This Weighted Pullup Program Will Get You Jacked... Period

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True story… The first time I tried a weighted pullup program was way back in 2018 when I wanted to add a little size and strength before an upcoming holiday.

And since I’ve always been a huge advocate of calisthenics. It seemed like the only viable option to help me reach my goals at the time.

Now, just to give you a little insight, I was already in pretty good shape. And I could easily rep out 12-15 regular pullups without puking up a lung.

But when it came to adding weight, it was completely unchartered territory. And I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this beast of an exercise the first time around.

Anyway…

Fast forward a few years, and weighted pullups still play a huge part in my training.

And this is mostly because, over the years, I’ve constantly tested and tweaked this simple exercise in an attempt to figure out what works best when it comes to getting results.

Which is why in today’s long and detailed blog post. I’m dishing out the dirt and revealing everything I’ve learned along the way that will not only skyrocket your pulling strength…

…But will add huge slabs of rock-solid muscle to your oh-so-sexy frame.

So with that said, let’s get cracking…

Table of Contents

What’s The Best Weighted Pullup Program

Before we kick things off. I think it’s only fair to mention that Lazar Novovic and Dusan Djolevic have a pretty awesome calisthenics program called Bar Brothers.

Better still, they have a killer weighted calisthenics program that goes into a lot of detail about how to apply weighted pullups into your routine.

So if you’re looking for a program that ticks all the boxes and want to cut through all the fluff and filler that most programs teach, then I’d highly recommend checking it out by hitting the video link below: Bar Brothers – The System

(video will open in a new window)

The Requirements For Weighted Pullups

Now, before you even think about attempting your first weighted pullup, I can’t stress enough how important your form is going to play in the whole thing.

I’ve seen it far too many times where people try and run before they can walk and end up spinning their wheels getting nowhere.

So lesson number one…

Make sure you can do at least eight clean reps of slow and controlled pullups using just your bodyweight.

And when I say clean reps, I’m talking wide grip pullups with a full range of motion.

Form And Muscle Engagement

Now, if you’re already a regular pullup master, then you’ll already be well aware of just how important your form plays in the whole process.

But in case you need a reminder, here’s a quick breakdown of the whole process to make sure you get off on the right foot…

Step 1: The Setup

So you should always start your pullup from a deadhang position (or with a very slight bend in the elbows)

Your scapula should be fully protracted (shoulder blades pulled forward). And your core and glutes should be fully engaged with your legs kicked slightly forward (This is what’s going to place more of the load on your back and biceps).

Step 2: The Pullup

Before bending your arms to pull yourself up towards the bar, slowly start to squeeze your shoulder bladed together (scapular retraction).

As you do, start pulling your chest up towards the bar while keeping the core and glutes engaged.

If you do it right, it’ll place a lot more stress on both the back and biceps as you’re removing any type of support from surrounding muscle groups.

Step 3: The Finish

As your head nears the top of the bar, really squeeze your shoulder blades together as if you’re trying to crack a walnut between your shoulder blades.

Hold for a brief second, and then slowly lowering yourself back down into a deadhang position.

That’s one rep…

Now, as you can see, there’s nothing really new or unique to the way you perform weighted pullups compared to non-weighted.

The only really noticeable thing is how much more your core has to engage to stabilize your body.

You might not notice this as much with higher rep work. But when you eventually get to the point where you’re adding 50+ pounds to your frame. Your core is going to have to work that much harder to accommodate.

Should You Still Do Non-Weighted Pullups?

Short answer… yes

Some will argue that you don’t actually need to perform regular pullups once you’re strong enough to do weighted pullups. But honestly, I’ve found that mixing things up has proven to be worth the time and effort when it comes to maximizing your results.

Here’s why…

Firstly, performing pullups using different rep ranges is what keeps your body guessing.

I mean, if you’ve ever stuck to the same sets and reps for any length of time. Then you’ll probably notice how the results of your hard work start to taper off after a month or two.

However, when you’re constantly stressing the muscles under different loads, it doesn’t have time to adapt to one particular training stimulus. Which is ultimately what’s going to keep your body growing and adapting for years to come.

Second, weighted pullups are extremely taxing on your central nervous system (CNS)…

…Especially if you’re performing heavy strength work in the 3-5 rep range.

But by regressing back to non-weighted pullups once or twice a week, you’ll not only have a chance to focus on your form.

You’ll also be able to work on maintaining your hard-earned level of muscular endurance.

I’ve also personally found that it has a great deal of strength carryover into my weighted pullups. So I’d strongly advise not to neglect it, or eventually, you’ll end up hitting a plateau in your training.

A Weighted Pullup Program That Gets Results

So when it comes to structuring a weighted pullup program, there are two specific approaches I like to take.

The first is geared more towards building strength using something called the 25 rep method.

The second program uses an old school bodybuilding protocol that I decided to test out after reading Vince Gironda’s The Iron Guru.

It’s a very effective concept I adapted into a weighted calisthenics workout. And it works like gangbusters for building huge slabs of muscle while torching a sh*t ton of body fat in the process.

Anyway, here’s a breakdown of each…

The 25 Rep Method

So after doing a little research, I came across a training concept called the 25 rep method.

If you haven’t heard of the 25 rep method, it basically involves pairing 25 reps with a very heavy load.

It doesn’t matter if that load is performed as a 5×5, 8×3, 6×4, or any other rep range. As long as the load is heavy and you’re performing multiple sets (5-6+ sets), then you’re pretty much good to go.

When I was performing this routine consistently. I used to do supersets of weighted pullups and dips with a load that I could perform around 6-7 reps with on the first set.

I’d perform a superset…

…Rest 90 seconds.

And then continue hammering out pullups and dips until I’d reached 25 reps of each.

I noticed that by keeping the rest periods a little shorter than you normally would for strength work. That I was going into my next set before my body had a chance to fully recover.

As a result, I could only perform around 3-4 reps on all of the remaining sets. And that was when I was doing each set to failure.

Now, this might sound counterproductive. But the increases in size and strength I got from this simple change allowed me to get really big and strong in a relatively short space of time.

Is there a better way of doing it?…

…Maybe.

But if you give it a try, I think you’ll be surprised by the progress you make.

As for training frequency, perform this workout 2-3 times a week and give yourself at least a day’s rest between workouts.

And only up the weighted when you can perform all 25 reps in less than 5 sets.

The 6×6 Method

Next up is a workout used to do religiously. And the results I got from this simple concept were nothing short of awesome.

Basically, it’s a 6×6 routine where you perform 6 sets of 6 reps with minimal rest between sets.

It looks like this…

Weighted Pullups
Rest 45 Second

Repeat for a total of 6 sets

The trick with this workout is that you need to work with a weight that you can perform around 10 reps with on your first set.

So, for instance, if you can do, let’s say, 10 strict pullups with a 25-pound plate attached, then this is the weight you’d stick with for all sets.

It might not seem difficult at first, and that’s because you won’t be pushing your body to its limits during the first set or two.

But by the time you reach set 3 and onwards, you’re going to find it extremely hard to get all six reps in, and the short rest periods just add to the torture.

Again, this probably goes against every training protocol known to man. But Vince was quite unique in his training approach. And that’s probably what earned him the legendary nickname of The Iron Guru.

And I can only speak from personal experience when I say this simple way of training got me in very good shape in record time.

As for training frequency, perform this workout 3 times a week and only up the weight when you can hit all 6 reps on every set.

Taking Your Weighted Pullups To The Next Level

Now, the above workouts are what’s personally worked for me. But the main reason they worked so well is because I was consistent, worked hard, and practice them with good form. And this is by far the best way to make progress regardless of what weighted pullup program you adopt.

But here’s the thing…

I know that the above workouts might not be everyone’s cup of tea. And you might want that little something extra to take your pullup game to an entirely new level.

If this is the case, then I’d recommend checking out the Bar Brothers Program

I’m won’t bore you with the details of why you need this program in your life because, to be honest, it’s probably not for everyone.

But if you’re hell-bent on getting ridiculously strong and want a step-by-step plan of action that’s going to pave the way forward, then this is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Anyway, here’s the link to take a look if you’re interested: Bar Brothers – The System