Chin ups. I can not do them.

GetSoda

I've been working on pullups/chinups since november of last year.
Keep in mind, I weigh over 250 and have long arms.

I've done machine-assisted (to start)
Then I started doing negatives
Then I set up a ladder and i put my feet on the ladder (elevated) and pull up my upper body
I do pulling exercises, like pendlay rows, let me ups.

I tried doing them every day for a month.

Now I do 50 assisted/or negatives per week. (5 sets of 10, varying grip)

I'm no closer to a pullup than when I started.

From a dead hang, I can get maybe a quarter inch, then it feels like my tendons are on fire.

Any other ideas, or just keep on plodding?

rassha01

About 6 weeks ago I could barely pull one off, yestrday I did 3 sets of 4.

I have been using a program from Scoobys Workshop (google it). It starts out slow and changes every couple of weeks. Give it a look I think it may help. Also, every day may be to much training I only work on them 2x a week.

GetSoda

About 6 weeks ago I could barely pull one off, yestrday I did 3 sets of 4.

I have been using a program from Scoobys Workshop (google it). It starts out slow and changes every couple of weeks. Give it a look I think it may help. Also, every day may be to much training I only work on them 2x a week.

Scooby gave me the idea of starting with dead hangs. Maybe I'll give it another watch. I'm not doing it weekly anymore. Just once a week, 5 sets of 10.

elfnumber2

What else are you working on? You need to also focus on Bicep as this is a synergist mucsle ie one that helps The main muscles are in the back but the Bicep will be the one that fails as it is the baby muscle. You will need to increase the resistance on any exercise you are doing with them!

Hope that helps

AggieCass09

I've been working on getting mine by gradually decreasing resistance bands on a pull up bar and just practiing pull ups. I started on a 1" thick green band then went to a 3/4" blue one and now am on a 1/2" skinny black one. I should be ready to go unassisted on my on soon. I do practice 3 or 4 days a week on just pull ups

GetSoda

What else are you working on? You need to also focus on Bicep as this is a synergist mucsle ie one that helps The main muscles are in the back but the Bicep will be the one that fails as it is the baby muscle. You will need to increase the resistance on any exercise you are doing with them!

Hope that helps

wendler 5/3/1. Which is each of the big lifts, once per day.
like monday ohp, pullups,
tuesday, deadlift, ab work
etc

I rarely do curls, but I do kroc and pendlay rows.

micheleld73

After several months I can now pull myself about 2-3 inches up. I just read on Monday that inverted rows are better for you because it is less stress on your shoulders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t97EjUsCFNw

I can do about 5 of these before I have to rest.

aliciapenny

I would venture to guess your technique is lacking. Some think it's just pulling until you get up there but there actually is a technique to it. I saw a good write-up the other day online that I will try to find again about technique.

elfnumber2

if i was adviseing a client i would keep with your main workout schedule then just add in some isolation movement for the biceps as i said they are the baby muscle and big movement may not alsways hit them! in some respect its vain but if you got a goal sometime you got to change a bit.

GetSoda

After several months I can now pull myself about 2-3 inches up. I just read on Monday that inverted rows are better for you because it is less stress on your shoulders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t97EjUsCFNw

I can do about 5 of these before I have to rest.

Yeah, I can do... like 20 reps of those? I usually get bored around then.

ItsCasey

I would say don't use the machine. It prevents you from using all the muscles you need to use to do an unassisted chin-up, so when you switch to unassisted, your body isn't prepared to do it properly.

Use assistance bands, and keep doing negatives and flexed arm hangs. I don't know your BF %, but most people have to be pretty lean before they can do unassisted chin-ups and pull-ups

elfnumber2

Also there is Kipping but this can been seen as cheating as well as it puts excess stre on the shoulder girdle try to avoide this if you dont know what your doing!!!!

GetSoda

@ the machine: I don't use it anymore since I quit the gym and built my own. I do own green rogue bands, but they aren't quite strong enough. My bodyfat is about 23%

@kipping - Yeah, I avoid that.

BarbellApprentice

Here is more detail and alternatives with video links:

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-do-pull-ups-and-chin-ups-with-proper-technique/

ahmadfahmy

I've been working on pullups/chinups since november of last year.
Keep in mind, I weigh over 250 and have long arms.

I've done machine-assisted (to start)
Then I started doing negatives
Then I set up a ladder and i put my feet on the ladder (elevated) and pull up my upper body
I do pulling exercises, like pendlay rows, let me ups.

I tried doing them every day for a month.

Now I do 50 assisted/or negatives per week. (5 sets of 10, varying grip)

I'm no closer to a pullup than when I started.

From a dead hang, I can get maybe a quarter inch, then it feels like my tendons are on fire.

Any other ideas, or just keep on plodding?

do lat pulldowns..go as heavy as you can and do as many sets as possible (if you cant do many reps then do alot of sets..like 10 sets of 5) give yourself 5min rest between each set.

JayWillisBBA_AATCIS_BA_AAMath

Start with chin-up assists on high reps with a lot of assist. 5 sets of 10 reps on 175#. After a few weeks go to few sets on few reps on less assist. 3 sets of 5 reps on 145#. Then when you can do 5 sets of 10 reps on 145#, do a few sets on a few reps on 115#. And repeat all of that. After six months, I can do un-assisted chin-ups. Take occasional breaks for days, when you don't do any chin-ups or shoulder exercises, so you rest your "shoulder girdle", as one other writer put it. Rest that rotator-cuff. When you return, you will discover that you can lift even more of your own weight un-assisted.

sgt1372

OP: FWIW 250+ lbs is quite a lot of weight to move in a chin or pullup. It is said that many heavyweight powelifters can't do them either.

This doesn't mean that you might not eventually be able to do one, but your workout efforts may be better spent focusing on other goals and objectives that will be less frustrating and more likely to lead to success.

Just a thought. . .

samilicious01

Band assisted pull ups helped tremendously and being able to 'lat pulldown' my own body weight made a difference. For me that's around 177 lbs, for you thats over 250 lbs so the closer you can get to that number on lat pulldown, the easier pull ups will become.

Sued0nim

I wonder how OP has got on in the last 3 YEARS

JayWillisBBA_AATCIS_BA_AAMath

This is the magical fourth year, and 11 day duration, where everything is possible. So during this Olympic season, I'm going out on a limb to say that a 250-pound chin-up is possible. And barring that, a 175-pound lat-pulldown is quite extraordinary. So an assisted chin-up, where the fitness enthusiast lifts 175 pounds of their own weight, is also quite extraordinary. For that reason, anybody who can break the 175-pound barrier can crow a little.

JayWillisBBA_AATCIS_BA_AAMath

Here are my chin-ups, and I weigh more than 200 pounds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8fpoKhBoKs I'm open for more motivation and inspiration.