Pull-ups
Bodyweight pulling, from a first rep to high daily volume on a doorway bar
Hanging from a bar and pulling your chin over it. Pull-ups work the back, arms and grip, need almost no equipment and scale from assisted reps to hundreds a day. They show up in military selection, garage gyms and world-record attempts. Hand care becomes a real problem at high volume, and most people fold them into a broader strength routine rather than making them the whole thing.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- David GogginsDoes it
Retired Navy SEAL · Can't Hurt Me
According to his own site, he held the Guinness record for pull-ups in 24 hours. 4,030 of them, in 17 hours, in 2013. It took a failed first attempt and five months of retraining.
Source: davidgoggins.com: Athletic achievements - Hugh JackmanDoes it
Actor · Wolverine and The Greatest Showman
Press-ups, varied pull-ups and dips make up a big bodyweight block in his training. Weighted sleds and heavy ropes too. He says the combination helps the agility and flexibility the stunt work needs.
Source: TRAIN: Hugh Jackman Workout and Nutrition Tips - Pavel TsatsoulineRecommends
Strength coach · StrongFirst
For lats that hold up in a fight he points at the pull-up, programmed as five descending sets a day with a rest day every sixth. He wants the rep finished with the chest hollow and the neck touching the bar, then lowered under control to fully straight arms.
Source: StrongFirst: The Fighter Pullup Program Revisited
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
On record from 43 of 62 tracked people: 37 do it, 4 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Protein-forward eating
Roughly 1g of protein per pound of target bodyweight, spread across meals
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 15 do it, 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Stability and mobility work
Daily joint, foot and breathing work to keep strength usable
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 7 do it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Yoga
Regular yoga practice for flexibility, strength and a calmer nervous system
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.