Weighted Pull Ups - do ya do em?

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ricardo510diaz
ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
edited March 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
This is one of the rarest exercises to ever see performed but it's hands down my favorite upper body lift. Nothing gets you crazier stares than wrapping a chain around your waist, attaching plates to it, and banging out pull ups. I would argue that this lift has made the biggest difference in my upper body V-shape and upper body composition in general. Pull ups are good; weighted pull ups are great. Anyone else on MFP do them? How much weight do you use?

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Replies

  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    The weight I use is currently bodyweight, but that is more than enough for me at this point in my training. I’m sure I’ll be using weights (or a weight vest) eventually on my progression.
  • ricardo510diaz
    ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
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    Progressing to doing them weighted is a good goal to have. I was doing them body-weight in sets of 10 and then started grabbing a 15lb dumbbell between my feet and progressing with it like any other lift, usually keeping the weight heavy and doing them 5x5. Good that you do them though, so many people only do lat pull downs but the pull up trumps that one when it comes to back exercises.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    I used to, but they seemed to put too much strain on my elbows. So I don't do them anymore.

    And yes, only a couple of people at my gym (that I know of) do/did them. I had a couple of guys give me (good-natured) cr@p because they couldn't do regular chin-ups, and I was doing weighted pull-ups.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    5x5 @ +25lbs
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I do on occasion. Anything from a 12 to 24 kg kettlebell as weight. Currently though I am working more on assisted one arm chins.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    Yea, sometimes... not recently though.
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
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    Ugh weighted pull-ups?? I just did max weighted hangs (25% B.W.) and couldnt imagine pulling that up for multiple reps. Next thing on my checklist I guess.
  • in_the_stars
    in_the_stars Posts: 1,395 Member
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    hmm... chin-ups holding a 14 or 15 pound cat in one hand is as far as I've gotten. Pulling up I can only do my bodyweight, using both arms.

    Well done on the weighted ones! :)
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    not after tearing my rotator doing them
  • wcurudy
    wcurudy Posts: 7 Member
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    ricardo510diaz wrote: »
    Progressing to doing them weighted is a good goal to have. I was doing them body-weight in sets of 10 and then started grabbing a 15lb dumbbell between my feet and progressing with it like any other lift, usually keeping the weight heavy and doing them 5x5.

    This is EXACTLY where I'm at. I think in a week or so I'll increase the weight, at which point I'll have to try to find a weight belt at my gym; I've never seen anyone else do them, so they may not have one.

  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    Check over by the dip station - if you have one. That's where I used to find the belt at my gym.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Still working on bodyweight pull-ups. Weighted pull-ups are on my goal list though.
  • ricardo510diaz
    ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
    edited March 2015
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    wcurudy wrote: »

    This is EXACTLY where I'm at. I think in a week or so I'll increase the weight, at which point I'll have to try to find a weight belt at my gym; I've never seen anyone else do them, so they may not have one.

    Starting off light and slowly progressing is the way to go. Going from bodyweight to 15lbs seems like a heck of a challenge at first.

    I made my own dip belt personally, I got some foam pipe insulation, cut it so it could wrap around my waist to where a belt buckle would go, then got enough chain to wrap around the waist and hold some plates at the bottom, and a couple of clips. Slide the chain through the pipe insulation, wrap it up in duct tape, and you're good to go for pull ups and dips. It turned out to be like $25 from Ace Hardware and it's been worth every penny. If you want some tips on making this, feel free to shoot me a message or you can just buy a dip belt, but there's something cool about making your own.

  • ricardo510diaz
    ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
    edited March 2015
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    jpaulie wrote: »
    not after tearing my rotator doing them

    Ouch :/ how much additional weight did you work up to when this happened? I hurt my shoulder doing them a while back and had to stick with body weight for a few weeks. I was trying to jump the gun with the weight I was using but it's been a lesson learned.
  • ricardo510diaz
    ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
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    JTick wrote: »
    Still working on bodyweight pull-ups. Weighted pull-ups are on my goal list though.

    It's a solid goal to have. Pull ups by themselves are one of the greatest upper body exercises you can do, when you add weight to them your back development will seriously take off.

    jacksonpt wrote: »
    5x5 @ +25lbs

    Good to see, keep on working at them, man. It's a rare exercise with huge pay off. I'm working on hitting 5x5 +70lbs right now, so far I can do like 3x5, and then 2x4, but my goal is 2 plates by the end of this year.

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    ricardo510diaz wrote: »
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    5x5 @ +25lbs

    Good to see, keep on working at them, man. It's a rare exercise with huge pay off. I'm working on hitting 5x5 +70lbs right now, so far I can do like 3x5, and then 2x4, but my goal is 2 plates by the end of this year.

    Yeah, I don't do them often, though, as sheer strength isn't a big concern of mine in that lift. I'm much more apt to do 3x25 lat pulldowns.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    I don't. :( My joints are arthritic and horrible. But if I ever get bionic joints, I will start. :D
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    only 5-15 pounds when I get one- I just use a DB- I find pull ups with chains to be to showboaty honestly.



    I think I did a handful with a 25 pb kettlebell once. lulz. not a regular event for me.
  • ricardo510diaz
    ricardo510diaz Posts: 64 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    only 5-15 pounds when I get one- I just use a DB- I find pull ups with chains to be to showboaty honestly.

    Yeah the dumbbell method worked for a while, but once I got to like 40lbs it seemed a little inefficient. I see the chain thing though, those shirtless guys hanging chains around their necks to look all serious doing them; I actually meant a "chain" because I made my belt with a chain, pipe insulation, and a few carabiners and actually hang plates on it.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited March 2015
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    ricardo510diaz wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    only 5-15 pounds when I get one- I just use a DB- I find pull ups with chains to be to showboaty honestly.

    Yeah the dumbbell method worked for a while, but once I got to like 40lbs it seemed a little inefficient. I see the chain thing though, those shirtless guys hanging chains around their necks to look all serious doing them; I actually meant a "chain" because I made my belt with a chain, pipe insulation, and a few carabiners and actually hang plates on it.

    nod. we have some tools at my gym who do the chain over the neck thing.

    I'm not anywhere near plated pull ups- but I can do plated dips with the belt- so I stick to my little weenie 5-10 pounders for pull ups. ;) One day I'll make it to the 25 pound plate to make it worth my while!

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