If I feel like doing pullups all the time, should I?

I am very torn; I have a pullup bar, and I am often in the mood to just bang out a few, but in the back of my head I am thinking I should not "over train".

Then at the same time, I think of overall "fitness". Pushups, pullups, running up stairs, climbing things (I have a lot of trees in my backyard) I love just randomly challenging myself physically, and a part of me thinks its good. Burn more cals. Get more endurance. Get my endorphins to overdrive. Do random pushups, situps, crunches.

And on the other hand, I have a red light. I think that I should rest, and only work my muscles 3-4 times a week, and not over train. I shouldnt over exert myself, because I do not want to be sore for my next workout, etc.

Normally I am for the latter, but my fitness goal is pure fat loss. I have a lot of muscle as it is (one of the few, if only perks of being part endo), and my goal is to be 175 lbs (I have had some difficulty breaking and staying past the 195 lb mark, and 2010 is the year where I finally shed the fat). I can afford to not gain muscle, even lose a few lbs of it, if it gets me the leanest I have ever been. I also play basketball twice a week, football on weekends, regularly weight train and train on my heavy bag 3-4 nights a week.

what do you guys think? has anyone else been confronted with this dilemma?

Doing a lot of pullups won't really burn any more calories than doing fewer but heavier pullups. It's all relative.

If you want to burn off fat you have to eat less than your caloric maintenance levels -- meaning you have to eat less than what your body needs to maintain its weight. Now, you say you're willing to lose some muscle. Try your best to hold onto it because that muscle is what's going to help you burn the fat. I'm not going to go into details about cutting because (a) it's too complicated for me sum up now and (b) I'm not cutting until May (my first time), so I don't feel I'm experienced enough to inform you. You can check out cutting guidelines in the nutrition section.

However, some general rules for a cut: (1) lift at high intensity (i.e. heavy) and low volume (i.e. reps and sets). What this will do is give your muscles the stimulation to stay strong and large while your body is in an otherwise depleted (sort of) state. Don't go for high reps. So many people think while losing far that this will "shape" their muscles, but the only thing helping with that is pretty much genetics. Definition will come with a low body fat percentage. (2) Don't overdo the cardio, or, even better, cut it out all together. When on a cut, (assuming you have enough mass and your diet is adjusted properly) the change in calories/nutrients is all the body needs. Remember, if you drop weight too quickly you're very likely to lose muscle. (3) Cut down on the carbs, not necessarily fat. You need fat for energy and a lot of your hormone production. Also, believe it not, fat isn't really what makes people fat; only about 20% of our body fat comes from "fats" (and that would likely come from the trans fat culprit, and the much lesser evil, but still needed, saturated fat). Cut your carbs down to see a drop in body fat. But, make sure to incorporate refeeds. You'll read about these in the nutrition section. (4) Compound movements not only work MORE muscles but they burn MORE calories. Ditch your shrugs and preacher curls, and squat and deadlift some heavy iron. This is where your pullups are helpful. They happen to be one of the "big four" lifts of bodybulding (pullups, bench press, squats, deadlifts). You can work every muscle in the body with these, and very effectively, I might add. (5.) Focus on control and consistency. This isn't a time to bring in new, unusual lifts or programs. Stick to the basics and lift mindfully.

Hope that helps. Maybe talk to Built. She knows.....

how much do you care about functional strength?

lol thanks guys, I already know the basics... I am doin compound lifts, and I love heavy, intense training and I got my macros under control. Cutting itself is very basic (not to be confused with easy). Eat less cals then necesary, lift heavy, stay focused. The real question I am pondering is if I am not hindering myself too much by training in a very impromptu way... E.G, my pullup bar is in my basement and every time I walk by, I do 5 full hang pullups. seems harmless. in fact, it seems beneficial.

The way I see it, wont that make me stronger? I dont care about getting huge lats, I am big enough as it is muscularly. I want to shed the body fat, and I dont see how living actively will hamper that. When I did construction last summer, I lost serious weight. I did shoulder presses every day when I would hold 4x8 sheets of drywall over my head, and I did farmers walks whenever I carried bucket after bucket of brick debris. KNow what im saying?

Is it THAT bad to do? Will I be NEGATIVELY effecting my goals, as oppose to propelling them forward?

and I like functional strength :)

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Originally Posted by ArnoldsProtege

and I like functional strength :)

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then don't stop! once you hit 30 in a row then go for more.

I never did it for fat loss, but I have a pullup bar in my doorway. Whenever I would leave the room, I'd do 10 pullups (with the exception of pissing in the middle of the night).

Muscle Hypertrophy and homeostasis AND SLEEP = MASS
No salt, No sugar 65% PRO/ 25% carb and 10% HI Q FAT fish oils flax oils nuts (unsalted
4-7 days rest per muscle group (Formula is dependent on intensity and REPS
or HI weight.
OOOOOO........Hypertrophy only occurs during off (rest) TIME!!!!

hope I can stop you from future potential ligament/tendon destruction
Dr. Shlong

I guess you missed the part about my goal NOT being hypertrophy... though I suppose that with a name like that, details are not the most important thing.

Wait a minute, your'e not a real doctor, ARE you? I feel betrayed.

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Originally Posted by danzik17

with the exception of pissing in the middle of the night.

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You're such a slacker.

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Originally Posted by ArnoldsProtege

I guess you missed the part about my goal NOT being hypertrophy... though I suppose that with a name like that, details are not the most important thing.

Wait a minute, your'e not a real doctor, ARE you? I feel betrayed.

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Why yes, he is a doctor.....a Shlong doctor no less.
I hear he has a high suckcess rate of patients cumming back to life.

I wake up and do a quick 30 pushups and we have a pullup bar by the kitchen which I tell the kids that they have to do a few every time they leave the kitchen.
When I'm feel myself losing energy I just skip them, but to be honest it sort of energizes me instead of fatiguing me.

If you're cutting then you might be getting a little more energetic and you might be seeing more muscle. Don't let that lead you down the path of ignorance like most folks. They would just bang out more work. But you said you don't mind losing muscle. I agree with doctor Shlong.

he said do a couple not 5 sets to failure, i doubt a couple pullups will hurt his progress in the least.

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Originally Posted by Captn'stabbin

he said do a couple not 5 sets to failure, i doubt a couple pullups will hurt his progress in the least.

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That's what I understood.