Week 1
Twice per week
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| Full pull-up attempts | 5 × 1 |
| Chin-over-bar hold | 3 × 10 sec |
| Slow negatives | 3 × 3 (5 sec lowering each rep) |
| Heavy lat pulldown | 4 × 4 |
| Barbell row | 4 × 5 |
| Biceps curls | 3 × 8 |
Week 2
Twice per week
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| Full pull-up attempts | 6 × 1 |
| Chin-over-bar hold | 4 × 10 sec |
| Slow negatives | 4 × 3 (6 sec lowering) |
| Heavy lat pulldown | 5 × 4 |
| Barbell row | 4 × 5 |
| Biceps curls | 3 × 8 |
Week 3
Twice per week
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| Full pull-up attempts | 8 × 1 |
| Top-half pull-ups (assisted if needed) | 3 × 3 |
| Slow negatives | 3 × 2 (8 sec lowering) |
| Heavy lat pulldown | 4 × 3 |
| Barbell row | 4 × 4 |
| Hammer curls | 3 × 8 |
Week 4
Session 1
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|
| Pull-up attempts | 3 × 1 |
| Chin-over-bar hold | 2 × 10 sec |
| Negatives | 2 × 2 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 3 |
| Rows | 3 × 4 |
Session 2 (Test)
Warm up thoroughly.
Attempt up to 5 singles, resting 3-4 minutes between each.
Stop as soon as you complete your first strict pull-up.
Rest Periods
- Pull-up attempts: 3 minutes
- Negatives: 2-3 minutes
- Lat pulldowns: 2-3 minutes
- Rows: 2 minutes
- Curls: 60-90 seconds
A Couple of Thoughts
I actually like the fact that you're training mostly in the 3-5 rep range. That matches your Olympic lifting goals and develops maximal strength rather than muscular endurance.
Also, if you're currently doing 4 heavy reps on the lat pulldown, I'd continue trying to increase that weight gradually. Your pull-up progress is likely to come from a combination of getting slightly stronger, practising the movement itself, and improving the strength in the final few centimetres of the pull.
If you stay consistent with this for four weeks, I think you have a good chance of getting that first strict pull-up back. Once you get one, the second and third usually come much faster than the first.