Semi-Daily Pull-ups and Push-ups. in Exerbabble III

I do a single set of pull-ups and push-ups most day of the week. I fell out of this practice in the last year or so, life getting the best of me. Anecdotally, I felt like this pattern of activity correlated with me feeling and looking my best. If nothing else, having good pull-ups and push-up numbers is something I feel someone “in shape” should be capable of, on par with being able to finish a 5K, or deadlift 2x bodyweight.

I don’t really write these numbers down, though I may be motivated to. I typically only keep track of my current pull-up or push-up target.

I ended up at my current pattern of a single set most days of the week mostly through trial and error. I remember doing three all-out sets a day, and I burned out. I remember attempting to add one rep a day, and I burned out. Even doing a single set before workouts effected those workouts. So, I stopped doing all-out sets. I stopped doing them the day of (upper body) workouts. The sweet spot seems to be most days of the week, avoiding workout days. I’m typically only able to add a rep to pull-ups the day AFTER an upper workout. Ironic, until you consider that’s when I rest from the particular stimulus.

I typically only attempt to add reps on these days. If I am able, I continue with that rep. If not, I continue where I was. This is what got me to 15 pull-ups. Maybe that’s not a lot, but doing single high-rep sets of pull-ups is HARD. As well, all these complicated patterns of doing different sets of pull-ups whatever day of the week, well. I’m lazy. This isn’t some short-term solution. I want to wake up years from now, bang out a good set of pull-ups and push-ups, and eat my oatmeal. So, that’s what I’m doing now.