The Tax should build you. Not bankrupt you.
Test your max at the start of each 28-day cycle. Pay 40% of it, 3–5 times a day, in clean reps — light enough you finish thinking "I could've done more."
The dose, not the limit
Heavy enough to adapt, light enough form never cracks. Max 10 → 4. Max 20 → 8. Max 30 → 12.
Frequency beats burnout
Small sets across the day grow grip and clean reps faster than one brutal session.
Max once per cycle
Test every 28 days — testing daily rots form and cranks elbows. Discipline is the program.
What is the Pull-Up Tax?
The Tax is the small, non-negotiable amount of clean pull-ups you owe the bar every day — 40% of your max, paid in a few short sets.
We call it a tax on purpose. A tax isn't a workout you psych up for — it's a payment that's due whether you feel like it or not. It's small enough that you can always pay it, and regular enough that it compounds. You don't "crush" your tax; you just pay it, and walk away a little stronger.
Skip it and nothing dramatic happens today — but the bill comes due in lost progress. Pay it daily and the strength accrues quietly, almost by accident. The tax should build you, not bankrupt you.
What counts as a clean rep
Form is the brand. If it isn't clean, it didn't happen.
Dead hang start
Arms fully extended. The rep begins at the bottom.
Chin clears the bar
No kip, no swing. Momentum is not strength.
Controlled descent
Lower under control to full extension. Pause at the bottom.
Never release from the top
You finish where you started — at the bottom. Always.
Full extension every rep
Half reps don't count. The bottom is non-negotiable.
Stop before fatigue
The moment form slips, the set is over.
Let your tax grow
Don't chase PRs every day. Retest your max every 28 days, add frequency before difficulty, and let the tax climb on its own.
Example · starting max 8
Max test: 8
Tax = 3 reps, paid 3× a day.
Same tax
Now 4× a day. More visits, same effort.
Still 3 reps
Frequency moves to 5× a day.
Retest: 9–10
Tax grows to 4. Earned, not forced.
Example · starting max 15
Max test: 15
Tax = 6 reps, paid 3× a day.
Same tax
Now 4× a day.
Still 6 reps
Frequency moves to 5× a day.
Retest: 16–18
Tax grows to 7 — compounding for months.
The goal isn't 15 → 25 overnight. It's small improvements that compound — pay your tax, and let your tax grow.