Getting your first pull-up is a strength benchmark many new lifters aspire to. But stringing together 10 reps is another step entirely – one that requires a more structured approach, without pushing to failure on every set.
Which is easier said than done when you’re fighting for your life to get your chin over the bar.
How to Do More Pull-Ups (Without Training to Failure)
However, not training to failure with pull-ups is a method popularised by former Soviet Special Forces trainer Pavel Tsatsouline. The idea is simple: perform multiple sets of pull-ups without ever reaching the point where your body completely fatigues.
‘The result is a high number of successful reps that will help your body quickly build strength and better activate the muscles involved in a pull-up,’ says strength coach Jeremy Ethier in a YouTube video exploring Tsatsouline’s method.
This is backed by research suggesting that when strength gains are the goal, stopping short of failure can be just as effective – and in some cases more beneficial. In practice, this means keeping your pull-up sets at least two reps shy of your maximum.
For example, if you can currently perform 5 pull-ups in a row, aim for sets of 2-3 reps to avoid overexertion. This helps manage fatigue and improve recovery between sets.
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‘You’ll rest for 30 to 90 seconds, do another set, and repeat this process until you reach a total of 20 reps,’ says Ethier.
‘It doesn’t matter if this takes you 4 sets or 10 sets, and it also doesn’t matter if you can only manage single reps by the end. The key is that you’re staying away from failure and accumulating volume,’ he says. ‘The goal is to gradually work up to a total of 30 reps.’
Why Submaximal Sets Build Strength Faster
The method shares similarities with cluster sets, where you break your total reps into smaller, manageable efforts with short rest periods. This allows you to maintain output and technique without hitting failure. By keeping each set submaximal, you can accumulate more high-quality volume – a key driver of strength gains – and steadily progress towards higher-rep pull-ups.
