Can you do pull ups?

[cerridwen]

I've never been able to do pull ups but it's one of my new goals.

I want to be able to do ten.

 

What does it take? Massive upper body strength? Just enough and the rest is technique?

 

Ladies? Can you do them? Gentlemen? Do you have tips?

 

Thanks.

[Afishwithabike]

I can do pushups, even the unmodified version, easily, but pullups kill me. I can do maybe one pullup without assistance.

[somedude81]

My max is only five, then rest and do 3 more, then rest and two, then I'm dead

 

Pull ups work the shoulders, lats, triceps and I think a few more. It's all about strength and of course it helps to not weigh too much

 

Best way to start is to use an assisted pull-up machine. What it basically does is use a counter-weight to make you weigh less. If you're 120 and set the machine to 50, you're basically doing a pull up as if you only weighed 70. The key is to keep lowering the weight till you can do your own body weight for 5 or so.

 

Another thing to do is the lat pull down and also tricep stuff.

[thehead]

Yup ^

Keep your back straight (posture is no less important for this exercise). Don't lock out at top or bottom, save your joints and ligaments and stay in the middle part of the movement. Don't be focused on making sure your chin goes past the bar on the top each time. Just get your form down.

 

And yeah, the best way to get good at pull ups is to do pull ups so keep at it.

 

You're really athletic cerridwen. You'll do it.

[PelicanPete]

Yes, regular pullups aren't much of a challenge for me.

 

 

Somedude pretty much has the right muscle groups, a lot of it depends on your grip. Wide grips focuses more on lats while a closer grip focuses more on triceps. When your learning just keep your arms shoulder width apart to distribute the load evenly.

 

When you're first developing enough upper body strength, the best way to do it is kipping or using your legs for momentum to help you up. If your unable to do that, a good way is using a stool or something to stand on so it's less distance for you to pull up. No matter which way suits you, when you get your chin up to the bar you want to do a slow negative with your body weight [slowly let yourself down to the starting position] for the full extension of the pullup. That will develop muscle memory and make your muscles stronger then doing it fast and uncontrolled.

 

Once your able to do 5 kipping pullups, you can start progressing into proper form pullups with no momentum or dead hang.

[SmileFace]

I can 10 with 50 pounds assistance. Which only seems good since I can technically pull 120 pounds. It is my goal to do 10 unassistated as well.

 

I also want to be able to do a hand stand and a cart wheel.

[PelicanPete]

 

I also want to be able to do a hand stand and a cart wheel.

 

Handstands are great! I recently started doing them without assistance of a wall.

 

I can write up a thread about what I did if you want some advice . Who knows maybe more will become interested. They take bodyweight exercises to the next level.

[Art_Critic]

I could till I tore my rotater cuff sledging out a concrete driveway a few years ago.

Now all I can do is pull out

[SmileFace]

Handstands are great! I recently started doing them without assistance of a wall.

 

I can write up a thread about what I did if you want some advice . Who knows maybe more will become interested. They take bodyweight exercises to the next level.

Please do! I can do it with a wall but I am too scared to do without.

[Feelin Frisky]

Never. I'm too big and dense. Even when I was in high school when I weighed 175 lbs and lifted weights/threw the shot put on the track and field team, I could not manage a pull up. Just ain't happenin'.

[cerridwen]

I can do pushups, even the unmodified version, easily, but pullups kill me. I can do maybe one pullup without assistance.

 

Same, fish. Pushups are no problem. The elusive pull up haunts me.

 

 

My max is only five, then rest and do 3 more, then rest and two, then I'm dead

 

Pull ups work the shoulders, lats, triceps and I think a few more. It's all about strength and of course it helps to not weigh too much

 

Best way to start is to use an assisted pull-up machine. What it basically does is use a counter-weight to make you weigh less. If you're 120 and set the machine to 50, you're basically doing a pull up as if you only weighed 70. The key is to keep lowering the weight till you can do your own body weight for 5 or so.

 

Another thing to do is the lat pull down and also tricep stuff.

 

Really somedude? That you have to rest after 5 makes me wonder if my goal is realistic.

 

Stupid question: So, the stronger I make those muscle groups you mentioned, the more apt I'll be to do a proper pull up, right? If my goal is to do pull ups, think I should put extra emphasis on training those parts then?

 

Thanks for the help, my friend.

 

 

Yup ^

Keep your back straight (posture is no less important for this exercise). Don't lock out at top or bottom, save your joints and ligaments and stay in the middle part of the movement. Don't be focused on making sure your chin goes past the bar on the top each time. Just get your form down.

 

And yeah, the best way to get good at pull ups is to do pull ups so keep at it.

 

You're really athletic cerridwen. You'll do it.

 

Thanks, Head.

I may have been athletic but I've never been strong, if that makes sense. Not in my upper body at least.

[cerridwen]

I can 10 with 50 pounds assistance. Which only seems good since I can technically pull 120 pounds. It is my goal to do 10 unassistated as well.

 

I also want to be able to do a hand stand and a cart wheel.

 

I can do the latter from my elementary school days in gymnastics.

I was Tumbler of the Month in 1st grade you know.

You might have heard of me.

 

 

I could till I tore my rotater cuff sledging out a concrete driveway a few years ago.

Now all I can do is pull out

 

Between a pull up and a pull out, thank goodness you're capable of the more important of the two.

 

 

Never. I'm too big and dense. Even when I was in high school when I weighed 175 lbs and lifted weights/threw the shot put on the track and field team, I could not manage a pull up. Just ain't happenin'.

 

Right on.

I'll dedicate my first one to you, FF.

[cerridwen]

Yes, regular pullups aren't much of a challenge for me.

 

 

Somedude pretty much has the right muscle groups, a lot of it depends on your grip. Wide grips focuses more on lats while a closer grip focuses more on triceps. When your learning just keep your arms shoulder width apart to distribute the load evenly.

 

When you're first developing enough upper body strength, the best way to do it is kipping or using your legs for momentum to help you up. If your unable to do that, a good way is using a stool or something to stand on so it's less distance for you to pull up. No matter which way suits you, when you get your chin up to the bar you want to do a slow negative with your body weight [slowly let yourself down to the starting position] for the full extension of the pullup. That will develop muscle memory and make your muscles stronger then doing it fast and uncontrolled.

 

Once your able to do 5 kipping pullups, you can start progressing into proper form pullups with no momentum or dead hang.

 

Awesome, Pelican. Thanks so much. I understand exactly what you mean though I did do a little googling on 'kipping'. I'd never heard that word before and wanted to make sure I understood your exact meaning.

 

One more question: Is there a right grip? If my lats are stronger (and they are from a lifetime as a swimmer), can I just keep my grip wide?

 

Thanks.

Edited July 10, 2011 by cerridwen

[Chocolat]

Hi. I am female and I can do pullups with hands supinated fairly easily. Neutral (hammer) grip is also ok. I pretty much suck at pronated pullups. My 12yo daughter (5'5" and 110 pounds) can do about 15 without resting.

 

I second the suggestion to do negatives.

[Crusoe]

 

What does it take? Massive upper body strength? Just enough and the rest is technique?

 

 

And, as with all things, a good mental attitude and self belief.

 

I'm 40, weigh 220 and can still do one armed pull ups. That's done on pure bloody mindedness, and the will to prove the kids half my age that an old dog can do more than just bark.

[Chocolat]

And, as with all things, a good mental attitude and self belief.

 

I'm 40, weigh 220 and can still do one armed pull ups. That's done on pure bloody mindedness, and the will to prove the kids half my age that an old dog can do more than just bark.

 

Excellent!!

[cerridwen]

Hi. I am female and I can do pullups with hands supinated fairly easily. Neutral (hammer) grip is also ok. I pretty much suck at pronated pullups. My 12yo daughter (5'5" and 110 pounds) can do about 15 without resting.

 

I second the suggestion to do negatives.

 

Hi Chocolat. Wow. You and your daughter are machines! And I really mean that in the best, most respectful, admittedly impressed kind of way.

Thanks for weighing in!

 

And, as with all things, a good mental attitude and self belief.

 

I'm 40, weigh 220 and can still do one armed pull ups. That's done on pure bloody mindedness, and the will to prove the kids half my age that an old dog can do more than just bark.

 

Jeez, Crusoe. Nice. Thanks for posting because that kind of talk works on me. I'm ready to go.

Grrrrrrrrrrr.

[PelicanPete]

And, as with all things, a good mental attitude and self belief.

 

I'm 40, weigh 220 and can still do one armed pull ups. That's done on pure bloody mindedness, and the will to prove the kids half my age that an old dog can do more than just bark.

 

Awesome! I've almost got my one arm pull ups, but the elbow tendonitis I get from training them too much really tests the patience. Did you have that problem learning them?

 

One more question: Is there a right grip? If my lats are stronger (and they are from a lifetime as a swimmer), can I just keep my grip wide?

 

Sure if you want to! There will be more of a load on your lats though, it may tire out that muscle group faster because it is taking the majority of the strain, which could possibly decrease your reps. If your going to 10, you might want to practice a neutral grip so that you can spread the load evenly.

[tman666]

For starting out, I would recommend doing negatives, flexed arm hangs, etc. If you are lucky enough to have a gym buddy, they can help assist you, assuming you're strong enough to "almost" get it. A spotter can also help you get forced reps at the end after you're already tuckered out, which could potentially help. The assisted pull up machines are ok, but I've been told that it messes up the proper pulling angles on the muscles needed to do pullups, which ends up in a disconnect on the carryover between the "pullup machines" and real pull ups.

 

When you're finally able to get one, make sure that you work on getting full range of motion. That doesn't mean that every single rep has to be from a dead hang, but do no neglect any portion of the movement.

 

I personally think that kipping is never justified for any reason, but perhaps I'm just ignorant to some big secret that the Crossfitters are hoarding all to themselves.

 

I don't see very many females that can do chins/pullups, but that will just make you stand out above the rest when you can!

[LuckyLady13]

I had a bodybuilder for a phys ed teacher in High School. First day of class with this guy he pointed to a rope hanging from a 30 foot high ceiling and said we'd all have to climb it with only our arms by the end of the first week. I was terrified. I have boney arms and thought there's no way I can do this.

 

After just a week of training with this guy in the gym, to my absolute amazement I was able to do it. Not only that but I learned from this guy that pull-ups look hard but they really aren't. I carried what I learned in that class with me for the rest of my life. I'm capable of so much more than I ever think.

 

I second (or third) doing negatives!

[PelicanPete]

I personally think that kipping is never justified for any reason, but perhaps I'm just ignorant to some big secret that the Crossfitters are hoarding all to themselves.

 

To me kipping is fine when you are first learning how to do it to get use to the motion and help build confidence. Pullups came naturally to me, but when I was developing the strength to do muscle ups my first few were sloppy kip ups. Even though I kicked my legs to help me get above the bar, I was really proud of myself getting from point A to point B and it motivated me to perfect the form. It's a confidence thing.

 

There is a line though. Outside of the learning stage, kipping is unacceptable and usually frowned upon. If you are capable of doing pullups without kipping, do that instead please

[Crusoe]

Awesome! I've almost got my one arm pull ups, but the elbow tendonitis I get from training them too much really tests the patience. Did you have that problem learning them?

 

 

I can't ever remember learning them, Pete. I was always active as a kid, climbing trees, monkeying around on climbing frames, etc. It's more like something I made sure I never forgot.

 

Am a great believer in mind of matter. Rarely work out anymore, but can still remember how to tap into the old noggin let it take over the body. It's capable of some quite amazing things if you don't let your head get in the way.

[StandingO]

Try first by building using pull downs. I have hernia risks so I stopped doing them. I used to be good at them. I can still do a bunch but not worth the risk for me. The longer your arms the harder it is. Increasing body weight by just a tad makes it much harder too.

[dreamingoftigers]

The only pull-ups I can do are the ones I put on my daughter!

[Chocolat]

Hi Chocolat. Wow. You and your daughter are machines! And I really mean that in the best, most respectful, admittedly impressed kind of way.

Thanks for weighing in!

 

Thanks! The thing that really helps, imo, is being fairly light. My daughter (who's obviously not at her adult weight yet) can do pull-ups with ease (she's also a very athletic kid). Ditto my son who is 5'10" and maybe 145 (he's 16). I'm also pretty small.

 

Anyway, you can do it! You'll get some awesome back development out of it, too. :bunny: