Why EVERYTHING Changes AFTER You Can DO 7 PULL-UPS

According to Chris, the magic number for building strength, muscle and an admirable physique is 7 pull-ups! How is this possible? If you can complete the following routine using the EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) training style, you’re tapping into one of the most brutally effective methods that Chris uses to build elite pulling strength.

Let us break down why this works and how this deceptively simple structure transforms your back, arms, and overall pulling power. So, why 7 Pull‑Ups? Seven reps is the sweet spot where:

- You are working near your strength threshold

- You are accumulating high-quality volume

- You are avoiding burnout early in the session

- You are training the muscles with perfect form and full range

Seven reps repeated across multiple minutes becomes a strength‑endurance hybrid stimulus: the exact combination that builds dense muscle and functional pulling power. EMOM workouts forces:

1. Consistency Under Fatigue

You start each minute fresh; but not fully recovered. This teaches your body to produce strength even when tired, which is exactly what advanced calisthenics skills demand.

2. High Volume Without Sloppy Reps

Instead of grinding through 50 pull-ups in one go, EMOM breaks the workload into manageable, high-quality sets.

3. Built‑In Progression

If you can complete all minutes cleanly, you’re ready to:

- Add more reps

- Add more minutes

- Add harder variations

It is self‑regulating and brutally honest.

4. Mental Toughness

EMOM training builds discipline. You do not get to choose when you start the next set: the clock does that for you.

Ready for the EMOM Pull‑Up Routine? Download the ThenX app in the App Store or Google Play Store for free and get today’s workout. Complete 7 reps of each variation at the top of every minute. Move to the next variation when the next minute begins.

Pull-ups 7

Chin-ups 7

Wide Pull-ups 7

Close-Grip Chin-ups 7

Close Pull-ups 7

Chin-ups 7

Switch Grip Pull-ups 7

That is 49 total reps, all strict, all controlled, all within 7 minutes. If you can finish this without form breaking down, you are operating at a level of pulling strength that most people never reach. It builds an ‘insane aesthetic physique’ because the pulling variations targets your lats, rhomboids, traps, biceps, forearms, rear delts, and core. This is the entire upper posterior chain; one of the most visually impressive and functionally important areas of the body.

By cycling through different grips and angles, you are basically:

- Targeting the back from multiple directions

- Eliminating weak points

- Building balanced, aesthetic muscle

- Improving joint stability and tendon strength

This is the exact formula behind the ThenX look: wide back, strong arms, bulletproof shoulders: Building muscle which translates to calisthenics skill strength for muscle ups, front levers, back levers, human flags and planche progressions. When your pulling foundation is this strong, every other skill becomes easier!

/ chrisheria