Pull Up Program During 3/week Fulll Body Routine?

R

Rakoczy

0
Background: I'm an amateur athlete who hasn't lifted for over a year because I was injured/too busy. I used to lift full body 3x a week before I stopped; two weeks ago I started a 3x a week program again. The exercise that I have gotten the weakest at since stopping, and that I want to be my best, is pull ups. I work as a consultant, sitting at my desk from 8-5, my AM workouts would be around 6:45am and my PM workouts wouldn't be until ~6:20pm (except for Wed, when I'd have soccer from 6-8, so I'd lift ~8:20pm).

Do you guys think it's too much (i.e. injury or not enough rest to actually get stronger) to try to do a pull up program while doing 3 full body workouts (FBWs) a week, in addition to 2.5 hour soccer practice on Wed/Sat/Sun? Here is what I was imagining for the rest of the summer, please let me know what you think:

Pull up program I'd be doing:

Monday AM: 3 sets max-effort push ups (see link)
Monday PM: (in order)
- Monday pull ups (see link for each day's workout)
- Squat 3x8
- Bench 3x8
- Lunges 3x8
- Bi's alternated w/ dips 3x8 each
- Calf raises 3x8

Tuesday AM: 3 sets max-effort push ups
Tuesday PM:
- Tuesday pull ups
- Core

Wednesday AM: 3 sets max effort push ups
Soccer practice
Wednesday PM:
- Wednesday pull ups
- Deadlift 3x8
- Incline bench 3x8
- Calf raises
- Seated rows 3x8

Thursday AM: 3 sets max effort push ups
Thursday PM:
- Thursday pull ups
- Core

Friday AM: 3 sets max effort push ups
Friday PM:
- Friday pull ups (see link for each day's workout)
- Squat 3x8
- Bench 3x8
- Lunges 3x8
- Bi's alternated w/ dips 3x8 each
- Calf raises 3x8

Saturday/Sunday: soccer practice

In my head, it didn't seem like that much, but after writing it all down, it seems like a lot. Is it actually too much do you think? My biggest concern here isn't that I won't be able to do it all (I will), but that I'm not giving myself enough rest to see good strength gains. I thought about how to just do 2 FBWs a week, but I couldn't think of a way to do it right.

Please let me know what you think.
 
That pull up program assumes you are doing no other resistance exercise. I would think if you are doing bench presses in your full body routine, you could ditch the push up part and maybe do the pull up part in the morning, or ditch the bench presses and maybe even all upper body exercises from your full body if you want to keep the push ups from the program.

Since you practice soccer, I assume you do a lot of running and have a relatively low body fat. The number of pull ups you can do is highly linked to your body weight and body fat. Loose 5 pounds and you can probably add 3-5 pull ups to your max effort set without doing much else.
 
Thanks for the quick reply.

1) My biggest issue isn't losing weight because, as you had correctly assumed, I am at a pretty low body fat %. So losing weight really isn't the issue, I'm just not strong at all. Running gives your lower body good muscular endurance, keeps me lean, and keeps my cardiovascular system strong, but in terms of upper body and even lower body sheer strength exercises (i.e. bench, squat, deadlift) I'm below average at best for people that work out regularly.

2) So do you think it would be a good idea to scratch the "AM push ups" and do the pull ups and core in the morning? That's a good idea; what would you recommend I replace in the PM workouts on M/W/F in place of the pull ups I'd normally start with? Do you know anything about working out in the morning vs. in the afternoon (seems to me that you might be weaker in the morning and not able to get as much out of the workout).

Thanks for your help!
 
Bump for more help!

To reiterate:

- How can I incorporate a pull up program (~20 minutes of pull ups, daily M-F) to a 3 day/week full-body routine in addition to 2.5 hr soccer practice/games on Wed/Sat/Sun? I don't have time to do a FBW in the morning, but I could do the pull ups then.

- At the moment in a max effort set I can do 8 solid form, dead-hang pull ups. My realistic goal is 20+ by Sept 4th, stretch goal 30+.
 
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