Idai’s Chin Ups & Pull Ups Coaching Plan

Welcome to my Chin Ups & Pull Ups Personal Record Coaching Plan, which is aimed at getting you beyond 20-reps!

My name is Idai Makaya. In September 2020, aged 46, I broke the Guinness World Record for the most chin ups in 24 hours, achieving a total of 5,340 reps. Being a fitness coach, I have used the knowledge I gained while training to break the World Record to develop a unique coaching plan which anyone can follow in their own quest to set a new lifetime best in calisthenics exercises.

I wasn’t naturally talented at chin ups or pull ups, although I first started doing pull ups back in 1991, aged 16. For the next 25 years I’d just do the standard 10 reps per set, for one or two training sets, like most people in the gym do. And I only developed the ability to go over 20 reps in my mid-40’s after taking on the challenge of breaking the world record.

Having meticulously researched and tested a wide variety of training approaches, I have been able to develop a very efficient method for progressing chin ups and pull ups. My coaching programme is aimed at getting trainees to be able to complete at least 20 reps in a single set of chin ups or pull ups and my approach can be applied to virtually any rep target below or above that number. Most importantly, my approach will almost certainly get you to a new personal best.

The conditioning system I use relies on a completely unique training pathway towards achieving extreme strength-endurance and can be viewed as a way of unlocking ‘cheat codes’ for the nervous system and the muscles. It is not about training more and more and more, like most of the suggestions you’ll find on the internet. In my coaching programme you’ll only require 20 to 30 minutes of training, once or twice a week.

I will retrain and condition your central nervous system, your conscious & subconscious mind, and your tendons & muscles. I achieve this by implementing a number of sequential training cycles, which are chosen based on how you respond to the initial foundational training and a couple of initial tests I’ll get you to do.

The closer you are to your goal when you start my programme, the fewer the training cycles you’ll need to go through to reach that goal. People who are already reasonably fit can probably achieve 20 chin up or pull up reps in their first training cycle with me. Personally, I usually only require a month or two if I want to build myself up from a maximum of 12 reps to a new maximum of 20 reps, using my training system.

How fast you’ll progress will depend on your training history and your current fitness level. You will work your way systematically through each different training cycle until you hit your goal and this system can be used long-term to keep on increasing your reps well beyond the target of 20. How far you can eventually get will very much depend on your genetics – and also on how far you want to progress in the system (and how hard you are prepared to work).

I expect most able-bodied people to eventually achieve 20 chin up or pull up reps within in a single set, using my system. And many people will be able to go much higher than 20 reps if they follow the system longer-term.

My coaching plan only requires one or two training sessions each week – depending on your current abilities, your weekly schedule and your existing fitness plan. If you don’t already have a structured fitness plan I will help you to formulate one to support your training goals. The 20 rep goal can certainly be reached by using a single weekly training session and my clients will only require one weekly online coaching meeting with me during my chin ups and pull ups coaching programme.

The coaching meetings will be held online, using video call apps. Where helpful, these meetings can also be set up to take place during your actual training sessions, so that I can attend your training sessions virtually. During our coaching meetings we will discuss your previous training sessions and then we’ll plan your training sessions for the following week, based on the prior weeks’ progress.

My coaching plan is bespoke, so I will structure it around you as an individual. For this reason, I cannot judge how long it will take for you to reach your specific goals until we have done an initial assessment consultation. Every individual has a different set of personal circumstances, so your progress will depend on your training history and your current abilities.

I am confident that most people will be able to achieve their goals for chin ups and pull ups under my guidance. The coaching and training techniques I use for improving your chin ups and pull ups are quite different to the common age-old approaches you’ve probably seen on the internet and tried without great success.

Most people can get from beginner level to 10 reps without too much trouble, if they follow the common methodologies which can be found all over the internet. But my training techniques are specific to reaching higher rep numbers. I rely on periodisation and central nervous system conditioning, an approach that’s enabled even a 46-year-old to break the chin ups World Record – with just two weekly training sessions. 

I am fully confident that I can guide you to a new personal best for chin ups and pull ups, regardless of your age or your current fitness level. And my training style will ensure that your chin ups and pull ups training will also build your core and abdominal musculature, alongside your back and arms.

My coaching programme can be used by anyone, of any ability level. To get started simply book your initial consultation. In the initial consultation I will make a full assessment to ensure that you are able to undertake the training required to meet your goals. I will also give you an idea of how long your training journey is likely to take.

After the initial consultation you will be better informed of the likely coaching and training journey you’ll need to follow to reach your specific goals and you can then decide if you want to continue with my training programme. Once your coaching plan has been agreed, you can then continue to book consultations with me to monitor progress and evolve your training plan with each new landmark you hit.  

Each coaching appointment will last 30-minutes. 

Don’t restrict your training ambitions simply because you haven’t yet figured out a way to hit the goals you really want to achieve. It’s too easy to say: “I’m too old”, “I’m too heavy”, “I’m too skinny”, “I’m too weak”, “I’m not naturally talented”, or any other self-limiting beliefs. We all think we’re not good enough to do certain things that we really want to do, but the secret to success is making a real commitment and not being afraid to fail.

As your coach I’ll help you overcome the misconceptions that limit your ambitions and I’ll show you how to achieve the fitness goals you really want to achieve. If you want to set a new personal record for chin ups and pull ups make a commitment now and book your initial consultation. Now is the time to start!

I look forward to meeting you (online) in the near future and I cannot wait to help you achieve your training goals and reach performance levels that you might previously have thought were impossible! I’ve been there and done that many times over – and I have helped many others to do the same!

Kind regards,
Idai Makaya