Need some serious opinion on this pullup program

[Broadsword2004]

Well, as the title says, I need some info on this pullup program:

http://www.marineofficercandidate.com/USMC_files/Page1662.htm

The reason I ask is, he says, it is very important to do 3 maximum effort sets of pushups everyday. But I have read Pavel's article on pushups in Muscle Media and you know how he always says, "NEVER come close to failure," "Only go to failure once a week to test your full strength/endurance," etc...anyhow, but then this guy is saying do THREE max effort pushups sets every morning. Though these are to aid in learning the pullups.

So I am confused. Anyone know who/which is right?

[Self]

It depends on your definition of ' failure ' if you mean going to where you literally can't even do one more single press up, then that is going to failure. This is something i wouldnt' recommend, do something of 80% of your maximum and you should find good results. I didn't find the training regime for pull ups very informative, but then i did ony glance over it. With something like telling people your training regime for breaking a world record, could be far from the truth. Think about it- if you had a world record you wouldn't be giving incredibly valuable information on how to break it, you'd want to keep that record as long as possible. I'm sure this guy is undoubtably honourable but try and devise your own training regime. You'd be tending your needs, everyone is different. Sure read others and incorporate different aspects of other regimes but ultimately create your own. This would be my advice.

[Broadsword2004]

What is funny is he says the folks at the University of Rochester have used it to success, and the Uni. of Rochester is only like 20 minutes away from me; I could have gone there even, but when to Rochester Insitute of Technology instead. If I'd gone to U of R though I could go ask the guys personally.

I kinda disagree with you on the world record thing. A true champion many times will give away his training secrets if they simply involve hard work and dedication, so that then he can be challenged by other folks, and if they break his record, he can try to re-break it, or he can keep training very hard to stay ahead of them.

[bodhisattva]

I wouldn't get too hung up on different phrases like "never" and "always" in weightlifting advice.

There are some things that are obviously stupid - motions that will hurt your back and so forth..some exercises DO require a certain kind of form.

But when it comes to things like "Never work to failure" "Always work to failure" "Work to 80% of what your failure amount roughly is" etc.. they are only rules of thumb.

You should switch methods as often as you like - every month - every year - every day. Doesn't matter.

The SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demands, I think?) points out that the body will adapt to meet whatever you ask of it.

It is also stated that you should change the type of stimulus you are giving the muscle from time to time - switch from doing barbell bench press to dumb bell bench press - or switch from doing high reps to failure to doing low reps to failure - or switch around whatever.

So there is a benefit to all of these concepts, at some point or another.

Work out for a couple of weeks to failure on every set.

When you start getting overtrained (Won't take long, probably) switch to an 80% program for a while. Then work high reps. Then work low reps. Switch to doing heavy weights and low reps with a set of bodyweight exercises afterwards (heavy bench, then pushups)

Each way often works. The idea is to switch up practices when you are bored. Be careful and aware and alert so as not to hurt yourself. And don't sweat too much "should I do it like this" or "should I do it like that?". It's funny how we talk ourselves out of working out when we sweat the method too hard.