So I was just scrolling through this Reddit thread, you know, the one about improving pull-ups? It was started by this guy Antranik who shared two really detailed videos – one on doing proper pull-ups, focusing on the full range of motion and that initial scapular pull, and another on negative pull-ups for people who can’t do any yet. The whole thing just blew up with people chiming in, and it turned into this massive, kinda heartwarming discussion.
Right off the bat, there was this hilarious running joke. Someone commented, like, “How did you know this is exactly what I needed right now?” and it got thousands of upvotes. Antranik gave a logical answer about confirmation bias, but then the whole thread just ran with the idea that he’s some kind of psychic or that we’re all living in a simulation designed for that one user. People were cracking jokes about the Illuminati and the Matrix, and it was just this perfect mix of gratitude and absurdist humor. It really set the tone – everyone was here for the solid advice, but also just to have a good laugh together.
Getting into the nitty-gritty, the advice was super practical. A lot of people confessed to doing those half-rep pull-ups and were shocked to learn they should be going all the way down to a dead hang. One person even said they found the full range *harder* because they thought their muscles weren’t working at the bottom, which sparked a back-and-forth about objectively testing your reps. The big takeaway from Antranik was clear: negatives are king for beginners, way better than assisted pull-up machines because they build the right scapular and core control. He and others emphasized building a base with rows first – get to 3 sets of 8 incline rows before even trying negatives.
There was a ton of shared struggle and creative problem-solving. People who couldn’t even hang were asking for tips, and the advice ranged from increasing row difficulty and elevating your feet, to having a partner give a slight boost at the hips, and even working on grip strength separately. One guy who was strong in pushing movements but couldn’t do a pull-up to save his life sparked a conversation about how brutally hard it is to move your entire bodyweight, and how being heavier, even if it’s muscle, makes it a much bigger challenge. That led to a whole sub-thread about weight – some acknowledging that yeah, being lighter helps, but others pointing out that heavy, strong people can absolutely crush pull-ups if they train for it specifically. The consensus seemed to be that while weight is a factor, dedicated training with methods like weighted pull-ups can overcome it.
The community vibe was strong. People were sharing their success stories – going from zero to one pull-up in weeks just by switching from an assisted machine to negatives, or using a specific pull-up program to increase reps. There were practical hacks too, like using a Smith machine or a bench to do negatives on a high bar if your gym doesn’t have a low one. Someone even gave a safety warning about checking the weight limit on a Smith machine, which then devolved into a silly argument about whether the commenter’s username meant he actually “fucks Eskimos.” Classic Reddit.
Other interesting bits popped up too. People debated the merits of closed-chain (like pull-ups) vs. open-chain (like lat pulldowns) exercises, with Antranik explaining the former works more stabilizer muscles. There were concerns about inner elbow pain, with suggestions to rest, see a physio, or check wrist alignment. And throughout it all, there was just this overwhelming appreciation for Antranik’s clear, no-BS approach. Several comments thanked him for providing the kind of coaching they wish they’d had in school, instead of just being yelled at for not being able to do one.
So yeah, it was this whole ecosystem – part support group, part comedy club, part masterclass. Everyone from complete beginners to seasoned folks was there, swapping stories, frustrations, and little victories, all united by the humble, punishing, and ultimately achievable goal of doing a proper pull-up.
