Pullups: A Matter of Function
John Allstadt
Take a look around the majority of gyms in America , and what will
you see?
Guys bench pressing. Guys incline pressing. Guys working their
chest and arms into a state of non-functional pump. Some of these
characters can even bench press decent weights without the aid of
support gear (although, if I were they, I wouldn't go bragging to
any power lifters). In fact, bench presses above and beyond 300
pounds are almost common in the commercial gyms of today.
You know what I say to that? I say whoopadeedo. Who cares? What can
these guys deadlift? What can they squat? What can they clean, or
overhead press, or snatch with dumbbells or barbells or, God
forbid, kettlebells? What can these guys lift in any of the
numerous lifts that require true functional strength? Last but
certainly not least, what can these guys pullup or chin?
The unfortunate answer to all of these questions is-diddley
squat.
(Please understand that I mean no offense to powerlifters. A big
bench press can be an impressive thing in CONJUNCTION with lifts
that display all-around power, such as the deadlift or squat.
One-trick ponies do not impress me, particularly when it comes to
the bench press.)
Let's focus on what are possibly the simplest of the aforementioned
lifts: pullups and chins. I have personally witnessed 300+ pound
bench pressers failing to do a set of 5 measly pullups. For that
matter, I know of one man who can incline press 400 pounds (400!),
yet who, on being coaxed into a set of pullups, hit failure at
three reps. Three reps! This is a pathetic state of affairs.
It wasn't always this way. Consider the following pullup and chinup
performances of some of the strength game's true greats. John
Grimek and Olympic lifting legend John Davis could both chin
themselves six or seven times with EITHER ARM, at bodyweights of
around 200 pounds. Eugene Sandow could perform a one-arm chin with
ANY ONE OF HIS TEN FINGERS, at a bodyweight of around 190. Marvin
Eder could perform 11 one-arm pullups at a bodyweight of no less
than 195, and also do 80 (that's right, 80) consecutive two-arm
pullups. For you smaller guys, consider the many gymnasts out there
who can perform numerous one-arm pullups, or even more frightening,
the rock climbers of today who can chin themselves with as much as
150% of bodyweight.... with ONE arm! And of course, for you really
big guys, think about this: Bert Assarti, a strength legend from
the early 1940's, could chin himself three times with either arm at
a bodyweight of 265 pounds! Mr. Assarti could also do a two-arm
pullup with over 200 pounds of additional weight strapped to his
body. Keep in mind that all of these performances were done well
before anabolic steroids reared their ugly heads.
