PINK REP LABVideos
All videos live on the Pink Rep Lab YouTube channel.
In review. The training guide and video are still being finalized.
The Bar: Four Coaching Options Toward Your First Pull-Up
Why the bar feels impossible, four coaching options (hang with set shoulders, rows, band-assisted pulls, slow lowering), a starter template, and a way to track progress. These options have not been tested as a ladder in any trial.
Chapters
- The goal and the muscles
- Step 1: hang and set your shoulders
- Step 2: rows
- Step 3: band-assisted pulls
- Step 4: slow lowering
- Does the ladder work? (honest limits)
- Starter template and sample session
- When to move on
- Staying safe
- Record your baseline
Sources
- Youdas et al. 2010, J Strength Cond Res (pull-up and chin-up EMG, 21 men and 4 women)
- Dickie et al. 2017, J Electromyogr Kinesiol (pull-up variations, EMG)
- Youdas et al. 2016, J Strength Cond Res (inverted row EMG)
- Enes et al. 2025, J Strength Cond Res (repetition tempo meta-analysis)
- ACE, NASM, Cleveland Clinic exercise guidance
Coming soon. Watch for it on the YouTube channel.
No Gym? Build Muscle at Home With Almost Nothing (4-Move Starter Plan)
Four home moves (incline push-up, table row, bodyweight squat, glute bridge), the muscles each one works, the mistakes to watch for, a simple 2-3 day starter plan, and when to stop. The table row is only an option if the support is secure.
Chapters
- 0:00 The gym rat vs your living room
- 0:37 Move 1: incline push-up
- 1:20 Move 2: table row (only if the support is secure)
- 2:20 Move 3: bodyweight squat
- 2:54 Move 4: glute bridge
- 3:21 Does it really work?
- 4:19 Your starter plan
- 5:44 Stay safe
- 6:17 Checklist and next video
Sources
- Lopez et al. 2021, Med Sci Sports Exerc (28 studies, 747 healthy adults)
- Lasevicius et al. 2018, Eur J Sport Sci (30 men, 12 weeks)
- Kikuchi & Nakazato 2017, J Exerc Sci Fit (18 young men)
- Full list with links: in the video description
Coming soon. Watch for it on the YouTube channel.
What Actually Makes Your Muscles Grow?
Mechanical tension as the main growth signal, how hard and how much to train, protein and sleep, three myths, and a weekly checklist. Honest limits are shown on screen.
Chapters
- 0:00 The arm wrestle
- 0:38 The growth signal
- 1:33 How hard to train
- 2:34 How much to train
- 3:35 Protein and fuel
- 4:08 Sleep and recovery
- 4:37 Three myths
- 5:25 Weekly checklist
Sources
- Wackerhage et al. 2019, J Appl Physiol
- Lopez et al. 2021, Med Sci Sports Exerc
- Refalo et al. 2023, Sports Med
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn, Krieger 2017, J Sports Sci
- Schoenfeld, Grgic, Krieger 2019, J Sports Sci
- Singer et al. 2024, Front Sports Act Living
- Morton et al. 2018, Br J Sports Med
- Lamon et al. 2021, Physiol Rep
Coming soon. Watch for it on the YouTube channel.
Why You Can't Do 10 Push-Ups (And How to Fix It)
A push-up moves roughly two thirds of your body weight, so it is a heavy exercise for a beginner. Why, what it trains, three form mistakes, and a wall - incline - floor ladder with a starter plan.
Chapters
- 0:00 The problem
- 0:42 How heavy is a push-up?
- 1:20 What does it train?
- 1:46 Three mistakes
- 2:52 The three-step ladder
- 4:31 Your weekly plan
Sources
- Ebben et al. 2011, J Strength Cond Res 25(10):2891-2894
- Suprak, Dawes, Stephenson 2011, J Strength Cond Res
- Kowalski et al. 2022, Shoulder Elbow (scoping review)
- Harvard Health: Modify your push-ups to meet your fitness level
- ACE Exercise Library: Push-Ups
- Cleveland Clinic: How To Do a Push-up
- ACSM position stand 2026; WHO guidelines 2020
Series
Pinky vs the Strong: each episode Pinky meets a rival that stands for one obstacle skinny beginners face (self-doubt, a stronger man, the pull-up bar...).