No chin up bar?

[william]

I have recently moved into a new place, and there is no where I can realistically put up a chin up bar with risking my damage deposit, (which is a lot of money!)

So what I was wandering, is there any other exercises that build the same muscle as chin ups/pull ups, but don't require a bar or indeed a hanging motion??

Cheers

W

[Serpent]

Upright rows with a barbell might be a starting point. You could also look into alternatives, like level tree branches outside, door frames, etc.

[Toby]

Well, not exactly the same, but buy yourself a short super-thick rope. Go outside to a tree nearby and throw one end over a e.g. 10' high branch. You can either do pull-ups/chin-ups by putting knots in the end and holding just above the knots, or you can do rope climbing with hands only (no feet). The latter would be harder I'd imagine - never done it myself since I have a crappy power-to-weight ratio and find pull-ups hard enough.

[Oso]

never done it myself since I have a crappy power-to-weight ratio and find pull-ups hard enough.

amen, glad I'm not the only one.

After 4 weeks of doing reduced weight pull-ups, I finally managed one under my own weight last night.


I thought there were some no-drill door mount ones. Not too expensive either.


http://www.egymequipment.com/doorgym1.html

[Ford Prefect]

I was going to recommend the same thing as Oso. I suppose if there are trees available stick with Tober's idea, but you could also just do pull-ups off tree branches too. I've put pull-up bars in all my appartments and never had anything deducted from my security deposit.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
I was going to recommend the same thing as Oso. I suppose if there are trees available stick with Tober's idea, but you could also just do pull-ups off tree branches too. I've put pull-up bars in all my appartments and never had anything deducted from my security deposit.
Me too. Polyfilla is your friend! ;)

[Toby]

Oso, a couple of years ago I wasn't into pull-ups (mainly because I couldn't do them :D). I did lat pull-downs in the gym instead. I used to do them with a helluva lot of weight, but it didn't translate to pull-up performance. When I started doing pull-ups, I could barely manage one. I'd still do a full set though, with negatives. Sometimes weighted negatives. That was what enabled me to do them. It was easier for me because I can reach my bar with my feet on the ground, so I'd jump to the "up" position and do a slow, forced negative. Now I can do them properly with a nice weight hanging off me.

[norther practitioner]

I'm currently having a rough time squeezing out more than 2..

Would static excersises help this? ie holding myself up there for a while.

[FngSaiYuk]

Not that this helps you much, but it's an example of just looking around for things that can bear your weight to do excercises with-

I've been saving up to get myself a nice power rack w/a chinup bar attachment. In the meanwhile, I've been looking around my house for places to do chinups. Unfortunately the doors and walls aren't good for bearing loads as most of my doors are the sliding pocket type. It just so happens that I drained my pool for the winter so that I could resurface it - lo and behold, my new pullup equipment: the diving board.

Anyways, look around, who knows what could be used for pull ups (happen to have a balcony or open staircase?)

[FngSaiYuk]

Originally posted by norther practitioner
I'm currently having a rough time squeezing out more than 2..

Would static excersises help this? ie holding myself up there for a while.

Try pulldowns - at significantly more than your weight. The additional leverage you get from pull down equipment make the weight a lot easier to pull. Work towards 30% more than your body weight if the machine has one wheel, 45% more if using two wheels and so on.

Make sure you pull down past your chin (for chinups) or your shoulders (for pullups).

Also, there's a tradeoff between total power and power to weight. The less you weigh, the more power to weight you may have, but the more you weigh, you're likely to have more total power. Set a goal and train accordingly.

[Oso]

I've been doing the "Workout #1" from trainforstrength.com and it has a pyramid workout for pull ups

1-2-2-1 for wide, narrow and normal grips

been using a spotter behind me to hold my ankles so I can control the amount of let-off so I can get the full ROM. definitely been working for me.

[norther practitioner]

Thanks again guys..

[Serpent]

To get better at doing pullups, do negatives (even if that means getting on a chair, lowering yourself and repeating. Then, to finish, hold yourself in the up position for as long as possible. Keep doing this and you will soon manage one. When you can do one, do one, then repeat the above. Before long you'll be doing sets of pullups.

[rubthebuddha]

also, once you can do that one, do that one several times throughout the day. treat it like greasing the groove as pavel says, or synaptic facilitation as ford says. make a simple rule -- each time you go pee, do a pullup (do it after you pee, cause it'd suck to tense so hard during the pull that you accidentally squeeze out a wee bit o' wee).

[Serpent]

Nah, that's just proof you're working hard.

My chin up bar is in the doorway to my office. Well, I say my office. What I mean is the spare room, but it's got my computer in there and I use it as a home office.

Anyhoo, every time I enter and leave the room, I bust out a few pullups or chinups. Then, at other times, I do my actual workout and use it then too. You can't do too many - great exercise.

I'm currently doing 4 sets of 8 reps along with other exercises in my BW workouts 2 or 3 times a week. I can do more than that if I decide to. However, I still pump out a few here and there throughout the day anyway.

[Vash]

Originally posted by rubthebuddha
(do it after you pee, cause it'd suck to tense so hard during the pull that you accidentally squeeze out a wee bit o' wee).

Sweet Merciful Jeebus.

[Oso]

also, once you can do that one, do that one several times throughout the day.

yep.

I've installed a chin up bar and dip bars in the school. (gonna take a pic of them to show off here at some point. They are beautiful low-tech wonders) Last night I tried to get my 'one' 4 times. Only got nose up to the bar the first two times and barely got the crown of my head over it the last time.

[norther practitioner]

I'm picking up a smith bar, dip bar, pull up thingy this afternoon.. I can't wait...

I'm going to have a whole home gym now for like nothing



Now I just have to use it

[Ford Prefect]

A smith bar? You mean a smith machine? Yikes.

[IronFist]

I hope he meant curl bar instead.

[norther practitioner]

smith machine.. yes


It has that, but I want it because it has a pullup bar and a dip bar

[norther practitioner]

why do you people not like the smith machine anyway.. cheating or something

[FngSaiYuk]

Originally posted by norther practitioner
why do you people not like the smith machine anyway.. cheating or something

I've never liked them. I think it's 'cuz of the way it takes the load off of all the muscles that steady the weight for me. Kinda like using a weight belt during normal workouts, leaves out all the muscles I'd be using to keep my body in proper form. So I guess it would be sorta kinda like cheating...

[Toby]

Well, cheating plus they increase likelihood of injury. Don't ask me why or how, that's just what I've heard - Iron or Ford will chip in with the reason. I've never liked or really used them.

[norther practitioner]

Well, here is the thing...
1. It was free
2. It has a lat pull down
3. It has a chin/pull up bar
4. It has dip bars

so, even if I don't really use the smith machine part of it, it has a couple other things I was looking for.

I'm at the point where my upper body is catching up to my lower body. I want to keep progress going with squats, but I have no problem squatting what my upper body has some issues with holding. I was planning on splitting up my routine, doing my warmup with the regular bar, then going to the smith to do a few more at a higher wieght to get stronger. I was scared of hurting my back or something because of the strength I currently have there in comparison to my legs. I'm not sure the Smith machine will help that, or cause a greater chance of that. I'm working to catch myself up (but it is a pain finding good back excersises). Currently I am doing an upward row type thing with dumbbells, curls, this extension thing when I'm on my bench (one knee and hand supporting), bench press and thats about it upper body wise.

[Serpent]

Smith Machine - bad, bad, bad.

Aside from the cheating thing, they force you into a bad position so that you lift with poor form and put too much stress onto the lower back. Among other things!

[Toby]

Serp beat me to it. Anyway, the bit that the heavy lifts are hard on is your mid-section, front and back. So I'd rather do some heavy stomach and lower back work for that than try to lift more than you feel you can on the smith. Of course, if you asked me about lower back work I'd say squat and deadlift anyway, so that doesn't really help :D. Ford'll say reverse hypers I guess - you could do those. Stomach? Again, personal preference towards Jandas but there are plenty of other options.

[Oso]

couldn't find a good link to pics of Jandas at google...some sort of ab exercise...can anyone point me to some?

[Serpent]

http://www.cbass.com/HardestSitup.htm

[Ford Prefect]

NP,

It can cause MAJOR damage to your knees. This is cut&pasted from another one of my posts because I'm lazy:

"See, if you lean against something while squatting, you're hamstrings are all but removed from the movement. At and past parallel, in order you keep your back against whatever you're leaning on, your femur must be pushed directly back. Good ol' Newton's Laws of Motion dictate that the femur will push right back... on your knee. Since your hamstring is not contracting, the knee is not held as tightly as it's supposed to be (the hamstring would pull back on your lower leg and tighten the joint) and it shears at the knee. Significant knee damage can result with prolonged use.

This is the same thing that gives Smith Machine's a bad name and why most people call them "knee shredders"."

;)

[norther practitioner]

What about other excersises with it other than squats? It's looking like I'll just set it up enough to do pullups and dips with it then.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
NP,

It can cause MAJOR damage to your knees. This is cut&pasted from another one of my posts because I'm lazy:

"See, if you lean against something while squatting, you're hamstrings are all but removed from the movement. At and past parallel, in order you keep your back against whatever you're leaning on, your femur must be pushed directly back. Good ol' Newton's Laws of Motion dictate that the femur will push right back... on your knee. Since your hamstring is not contracting, the knee is not held as tightly as it's supposed to be (the hamstring would pull back on your lower leg and tighten the joint) and it shears at the knee. Significant knee damage can result with prolonged use.

This is the same thing that gives Smith Machine's a bad name and why most people call them "knee shredders"."

;)

Yes.

[Ford Prefect]

NP,

It's mostly the squats. For anything else you need to be careful of any machine that jams you into one range of motion. For some, it might be a 100% natural ROM, but for others it could cause joint damage. If the ROM feels "forced" at all while you are trying the exercise, I'd recommend not doing it.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
NP,

It can cause MAJOR damage to your knees. This is cut&pasted from another one of my posts because I'm lazy:

"See, if you lean against something while squatting, you're hamstrings are all but removed from the movement. At and past parallel, in order you keep your back against whatever you're leaning on, your femur must be pushed directly back. Good ol' Newton's Laws of Motion dictate that the femur will push right back... on your knee. Since your hamstring is not contracting, the knee is not held as tightly as it's supposed to be (the hamstring would pull back on your lower leg and tighten the joint) and it shears at the knee. Significant knee damage can result with prolonged use.

This is the same thing that gives Smith Machine's a bad name and why most people call them "knee shredders"."

;)
Good stuff! Thanks Ford.

[lightsout]

Originally posted by Serpent
[every time I enter and leave the room, I bust out a few pullups or chinups.

I always thought they were the same thing. What's the difference?

[FngSaiYuk]

One has your palms facing you, the other has your palms facing out.

[Serpent]

Yep. Pullups is wide pronated grip (palms face away from you). Chinups is a narrow supinated grip (palms towards you).

Then, of course, there are numerous variations of those, plus side to sides with a neutral grip, rope/towel overwrap pullups, etc., etc.

[Toby]

Originally posted by Oso
couldn't find a good link to pics of Jandas at google...some sort of ab exercise...can anyone point me to some? Serp's link is a good'un. But you don't need an Ab Pavelizer (TM) to do them. Those cost a fortune. I made one up out of some scrap pine, dowel and 3/8" bolts. I find a training partner "easiest" to do the action right, but I like the machine too and that's what I use most of the time.

[Serpent]

Yeah, I should have mentioned that. I had no intention of giving Pavel a free plug. You can often find stuff around the home and garden to use anyway and still do decent Jandas.

[norther practitioner]

Thanks for all the replies guys..

I am going to put it together next weekend or so when I have some time. I might just leave the smith machine off and figure out how to do so I just have the pullup and dip bars.