Posted: 6/20/2016 9:21:39 PM EDT
|
What have you found to be the most effective way to actually do a pull up if you've ever had the misfortune of not being able to do one? I know how great of a workout they are and would love to incorporate them in my workout. I train at home so don't have any fancy equipment. I have a pull-up bar. I get about 3/4 of the way up then try until I'm too fatigued and fall off the bar. It's a pathetic sight really. I purchased some sort of overpriced elastic gizmo that you put your foot in and adjust the tension on it to support some weight. I'm honestly just not happy with it. Is just suffering through the best way to go? I also read about holding different positions is beneficial. Is that true? I'm also doing exercises to help improve the associated muscle groups as well.
Since we're on the category of pull-ups, do those that can do them do a variety of pull-ups each training session? Wide grip, backward grip, etc? |
|
I've used bands before.
https://www.amazon.com/Resistance-bands-Black-WODFitters-Power-lifting/dp/B00IQM3WDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466473390&sr=8-1&keywords=pullup+bands Probably not much better than the elastic thingy you're talking about. Honestly, most trainers say to stay away from "assistance" type thingies. Do OHPs and hangs for sure. |
| Do negatives. Grab a chair or jump up so you are at the top of a pull up (chest to bar) and hold it. As slow as you can lower yourself. Repeat. 4-5 sets of 3-5 reps. You'll be cranking them out in no time. Controlled, dead hang, chest to bar. None of that kipping bullshit. |
|
Some curls will help a little. I'm still sort of struggling to do pull ups very well. The first 1 or two i can knock out but then ill go with not letting my arms go all the way straight to knock out a few more reps. If you get on a short enough bar you can lift your legs and do the negatives or not go down all the way.
Chin ups are a little easier. Lat pulldowns and dips can help workbyour lats too. Losing weight will help. |
|
Quoted:
Do negatives. Grab a chair or jump up so you are at the top of a pull up (chest to bar) and hold it. As slow as you can lower yourself. Repeat. 4-5 sets of 3-5 reps. You'll be cranking them out in no time. Controlled, dead hang, chest to bar. None of that kipping bullshit. |
I used bands when I first started. I decreased the tension (smaller bands) as I got stronger. It seemed to work pretty well. I still struggle with more than 3-4 reps, but I am working on it 
ETA: not exactly on topic, but I use the bands for dips as well. I still can't do unassisted dips 
|
|
Quoted:
I've seen people have success with negatives and jumping pullups. Oddly enough I've seen less success with bands. I'm not sure why. I remember reading somewhere that bands help where you don't need assistance, whereas negatives go trough the whole range of motion, albeit only in one direction. This might be the article I read, not sure. It was the first hit when I Googled "pull up bands don't help." 
|
|
Quoted:
I remember reading somewhere that bands help where you don't need assistance, whereas negatives go trough the whole range of motion, albeit only in one direction. This might be the article I read, not sure. It was the first hit when I Googled "pull up bands don't help."
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've seen people have success with negatives and jumping pullups. Oddly enough I've seen less success with bands. I'm not sure why. I remember reading somewhere that bands help where you don't need assistance, whereas negatives go trough the whole range of motion, albeit only in one direction. This might be the article I read, not sure. It was the first hit when I Googled "pull up bands don't help."
Because negatives train the eccentric portion of the movement, which can also be overloaded to promote adaptation. |
|
I couldn't do one when I started lifting a year ago. Old injuries and surgeries, and I was just weak AF (yah, what's changed?).
I used the assistants bands to break the "can't do one rep" problem. I bought the green band and had a pull up bar. I'd do sets of five until I couldn't get anymore. After a bit, I was able to do a few reps without the band. Then I'd put the band on for another few sets of five. Now I can do a few sets of five with no band. But I'm no hizzie. That's for friggin sure. |
|
Quoted:
Do negatives. Grab a chair or jump up so you are at the top of a pull up (chest to bar) and hold it. As slow as you can lower yourself. Repeat. 4-5 sets of 3-5 reps. You'll be cranking them out in no time. Controlled, dead hang, chest to bar. None of that kipping bullshit. This is best way I know of. Max reps the negatives to goal. |
|
If you're in some sort of a gym, do lat pull down exercises on whatever equipment they might have. Have discipline to not use your lower back to help on this, because it'll defeat the purpose. Then do this:
Quoted:
I've seen people have success with negatives and jumping pullups. Oddly enough I've seen less success with bands. I'm not sure why. Bands are awkward as hell and if he's having trouble at the top, like everyone who's starting to do pull-ups, they are of little help. At least it seems that way to me. Jumping pull-ups are great, but getting enough volume in with those takes some patience, especially when you get tired from jumping to the bar for every rep. |
|
Quoted:
If you're in some sort of a gym, do lat pull down exercises on whatever equipment they might have. Have discipline to not use your lower back to help on this, because it'll defeat the purpose. Then do this: Bands are awkward as hell and if he's having trouble at the top, like everyone who's starting to do pull-ups, they are of little help. At least it seems that way to me. Jumping pull-ups are great, but getting enough volume in with those takes some patience, especially when you get tired from jumping to the bar for every rep. Quoted:
If you're in some sort of a gym, do lat pull down exercises on whatever equipment they might have. Have discipline to not use your lower back to help on this, because it'll defeat the purpose. Then do this: Quoted:
I've seen people have success with negatives and jumping pullups. Oddly enough I've seen less success with bands. I'm not sure why. Bands are awkward as hell and if he's having trouble at the top, like everyone who's starting to do pull-ups, they are of little help. At least it seems that way to me. Jumping pull-ups are great, but getting enough volume in with those takes some patience, especially when you get tired from jumping to the bar for every rep. Well, with jumping pullups you have a box of something under the bar so you maintain your hands on the bar for each rep and just jump a little for an assist. My ex went from 0 pullups to right around 20 deadhangs doing negatives and jumping. |
|
Going through this right now as well. Never really been able to do pull-ups or chin-ups, and I've been wanting to change that. About two weeks ago, I decided to start working on that goal, starting with chin-ups first. Started off by doing hangs at the top by stepping off a step. Did hangs at the top as long as I could, as menu reps as I could before I slowly dropped. Then did a few negatives, and some hangs at the bottom. Right after I did TRX rows, with about 30# of extra weight. Did 3-4 sets, with a few stationary holds for 30-seconds at middle of the movement. This week I started adding drop sets as well. 1 set with 30#, 1 set with 18#, 1 set with no extra weight. Happy to say, it was successful. Today managed 3 chin-ups.  Once I can get 10 chin-ups, I'm going to start working towards pull-ups. |
|
Quoted:
Well, with jumping pullups you have a box of something under the bar so you maintain your hands on the bar for each rep and just jump a little for an assist. My ex went from 0 pullups to right around 20 deadhangs doing negatives and jumping. Quoted:
Quoted:
If you're in some sort of a gym, do lat pull down exercises on whatever equipment they might have. Have discipline to not use your lower back to help on this, because it'll defeat the purpose. Then do this: Quoted:
I've seen people have success with negatives and jumping pullups. Oddly enough I've seen less success with bands. I'm not sure why. Bands are awkward as hell and if he's having trouble at the top, like everyone who's starting to do pull-ups, they are of little help. At least it seems that way to me. Jumping pull-ups are great, but getting enough volume in with those takes some patience, especially when you get tired from jumping to the bar for every rep. Well, with jumping pullups you have a box of something under the bar so you maintain your hands on the bar for each rep and just jump a little for an assist. My ex went from 0 pullups to right around 20 deadhangs doing negatives and jumping. When I first started going to a commercial gym, they had bars at various heights. It seemed awkward to me to be standing on the ground already grabbing the bar, and my back seemed to not do much work. Probably because I was cheating and using my legs for more than just an assist. Jumping to the bar which was just out of reach and using some of the momentum to carry me worked much better in my case. |
|
I was in the same boat as you years ago and I did the following. I got a doorway mounted pullup bar and a camp chair, fabric folding chair from walmart. I positioned the chair slightly behind the pullup bar. I would grab the bar and place the tops of my feet on the chair. I would then attempt to pull myself up with just my arms and back, and whenever I needed assistance I would push down against the chair. It was just enough help to get me over the bar for hundreds of reps a week. Once I could do 2-4 unassisted pullups I switched to the Armstrong Pullup Program. I went from 0-25+ pullups in less than a year, probably closer to 9months.
You will need to do a metric fuckton of pullups. Literally hundreds every week to see significant progress. |