Adding power to my pull-ups?

Question

I like pull-ups, easily my favorite exercise and I do a lot of them whenever I get the chance. I'm quite familiar with form, do them very strict (elbow lock-out, chin way over bar etc) and vary my grip often. Still, I'd like to add some more peak power to the movement and I'm not sure how. My eventual goal is to progress to a muscle-up, but the bar in my apartment is too close to the ceiling for me to practice this. :)

I guess learning to do a kipping pull-up would be a good idea, but as long as I remember I've been focusing on maintaining absolute control and tension, and a kipping pull-up is completely opposite all that. If kipping pull-ups are the answer, I'd appreciate a link to some good resources on learning to do them.

While my goal is more speed-strength in general, I'd be even happier if the suggestions have carry-over to muscle-ups. Currently, I can do about 10-12 pulls without much problem. I tend to train by "greasing the groove" and doing sets of 4-6, but I also travel a lot and don't have a bar everywhere, so this isn't daily or anything. I'm more interested in exercise suggestions than full programs.

Also, I rock-climb, so any carry-over is welcome (but I am looking for power outside the context of rock-climbing, too).

Answer 1

It sounds like you want to start incorporating muscle-ups and weighted pull-ups whenever possible. I don't think kipping pull-ups are really appropriate for a number of reasons, but if they float your boat (and you have a healthy, strong, flexible shoulder girdle), rock 'em.

Upper-Body Pulling Power

Power is not a common goal for upper body pulls, though it makes sense for a number of applications (combat sports, particularly grappling, come to mind). My go-to methods for developing speed-strength in that movement pattern would be sets of chest-to-bar chin-ups and/or pull-ups, eventually progressing to clapping pull-ups, muscle-ups (on a bar as well as rings), and climbing rope. A lot of the power work in that movement pattern ends up being sport-specific for me, such as fit-ins for judo throws.

(I realize that some of those might not be appropriate for your situation.)

Strength Informs Power

I'm not a big fan of kipping pull-ups. They seem to me to be a diversion from my goals of strength, power, and flexibility. They require all those things, but I think they're too risky for shoulder health, and they don't seem to develop those qualities as efficiently as other methods. (Though if I were a gymnast, I'd be singing a different tune.) I think that instead of developing power, kipping pull-ups would develop strength-endurance and work capacity.

I think that the surest path to upper-body pulling power would be to get strong as hell. Power is a function of strength, after all, so getting stronger will usually automatically make one more powerful.

All the methods listed above would apply to a strength-oriented approach, but so would working up to one-arm chins, as well as weighted pull-ups.

I made the mistake of switching from high-volume chin-ups and pull-ups (something like 3 sets of 12-15) to low-volume weighted chins (3 sets of 3-5 reps with 25-60 pounds extra). Once I work back up to 15 chins in a row, I'm going to add weighted chins as a supplement, not a replacement: 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps unweighted, 1 set of 7 to 10 reps with weight.