involves motor control and posterior chain loading patterns. https://x.com/Conor_Harris_/status/1816168694126633265
Conor Harris: Pooch Belly — The Overlooked Factor Harris explores how visceral fat is the primary driver of lower belly protrusion but notes a significant secondary factor — anterior pelvic tilt and weak deep core musculature — that is independent of body fat and addressable through specific training. https://x.com/Conor_Harris_/status/1809278967356264773
Conor Harris: Fix Low Back Sinking in Push-Ups The most common push-up form breakdown: lumbar hyperextension caused by insufficient core engagement or glute activation. Harris explains the internal cues and corrective exercises to maintain a rigid plank position throughout the full push-up range of motion. https://x.com/Conor_Harris_/status/1834662793540468764