Hypergravity Pull-up Training
American free-climbing legend Tony Yaniro famously pointed out that “if you cannot pull through a single hard move, then you have nothing to endure.” So it’s with this sentiment that you must resolve to acquire higher and higher levels of maximum strength with each passing training cycle and climbing season. Not only will greater absolute strength help you pull harder single moves, but it will also contribute towards higher power output and improved endurance.
As in building maximum finger strength, training to increase pulling and lock-off strength requires high-intensity stimulus that leads to rapid muscular failure. This is a vastly different workout strategy from that which is ideal for building anaerobic endurance. If most of your training-for-climbing time is spent doing exercises (or boulder problems) with a duration greater than 15 or 20 seconds, then you are not training in a way to develop high-end strength.
Previously I presented the Uneven-Grip Pull-up as an excellent maximum strength exercise; this month I give you the Hypergravity Pull-up. Follow the instructions below and you will get stronger!
Hypergravity Pull-Ups
Hypergravity Pull-up training (with 60-lb vest) on the bucket holds of a NICROS’ NexGen Hangboard.
Upon being able to do about eight solid bodyweight pull-ups, you will need to add resistance to continue training maximum strength in the pulling muscles—the best way to do this is the so called Hypergravity Pull-up. Hypergravity is simulated by adding weight to your body via a weight belt, weighted vest, or by hanging free weights from the belay loop of your harness. After doing a throughout warm up, including some basic mobility and stability exercises, the maximum strength training protocol is to do three to six sets of hypergravity pull-ups with enough added weight to make doing five pull-ups challenging. Explode upward as fast as possible with each repetition, but lower in a slower, more controlled fashion and stop just short of a straight-armed, relaxed-shoulder hanging position (which shoulder be avoided). Rest at least three minutes between sets.
If you are new to hypergravity pull-up you will discover that adding just ten or twenty pounds makes for a much more difficult pull up—you will also discover remarkable gains in pull-up strength in just a few weeks of training! Long term, the amount of weight you need to add may be upwards of fifty percent of bodyweight (more for elite climbers) in order to make doing five pull-ups a near-maximal exercise. I suggest using a training weight that would allow just seven repetitions if you were doing a single maximal set of Hypergravity Pull-ups. Do three to six sets of five repetitions (using this “7-rep max” weight) and you will get stronger. Coach Hörst guarantees it!
