Velocity Loss in Pull-Ups

With another round of spring training testing done, questions have arisen on how to improve upon a pull-up score. There are many roads to Rome, however some are more efficient than others. There are effective progressions (e.g. isometrics, hangs, assisted, negatives, pull-ups, etc.), and benefits of varying grip, but in addition, other variables are worth considering. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine looked at pull-up repetition to failure versus non-failure and found similar increases in muscular strength (Davies, Orr, Halaki, & Hackett, 2016). One may argue a lower level of fatigue may allow for a more progressive overload. 

Similarly, in a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the authors investigated the velocity of repetitions and found a loss of ~25% velocity during each set (~50% of maximum number of repetitions) was more appropriate for improving strength and endurance than velocity loss of 50% (reps close to failure) (Sanchez-Moreno, Cornjo-Daza, Gonzalez-Bbadillo, & Pareja-Blanco, 2020). 

In sum, while tempting to always push it in training, when it comes to this exercise in particular, evidence shows ‘pulling back’ a bit may be the better approach!