Pull ups

[madlock]

Hello everyone.

My case is pretty simple: I can't do a single proper pull up or a chin up. What kind of excercises do you folks think would be most efficient for strengthening the muscles used in pull ups? Would at-home training with dumbells be enough or should I hit the gym? I'd appreciate input - very much looking forward to doing my first correct pull up :P

[Robinf]

I went through the same problem. I don't know quite what worked for me, but here's what I did and maybe something will help you out.

The two biggest things:

1) Hang and yank -- I hung from the chin bar and yanked, even if I only got up a quarter of the way. I did this three sets.

2) Jump up and slowly lower -- At the chin bar, I jumped so I got my chin over the bar, held there and slowly lowered myself down (three sets).

I also did the lat pull machine and alternated this with lat pulls using the cables, doing single arm. I did back fly, lat raises, abdominal strengthening, lower back strengthening, and everything else.

After 6 months, when I yanked, I realized I could keep going. Now, more than a year later, I'm up to six pull ups, for three sets.

I don't know if this is helpful to you at all. Maybe someone else has a better way for you, but this worked for me.

Robin

[Shaolin-Do]

If you have access to a gym, there is a "pull down" type machine that is the exact same excersize as a pull up, just pulling weights down instead. I would suggest using that until your muscles have developed enough to do proper pull ups...
:)

[Waidan]

All good suggestions thus far. Only thing I would add is that using a spotter would be very helpful, as it would allow you to go through the full range of motion with a bit of assistance.

[prana]

My suggestion....

1. Move into the fully up position eitehr by way of a chair or external help.

2. Release and slowly allow extension to the fully dropped position. Do this twice over 5 sets, making sure form is not sloppy or jerked. It needs to be slow and controlled and here is where I believe a friend can really help you not make mistakes and become injured.

3. The "dead hang" position is suprisingly difficult. This is also a good exercise. Dead hand from a bar, or whatever, being careful not to "relax" onto your ligaments on your shoulder. That is, rely on your shoulder strength to keep your body hanging.

When this becomes easy, use one hand. When this becomes easy, lift opposite leg till its horizontal, then hang the same way always maitening form.

Good luck, pull ups are easy to learn...

[Cyborg]

As Robin said, work the stomach. I find it very important for pullups. And please don't do sets of 5000 crunches three times a day! Work them for strength the same way you would anything else, low reps and low sets for max strength. Janda situps if you know what those are.

[iron thread]

Do pushups. I'm sure it helped me, even though I was doing a lot of stamina pushups with 30+ at a time. The first time I ever hit the pullup bars, I got 5.

[trevorstalker]

Check out this article:

http://www.bodyresults.com/e2floorpullup.asp

It's targeted for climbers but should help you anyway...

Peace.

[Robinf]

Thanks for the article.

I like the ladder idea.

[madlock]

Hey!
Thanks for the tips everyone, I'll try what you have suggested and see what works best ..

I'm currently doing pushups daily to get stronger triceps, but I don't see how doing pushups could make pullups easier? :confused: I won't complain if they do though hehe

Cyborg: could you by any chance describe janda situps? Right now I'm doing regular situps which is becoming easier and easier... a more difficult excercise would be welcome!

[trevorstalker]

madlock...

if you're doing pullups mainly to develop your triceps, then I think it would be better to work this groups isolated first, then work you way to the pullups (does anyone agree? I'm only expressing an opinion).

would it be better to start with dips and extensions?

check this out if you want:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Triceps

Peace.

[iron thread]

Pushups should essentially be working out the same muscle groups as pullups, so it should help.

[abobo]

Originally posted by iron thread
Pushups should essentially be working out the same muscle groups as pullups, so it should help.

Pushing away from your body and pulling toward your body are opposite motions. The muscles used in pushups are only stabilizers when you do pullups and vice versa.

Doing pushups will probably help, but it's not really the same muscle groups.

[Robinf]

:)

Pushups work the chest, primarily--those lovely pecs.

Pullups work the back, primarily--the latismus dorsi ("lats").

They both work the tris and bis of the arms and the core muscles (mid to lower back and abs--as stabilizers).

[madlock]

I'm trying to do pullups just to be able to do them, and thus get a new training method I can apply at home, or maybe because of the traumatizing high school gym classes where I was left with 0 score :D
I think I'll be getting a pull up bar and do what Robin and inic suggested and see what happens. Thanks for the advice guys

[fa_jing]

Pushups are mechanically similar to a decline bench press, which does target the lats somewhat, especially if you squeeze them. Also, the pectorals are slighty engaged in pullups, too.

If you try Hindu pushups, these work the lats even more.

[Cyborg]

I think they're described on www.dragondoor.com

They remove the hip flexors from picking you up. Standard situp position, have someone pull into your calves and you pull against it and down into the ground. Then sit up! Roll the back off of the floor slowly and lower slowly.

I was thinking just the other day about how to do these without a partner and this is what I came up with. Take two cinder blocks (or equivalent) and place next to a doorway. Place a broomstick across the top and use that for your calves to pull against. Hint* pick a time when traffic isn't busy. :D

I welded my own setup for this but know most people can't. So what do you think? Got a better idea?

[abobo]

Best description I know of is on Clarence Bass' site. Find the article called "the hardest situp."

I don't do much abdominal work but one thing I find helps is to hold the up position of a pushup. The effect is kind of like a static hold, you have to tighten up the inner abs.

Once you get better at pullups you can start doing pikes. They take some abdominal strength, can be brutally hard, and involve just about everything from the hips up.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by madlock
Hello everyone.

My case is pretty simple: I can't do a single proper pull up or a chin up. What kind of excercises do you folks think would be most efficient for strengthening the muscles used in pull ups? Would at-home training with dumbells be enough or should I hit the gym? I'd appreciate input - very much looking forward to doing my first correct pull up :P

Hi madlock, welcome to KFO.

I'm surprised no one has asked yet; how much do you weigh?

How close to doing one pullup can you get?

How old are you?

IronFist

[madlock]

Thanks for the description, I'll be trying those. Will let you know if I come up with a different way to do it Cyborg.

Hello IronFist.
I am 185cm/75kg, which should be about... 6 feet / 165lbs. So the problem shouldn't be my weight, just a weak upper body.
The most difficult part is getting my elbows to bend when starting from the hang position. If I start with my elbows bent slightly I can do a painful couple, without going all the way down of course. Yah and I'm 19 years old. By all means add a diagnosis of your own :D

[IronFist]

Well, assuming you have no medical condition that prevents you from using your muscles when your arm is straight, it is much better to do full reps (go from all the way down (straight arms) to all the way up). Trust me, you will be much better in the long run if you do them this way.

Besides, the guys at the gym who are doing pullups but only going down half way suck, and then you will be able to make fun of them :D

Some of the people here have given good advice. I was never unable to do pullups so I don't have any personal advice.

Good luck.

IronFist

[rogue]

Here are a couple of doorway chin up bars that let you get a wider grip than the usual doorway types.

http://www.megafitness.com/doorway-chin-up-bar-system.html?AID=7179576&PID=1264782
http://www.need2bfit.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=cap-pub34&type=store

[guohuen]

Those look great. Affordable also.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1kypj4S_tE

I always sucked at pull ups. I was good with push ups (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41224-Push-ups) back in the day, but not anymore.

[MightyB]

My favorite Ninja Warrior cranking them out and making it look easy.

https://www.facebook.com/JESSIEgraffPWR/videos/1622053191185765/