Is there really a purpose in doing 100 pullups in a row other than to show off or train for the CrossFit Games?
Does someone who can do 100 pullups look better than someone who can do “only” 50?
Unless you’re training for the CrossFit Games or for a wickedly long technical climb on granite outdoors, churning out a hundred pull-ups in a row really serves no unique purpose.
Are you fitter at 100 pull-ups than you were at 75 than you were at 50?
What’s your reason for performing this compound exercise in the first place? Here are some reasons that apply to many men and women:
Get stronger. Once you can do around 12 repetitions in a row, rather than trying to get to 15, 20, and so on, add weight to your body.
See how many you can do while grasping a 5 pound dumbbell between your legs: Reset your rep range to five or so with that added weight, and work your way up to 12 reps again. At that point, increase the weight to 10 pounds.
You get the picture: Keep increasing the weight every time you can complete 12 repetitions, “resetting” your reps back down to five, six or seven (give or take).
This will build strength! You can eventually be doing pull-ups with a 35, even 45 pound plate hanging from your waist (use a “dip belt”).
I recently saw a man doing pull-ups with 90 pounds hanging from his waist; he could barely do eight, but he’s a lot — and I mean a LOT — stronger than someone who specializes in 100 pull-ups (bodyweight only) in a row.
Shape the physique. Body sculpting is achieved with progressive resistance, which I just described.
You don’t have to work your way up to pull-ups with 90 pounds added, but make the exercise heavy enough so that you can’t do more than 20 reps.
Gunning for super endurance (100 in a row) won’t sculpt the body nearly as effectively as will progressive resistance within a limited rep range.
Burn fat. Progressive resistance wins again. Doing 100 pull-ups in a row, to burn fat, is akin to running 10 miles a day to burn fat.
Sure, you’ll burn fat, but if you’re looking to burn the MOST fat, that is, to accelerate your resting metabolism, you must build lean muscle tissue.
Doing heavy pull-ups within an eight to 12 rep max (or a little more is fine) is akin to sprinting as fast as possible short distances to ramp up resting metabolism.
Again, performing 100 pull-ups in a row is good for serious rock climbers or CrossFit competitors.
Otherwise, it’s nowhere near your best approach to becoming strong, sculpted and lean.
