Negative Chin Up Test

If you cannot do a real pullup this is something to begin preparation for you to do so.
For the test I’m laying out for you below to maintain uniformity I want everyone to only do palms-facing-away pullups (pronated grip) and not palms-facing-you chinups (supinated grip).
On the video below the Coach shows multiple grips for the negative chin. I want you to use the grip that he begins discussing at about the 1 minute mark of this 2 minute video. Do watch the whole video to get a good idea of this entire concept for form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opr72q6NKTc

To prepare for this test I want you to perform a full-body warmup of 5-10 minutes. This is what we’d call a “general” warmup. This can be a combination of treadmill, elliptical, cycling, stairmaster + some med ball or light dumbbell or bodyweight upper body movements but the goal is to get your core temperature up, to be at the point where you are about to or just breaking a sweat and to NOT just warmup the lower body since we will be doing some demanding upper body work in this test.
Here’s a video I put together of a solid MED BALL warmup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn3Z0NVZPUI
After your general warmup I want you to perform a specific warmup which can include any of the following:
1. Lat pull downs on a machine
2. Assisted pullups if you have access to a chin/dip assist machine
I’d like you to perform 1 set of 8 repetitions that you’d describe as easy, then 1 set of 5 repetitions that you’d describe as moderate and then 3 repetitions that you’d describe as somewhat hard.
8 – easy
5 – moderate
3 – somewhat hard
Take 30-60 seconds rest between each warmup set.
After your specific warmup is complete it’s time to perform the test.
Test Objective: Determine point of failure to complete 10 sets of a proper 10-second negative chinup (palms facing away) with your full body weight.
I want you to perform a “negative chinup” with a 10-second eccentric each time. Each 10-second eccentric is a set. The eccentric phase is the lowering phase of this movement. For this exercise it’s the ONLY movement you will be doing. You will not be trying to pull yourself up, only resisting against lowering too quickly.
Method: Choose the bar and chair or box or bench you will be standing on carefully. Make sure that when you are at full extension and hanging you can either safely drop to the floor or get back to your chair, box or bench.
Begin by starting with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width, palms facing away AND with your chin already just above the bar. Get a TIGHT grip!
Then resist against gravity evenly for 10 seconds as you lower yourself to full extension. You should be about 1/2 way down at 5 seconds and all the way extended (hanging) at 10 seconds. When at full extension you should not be supporting your body with your feet at all.
Set 1: Rest 30 seconds
Set 2: Rest 40 seconds
Set 3: Rest 50 seconds
Set 4: Rest 60 seconds
Set 5: Rest 70 seconds
Set 6: Rest 80 seconds
Set 7: Rest 90 seconds
Set 8: Rest 100 seconds
Set 9: Rest 110 seconds
The goal is to get to 10 sets but keep a record of how far you get if you don’t get to 10.
Failure is when you cannot lower yourself evenly and you end up kind of collapsing to full extension before the 9th second.
Example of a failure: You jump up, begin resisting but lowering slowly counting in your head, and at about the 5-6 second mark you just can’t resist any more and you feel you just have to go to full extension (hanging).
Tight grip!
Most women will NOT be able to get all 10 sets. Many women will not be able to do more than 2-3 sets without collapsing to full extension. Most men will be able to do a few sets, some will do most sets, a few will do all the sets (properly!).
Be careful — use good form. Count honestly.
David Greenwalt – Founder
Leanness Lifestyle University
Certified Wellness Coach – ACSM