Frenchies pull-up sequence

Who it's for

Lock-off strength, which is what lets you hold a position while the other hand finds the hold. If your pull-ups are strong but you can't hang around at the top of one, this is the gap.

This is advanced work. It's for climbers with a solid base of normal pull-ups and a few years of regular training behind them. If your elbows or shoulders are sore from climbing, skip it and get a physio to look at them. Always warm up first with some easy pull-ups or hangs, because the held positions load the elbows and shoulders hard.

Common mistakes

• Sinking during the hold. A hold that drifts down is over. End the set.
• Only training the top position. The 120 degree hold, near straight arms, is the hardest and the most useful, and it's the one everyone quietly skips.
• Two cycles when one was already ragged. One clean cycle beats two messy ones.
• Doing them before you can do ten good pull-ups. Build the base first.
• Kicking into the pull. Swinging your legs gets you up but skips the part you're training. Keep your legs still and pull smoothly.
• Cutting the rest. Three minutes between sets. Shorter rests make the holds sink sooner.

How to progress

Add a cycle per set, then add weight with a belt. Keep the holds at five seconds throughout: longer holds change what you're training and make the shoulders the limiting factor.

How to make it easier

Stay at one cycle per set and do three sets. If even one cycle sinks, take some weight off with a resistance band looped over the bar or with your feet resting lightly on a box. Keep all three hold positions, and choose the easier option so the holds stay still.

Where it fits in your week

It fits a Strength period and a Power Endurance period. Do it on a strength day off the wall or after climbing, never before a hard bouldering session, since tired arms make for sloppy lock-offs on the wall. Leave a day between it and other heavy pulling.

Questions

What are Frenchies pull-ups?

Frenchies are a pull-up sequence with holds at three arm angles. One cycle is three pull-ups: hold with your chin over the bar, then hold with elbows at 90 degrees, then hold with elbows at about 120 degrees, each for 5 seconds before lowering. They train lock-off strength and the ability to keep pulling while tired.

How do you do a Frenchie pull-up?

Pull up and hold with your chin over the bar for 5 seconds, then lower all the way. Pull up again and hold at 90 degrees, lower. Pull up a third time and hold with your arms only slightly bent, about 120 degrees, then lower. That's one cycle. End the set if a hold sinks or starts to shake.

What are Frenchies good for in climbing?

Frenchies build lock-off strength at the angles you use on the wall. A strong lock-off lets you hold still on one arm while the other hand reaches, finds the hold or clips. Because each set strings several held pull-ups together, they also train the pulling endurance you need on steep routes and long boulders.

How many Frenchies should you do?

Do 3-4 sets of 1-2 Frenchie cycles, with 3 minutes rest between sets. Most climbers should start with one cycle per set and only add a second once every hold stays still. If holds start sinking or shaking, end the set there, even if it's early. Clean holds are what build lock-off strength.