Dead Hang Pull Ups or Chin Ups

[Emilia]

You need a lot of upper body strength to do them. How do I train smartly to get there? Currently I can't do even one and different websites tell you different things. Some say I should start with assisted ones (like using a machine at a gym), others say those don't help at all.

 

I have reasonably strong abs and core strength, I've started lifting to build upper body strength (I need it for a future job) but I'd really like to be able to perform a couple of dead hangs.

[HHC]

Attempting them every day helps. I've seen my progress just by trying to do one or two a day and each time I seem to get a little higher.

 

I've been told lowers (reverse pull up) is useful, but don't do too many or you can rip your muscle fibres.

 

I had tried pulling my elbows together and was told tonight that's wrong. I should be trying to pull my elbows out and using my lats

[Exit]

On paper, doing lat pulldowns or using an assisted pullup machine with the counterweight system SHOULD help build the same muscles, but in my experience I did lat pulldowns for a very long time and still hardly ever increased my pullup strength. So I would just start doing pullups and chinups. If you can only do one or two, just do one or two. If you can find a partner/spotter, they can place their hands on your back and help push you up (many people will do this by holding the other person's legs and helping them up, but this is dangerous, if you lose your grip and someone is holding your feet, you will face-plant when you fall). If you can't even do one or two, you can try doing "negatives", which would involve grabbing onto the bar, using your legs to hop up and hold yourself at the top of the movement, and slowly lower yourself down, so you are only doing the lowering portion of the exercise. This will still work the same muscles. You can also try to do a static hang, once you jump to the top range of the movement, hold yourself there as long as you possibly can, and once your strength starts to fade, then lower yourself very slowly.

 

In my opinion working on body weight movements like this is so worth it, even though it can be difficult. I messed around with weights for a long time but it wasn't until I started pushing myself to do pullups, chinups, bodyweight dips, etc, that my strength really started to improve.

 

Also make sure to Google proper pullup form, you'll actually have more strength available to use if you are using good form. Draw your shoulder blades back, pretend you are trying to hold a pencil between your shoulder blades and can't let it fall. Keeping your shoulders back like this is what makes sure to get your lats activated in the movement. If you let your shoulders roll forward you're basically trying to use all arm strength to complete the movement. Perfect your form and get your back muscles involved and suddenly you'll find yourself able to do more reps. There is more to perfect form than what I've mentioned here, so look it up.

 

There is a book called 7 weeks to 50 Pullups, it will teach you the form and then gives you a schedule, I think it's a 3 day a week plan and it gradually increases the amount of reps over 7 weeks.

[Emilia]

Thanks guys, both sound like good advice. Will give it a go and might come back to this if I'm not improving.

[ThaWholigan]

You can use a really thick resistance band and tie it to your pull up bar and stand/kneel on it. The resistance will be small, but it will help you slightly as you get better at it.

[HHC]

You can use a really thick resistance band and tie it to your pull up bar and stand/kneel on it. The resistance will be small, but it will help you slightly as you get better at it.

The band gives you the full range of movement, but doesn't really assist with anything else.

Doing negatives, jump pull ups, and pulling up as far as you can go and trying again are far better for form and strength building.

[johan]

Pushing and pulling exercises with your arms directly over your head are hard on your shoulders. They will lead to injury. Even the Marines don't do this exercise anymore.

 

There are better exercises for you back muscles. Do some research.

[USMCHokie]

Pushing and pulling exercises with your arms directly over your head are hard on your shoulders. They will lead to injury. Even the Marines don't do this exercise anymore.

 

:eek:

 

Two exercises in our two types of physical fitness tests are exactly this...

 

Dead hang pullups and ammo can overhead shoulder press...

 

There are better exercises for you back muscles. Do some research.

 

Disagree. Pull-ups are a fantastic exercise when done correctly, and integral to complete body strength. And they're an incredibly functional skill/ability to have...

 

 

Now to address the OP...pull ups are hard, no doubt about it. I would say that probably around 1% (if even that) of females and maybe half of all men (?) are able to do a single pull up.

 

I am a proponent of the assisted pull-up machines. The biggest problem, however, is that people use way too much assist and are able to do 10-15 assisted pull-ups. That won't do you much good. How about barely being able to do 2-4 pullups...? That'll get you progress. Like with any type of strength training, the single biggest mistake I see people making is not lifting enough weight. You will never see real results that way.

 

So I'm willing to bet the farm that if you aren't seeing progress using the assisted pullup machine of lat pulldowns, then you're not lifting enough weight. Simple as that.

 

You should also do other exercises to strengthen your entire back...cable rows are a great one...

[HHC]

Now to address the OP...pull ups are hard, no doubt about it. I would say that probably around 1% (if even that) of females and maybe half of all men (?) are able to do a single pull up..

See, even those percentages are crap, I still want to be part of that 1% hehe

[USMCHokie]

I had tried pulling my elbows together and was told tonight that's wrong. I should be trying to pull my elbows out and using my lats

 

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Neither is wrong and neither is the "right" way. Both have their place, and both are effective.

[johan]

What are you some kind of expert on what Marines do?

 

Kidding.

 

I was just repeating what my orthopedic specialist told me. He was clear that any exercise where your hands go over your head to the extent that you can't see them in your peripheral vision while holding your head straight will lead to injury. Apparently it's how he paid for his kids' college. He claimed that even the Marines were changing their routines to start doing pull ups more carefully. Tilted so that your hands stay in front of your body more.

 

He condemned the military press as well.

 

He also said dips are a terrible thing to do to your shoulders.

 

Whether you agree or not, it's still wise to research the exercises you do. Find out for yourself.

[USMCHokie]

What are you some kind of expert on what Marines do?

 

Kidding.

 

:mad:

 

 

I was just repeating what my orthopedic specialist told me. He was clear that any exercise where your hands go over your head to the extent that you can't see them in your peripheral vision while holding your head straight will lead to injury. Apparently it's how he paid for his kids' college. He claimed that even the Marines were changing their routines to start doing pull ups more carefully. Tilted so that your hands stay in front of your body more.

 

This is exactly how both pullups and shoulder presses (and all variants thereof) should be done, which a degree of upper body tilt, and it's exactly how I teach it, to Marines and non-Marines alike. Pull-ups should be done leaned backward as far as comfortable...same with shoulder presses. You should see Marines doing the ammo can lift...they're leaning so far back that it almost looks like a standing bench press...

 

He condemned the military press as well.

 

Eh, this is harder to maintain an upper body tilt while lifting a weight overheard. It requires decent core strength. Something I wouldn't recommend to novice trainers.

 

He also said dips are a terrible thing to do to your shoulders.

 

Dips are poop.

 

Whether you agree or not, it's still wise to research the exercises you do. Find out for yourself.

 

Agreed. Or stop being a p*ssy.

 

 

Kidding. Sort of.

[HHC]

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Neither is wrong and neither is the "right" way. Both have their place, and both are effective.

True, But I was aiming for pull ups that used my lats and not my biceps

[fucpcg]

Get a buff guy to help you do them. If he's buff, he probably knows how to spot on the pull up. Let him help you knock out like 4-6 at a shot, 3 sets, even if he has to help with every single one. This is how my ex went from not being able to do a single pull up, to being able to do reps for sets.

[Emilia]

I am a proponent of the assisted pull-up machines. The biggest problem, however, is that people use way too much assist and are able to do 10-15 assisted pull-ups. That won't do you much good. How about barely being able to do 2-4 pullups...? That'll get you progress. Like with any type of strength training, the single biggest mistake I see people making is not lifting enough weight. You will never see real results that way.

 

So I'm willing to bet the farm that if you aren't seeing progress using the assisted pullup machine of lat pulldowns, then you're not lifting enough weight. Simple as that.

 

You should also do other exercises to strengthen your entire back...cable rows are a great one...

 

I haven't used assisted pullups/lat pulldowns yet but I'll take your advice and give it a go. Whenever I lift I move on once I can do 3 x 8 without failure so I think I lift enough. Wouldn't bother with a weight if I could do 10. I've never gone as low as only being able to do 2-4 but will try that next.

 

Cable rows noted, thanks

[Emilia]

Get a buff guy to help you do them. If he's buff, he probably knows how to spot on the pull up. Let him help you knock out like 4-6 at a shot, 3 sets, even if he has to help with every single one. This is how my ex went from not being able to do a single pull up, to being able to do reps for sets.

 

Hmmm not sure. I see a lot of gym bunnies at the gym but they don't seem to have the sort of strong but agile build I'm looking for. They are just bulky. I do lots of core strength, planks, crawls, etc I never see them doing any of those, just weights.

 

I think I'll start with the assisted ones like Hokie suggested and also with the negative ones as per Exit.

[Emilia]

 

This is exactly how both pullups and shoulder presses (and all variants thereof) should be done, which a degree of upper body tilt, and it's exactly how I teach it, to Marines and non-Marines alike. Pull-ups should be done leaned backward as far as comfortable...same with shoulder presses.

 

 

This is how I understand it. I know you shouldn't allow your shoulders to roll forward. When you pull up you have to look at the way you are going, you are pulling up to your chest (upper body tilted backwards).

[tman666]

This is how I understand it. I know you shouldn't allow your shoulders to roll forward. When you pull up you have to look at the way you are going, you are pulling up to your chest (upper body tilted backwards).

 

I agree with the upper body tilt back on pull ups, but I would advise against looking up while performing the lift (same goes for bent over rows/deadlifts/squats/etc.). Maintaining a neutral spine on these movements (looking straight ahead on pull ups/squats, looking at a point about 6' in front of you on bent over rows) will increase the safety of the lift and allow you to focus more on the "mind-muscle" connection that can assist you in maintaining your form and firing the right muscles through the lift.

 

Another reason to focus on looking straight ahead on pull ups/chin ups is that when you start getting fatigued with each passing rep, you'll have a tendency to try and "hook" or otherwise force your chin over the bar, which can lead to neck strains. I speak from personal experience on this one. It's better to get less reps or partial reps with perfect form than to risk injuring yourself getting sloppy. This goes for all lifts.

 

Just my $.02.

[Emilia]

I agree with the upper body tilt back on pull ups, but I would advise against looking up while performing the lift (same goes for bent over rows/deadlifts/squats/etc.). Maintaining a neutral spine on these movements (looking straight ahead on pull ups/squats, looking at a point about 6' in front of you on bent over rows) will increase the safety of the lift and allow you to focus more on the "mind-muscle" connection that can assist you in maintaining your form and firing the right muscles through the lift.

 

Another reason to focus on looking straight ahead on pull ups/chin ups is that when you start getting fatigued with each passing rep, you'll have a tendency to try and "hook" or otherwise force your chin over the bar, which can lead to neck strains. I speak from personal experience on this one. It's better to get less reps or partial reps with perfect form than to risk injuring yourself getting sloppy. This goes for all lifts.

 

Just my $.02.

 

Thanks! It all makes sense, will definitely bear it in mind.

[Emilia]

Dead hang pull ups are a strengthening exercise for the arms.

 

The upper body, you will find. Core strength is essential for dead hangs, it isn't something you do just with your arms.

 

Dead hang pull ups can be performed by both men and women. You should practice pull ups regularly in order to master this exercise. Dead hand pull ups are more easily performed by those who are at a healthy weight and are physically fit.

 

Thanks for the contribution of absolute zero