Help! I can't do even ONE PULL UP :/

crystalfisher89
crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This is embarrassing for me... but I can't do a single pull up... and realized this problem at the Tough Mudder this last weekend after I watched my male teammates badass their way up the hard upper body obstacles and I felt pathetic because I needed help. All my life I've prided myself on my upper body strength and ability to lift heavy. I used to throw shot and discus in high school even! I want to be able to get myself to do 30 pull ups by the end of the year and be ready for my next Tough Mudder competition next year.

I'll admit my pride was hurt at the gym when I climbed up to do pull ups and I couldn't do one. I just hung there and could only pull myself up like three inches and then hang there. Especially since I do lat pulls at 120lbs, but can't pull my 143lb butt up to the top of the bar.

So what techniques do you use to train your body to do pull ups when you can't do even one?! Please help me!

Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Machine assisted pull ups, pull ups with a chair under you or a resistance band under your foot, lat pulldown, steated rows, bent over rows, bicep curls, etc.

    The pullup primarily works your lats, biceps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids.
  • crandos
    crandos Posts: 377 Member
    This helped me i lowered my bf, did lat pulldowns if cant do 1 rep or used assisted pull ups.

    My pull up training was pull up to 1 less off of max reps 6 sets around twice a week.
    I increased each week by 1 rep and lowered set by 1. Always trained it twice a week.

    edit - Also to add when i finished my program i added weight and then restarted it.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    I want to be able to get myself to do 30 pull ups by the end of the year and be ready for my next Tough Mudder competition next year.

    You're probably not going to be able to work up to 30 from 0 in 5 months. May not ever be able to do 30 (real, not kipping).

    If you can get 10-15, you'll be pretty elite for women. Not trying to rain on your parade at all. Just realistic expectations and goal setting.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    pullups are hard. As Hell. At 143, you could be doing 170 pound lat pulldowns and still not be able to do a single pullup. It's just a completely different exercise. Best way to become able to do pull ups is to do pull ups. The machine assisted pull ups are better than lat pull downs, but not by much, I'm afraid.

    Three things I recommend:

    Keep trying. If you go to the gym 3x per week, try to do a pull ups each time. Today you can get 3 inches up, next week 5 inches, and more and more.

    Get an elastic band and do band assisted pull ups. It more closely mimics an actual pull up than machine assisted or pull downs.

    Do negatives. Start at the top and lower yourself down to a 5 count. Pro-tip: A few negatives goes a looooong way. It's very easy to overdo it. Start with 5 reps. You'll feel like you can do 100. DON"T.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    This is an awesome training guide on how to do a pull-up. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/ It has all the exercise progressions from beginner to advanced. 30 might be a bit ambitious in that space of time but if you work hard you might be able to get there. I couldn't do one 6 months ago and I can now do 3 followed by 6 chins on a good day. I'e only been training for pull-ups once a week though so if you do it 3 times a week you'll no doubt progress faster.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    I usually start my clients with inverted pullup on the Smith machine. Looks like this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1bSeAbw5kQ

    If it's too hard with straight legs, then use bent legs and use legs to assist you.
    From there, you use your legs less and less. Once you can to them straight legged, then try jump pullups.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgZTltmqFp0

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • dsethlewis
    dsethlewis Posts: 2
    Don't be embarassed! MOST PEOPLE cannot do even one pull up. Pull-ups are really hard.

    Dead hangs, negatives, assisted pull ups (put your feet on a chair and just pull your torso up), use a resistance band, jump up to every pull up so you're only doing half, chin-ups, and so on and so forth. There are a million ways to make them easier. It takes a while for most people to get to their first pull up.
  • ShaunaMcMac
    ShaunaMcMac Posts: 160 Member
    I want to be able to get myself to do 30 pull ups by the end of the year and be ready for my next Tough Mudder competition next year.

    You're probably not going to be able to work up to 30 from 0 in 5 months. May not ever be able to do 30 (real, not kipping).

    If you can get 10-15, you'll be pretty elite for women. Not trying to rain on your parade at all. Just realistic expectations and goal setting.

    It's true it's tough, but I've known a lot of women who could do 20+. They had very low bf% and trained hard.
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
    Lots of good advice so far.
    For some reason, I believe deadlifts will also help.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Can you do negative pull-ups? Start at the bar, and then lower yourself as slowly as you can. Repeat until you can't hold the position for more than a second or two. This is how I trained myself to do pull-ups both with palms out and palms in.

    Also, lat pull downs as well as cable rows will strengthen the stabilizer muscles.
  • cats847
    cats847 Posts: 131
    pullups are hard. As Hell. At 143, you could be doing 170 pound lat pulldowns and still not be able to do a single pullup. It's just a completely different exercise. Best way to become able to do pull ups is to do pull ups. The machine assisted pull ups are better than lat pull downs, but not by much, I'm afraid.

    THISSS. I agree completely. For some reason, I have heard of many cases of people pulling big numbers of the lat pulldown machine yet unable to do a single pull-up.

    OP, stay away from the machines, in my opinion. Just get on the actual pull up bar. Even just hanging from the bar for as long as you can is helpful. Aside from doing negatives, you can also jump up or use a chair, and hang with your elbows bent at 90 degrees for as long as possible. Rest, and repeat. You can time yourself, and try to go longer each time.

    I also recommend body rows. They're like a pull-up on an inclined angle.

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-35NNVj0UHpk/UP2BPeBE7eI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/9tIDEROQSwI/s1600/inv_row.JPG
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I want to be able to get myself to do 30 pull ups by the end of the year and be ready for my next Tough Mudder competition next year.

    You're probably not going to be able to work up to 30 from 0 in 5 months. May not ever be able to do 30 (real, not kipping).

    If you can get 10-15, you'll be pretty elite for women. Not trying to rain on your parade at all. Just realistic expectations and goal setting.

    It's not as hard as you think. I've known plenty of women who were able to achieve a dozen+ pull-ups when they worked at it several times a week and/or day. You just have to be really consistent.
  • trialstyle
    trialstyle Posts: 68 Member
    Pull ups are bada$$ - I was determind to get good at them sfarting last June, I have a square track for a rolling gate at work, and dicided to do pull up every time I walked under it 5 a 10 times a day ( when nobody was looking) . I was doing about 15- 30 pull-ups a day. My next goal is to do a muscle up.
    Sounds like you have a strong will, you can do it!!!!!
    Now go get some!
  • crystalfisher89
    crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
    Yes, I can do negative pull ups. I haven't tested how many I can do, but I was doing them at the Tough Mudder so I could have a controlled "fall" from the ten foot walls we had to scale with no ropes. The only issue is the pull up bar at my gym is super high and I can barely reach it just to hang.

    Btw, thank you EVERYONE for you input so far. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to start working on my pull ups and will try to work at it 3-4 times a week. Since I can't do a ton, it'll be good for me to at least try to get myself going.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    Yes, I can do negative pull ups. I haven't tested how many I can do, but I was doing them at the Tough Mudder so I could have a controlled "fall" from the ten foot walls we had to scale with no ropes. The only issue is the pull up bar at my gym is super high and I can barely reach it just to hang.

    Btw, thank you EVERYONE for you input so far. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to start working on my pull ups and will try to work at it 3-4 times a week. Since I can't do a ton, it'll be good for me to at least try to get myself going.

    does your gym have boxes for step ups and such? Many of the people at my gym use the boxes to get up there.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    lat pull downs
    inverted/reverse rows (on the smith as posted)
    negatives
    use the stepper risers- or a chair- put it out in front- put your foot on it- and use your legs to help you
    use a band

    gotta work those lats and rhomboids

    I have been doing pull ups all my life- the most I ever did was 14- and those were for a test- so not kipping- strict up and down chin above the bar. 30 is going to be REALLY tough.

    The biggest thing with women- is they lack the muscle awareness to pull the lats down the back- I'm not sure WHY but they want to do ALL arm- and they want to crunch in the middle. It won't help.

    You really really really need to learn how to contract teh back- and feel that tension all the way down the back- I can contract hard enough to feel it at teh bottom of my ribs on the sides- too the obliques.


    I mostly trained on the lat pull in college- and that's how I got double digits- I could probably do more now fresh (haven't tried in ages) but I started doing weighted pull ups- and can bang out sets of 5 of those. Very helpful.

    The other thing is to make sure you vary the grip- palm in chin up style is very bicep driven- the wider you get the deeper you are into your lats- so don't start SUPER wide- you probably won't be strong enough- or have that muscle awareness.

    And keep practicing!!!

    I have some pictures somewhere I can post about using the risers with your feetsies to help you up- I'll post them if you want when I get access to Photobucket (cant' at work)
  • Ta11asan
    Ta11asan Posts: 26 Member
    I couldnt do one 6 weeks ago but with a combination of stronglifts 5x5 and doing negatives every workout i can now do 5 sets of 3.

    Keep at it youll get there!

    Tim
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Assisted pull-ups will help you graduate to no-weight pull ups. Or you could just stand on a chair, jump up, lower down and try to pull yourself back up again and go as far as you can go and keep practicing that way.
  • chard_muncher
    chard_muncher Posts: 75 Member
    They have pull up assistance bands. If it was me, I would simply start a pull-up routine using the assistance bands until I was able to work without them. I like the Charles Armstrong pull-up routine.

    Many parks have pull up bars, or things you can use for pull-ups (i.e. monkey bars). In case you didn't feel like going to the gym almost every day.

    Keep trying, a huge part of pull-ups is simple technique and muscle memory. Just like with any exercise, you can make some big improvements quickly just by getting your body used to the movement.

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