How to get to do pull ups?

Kanyon17
Kanyon17 Posts: 156 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello everyone!
I'm looking for help. my goal is to be able to do pull ups. I do crossfit and everytime there is pull ups in the W.O.D. I'm stuck doing push ups (regular ones, not on the knees) because I can't do the pull ups. I've tried with elastics but my upper body is not strong enough and let's keep it real, I'm heavy to lift :tongue: . Do you know any exercise I could do beside push ups? I'd like to be able to do it by the end of the year.

Thanks!!

Replies

  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
    Maybe you could use a chair for your pull-ups. Stand on the chair and try to put the max of your body weight you can lift while doing pull-ups.

    Push-ups works the Chest muscle while Pull-ups work the back. You will not improve your pull-ups if you keep doing push-ups instead.

    You can't put resistance bands around the bar and do floor pull-ups?
  • Kr1ptonite
    Kr1ptonite Posts: 789 Member
    If your at the gym maybe see if they have a assisted pull up machine. At my gym we have one were you have a cable weight stack on it and you can a just it to give you some assistance.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    - assisted pull-ups...my gym has a machine that you can adjust the weight assist

    - spend some time just hanging from the bar...for like 5 seconds then rinse and repeat to get your arms used to your dead body weight

    - practice doing negatives

    - other assistance work like lat pull downs and barbell/dumbbell rows
  • Kanyon17
    Kanyon17 Posts: 156 Member
    I'm gonna have to goole a few of theses exercises but thank you so much for the help!
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    I'm gonna have to goole a few of theses exercises but thank you so much for the help!
    A "negative" would be starting in the "up" position, using a chair, or something similar, and then lowering yourself down as slowly as possible. Then lather, rinse, repeat as the shampoo bottle says.

    It's a great way to strengthen the very muscles that are quite strong enough yet to pull yourself up.
  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
    A "negative" would be starting in the "up" position, using a chair, or something similar, and then lowering yourself down as slowly as possible. Then lather, rinse, repeat as the shampoo bottle says.

    It's a great way to strengthen the very muscles that are quite strong enough yet to pull yourself up.

    +1
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    A "negative" would be starting in the "up" position, using a chair, or something similar, and then lowering yourself down as slowly as possible. Then lather, rinse, repeat as the shampoo bottle says.

    It's a great way to strengthen the very muscles that are quite strong enough yet to pull yourself up.

    +1

    YEP
  • RuleFive
    RuleFive Posts: 880 Member
    Also, some lat pulldowns.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Google Pull Up progression
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Lat pull downs
    Inverted rows
    Rows of all sorts in general
    negative hangs
    If gym has assisted chin/pull up machine ..use that as well

    Your goal: build up your lat ( latissimus dorsi) strength

    I can lat pull , with good form, 140. Not my body weight ..yet. I m all over Rows and just bought a Rubberbanditz band I will use for assisted pull ups. is a personal goal of mine ..so I'm after it!
  • PJ_73
    PJ_73 Posts: 331 Member
    I do assisted pull ups at the gym cos I am not really strong enough to lift my hefty frame.
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    Hello everyone!
    I'm looking for help. my goal is to be able to do pull ups. I do crossfit and everytime there is pull ups in the W.O.D. I'm stuck doing push ups (regular ones, not on the knees) because I can't do the pull ups. I've tried with elastics but my upper body is not strong enough and let's keep it real, I'm heavy to lift :tongue: . Do you know any exercise I could do beside push ups? I'd like to be able to do it by the end of the year.

    Thanks!!

    There should be enough bands at your box to be able to help you do them. Talk to your coaches. Double up on green bands (or whatever color the strongest ones are at your box). Just do whatever it takes and get a little better each time. The veterans will likely be willing to help pull your bands down if you have trouble doing it yourself.

    Also, for Crossfit specific advice, you may want to search for one of the Crossfit groups on here and post in there. Because while lat pulldowns and pull-up machines are great, they don't exist in a CF box.
  • tquig
    tquig Posts: 176 Member
    I second (or third) both the 'negatives' approach or assisted ones. I have a pull-up bar at home and I keep a chair near-by. I set a goal of how many I want to do and then do as many as I can without help. Once I can't get my chin over the bar I place a foot on the chair and use my leg muscles to help. No reason you can't start out this way. The farther the chair is away from you, the less help your leg provides. Maybe try the first couple further away and when you start getting too tired to get up with your back muscles, you can pull the chair under for more leg-assistance. Remember, if you want to be able to do 10-12 reps per set you can't stop at 2 or you will never get there! Good luck!!
  • vinniesooner
    vinniesooner Posts: 119 Member
    Start by holding at the top and performing negatives. Scooby has good pull-up advice on you tube. I've gone from 1 at a time to 6 in about two months time. I've read that you should avoid the assisted pull up machine at the gym, but I can't explain to you why. Sorry.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Lat pull downs + military press + inclined bench press did it for me. No idea if all were necessary.

    When I got to the point where my lat pull down was using more than my body weight, I found I could do pull ups.
  • madworld1
    madworld1 Posts: 524
    Bump for later. I can't even do 1 right now. :/
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
    It could be a motivation factor....try placing one of these under the pull up bar.
    sfi6ix.jpg

    :happy:
  • PJ_73
    PJ_73 Posts: 331 Member
    It could be a motivation factor....try placing one of these under the pull up bar.
    sfi6ix.jpg

    :happy:

    Butt.gif

    OUCH!!!
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I never put my kids in pull ups
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    I love this little "guide"... but honestly I think it might take you longer than you think. I've been working on this alllllll year and I still can only do ONE chin up (zero pull ups) or several negatives. I know I'll get there eventually but not sure I'll even get there by the end of the year. You might have better luck than me though :smile:

    ETA LINK! lol
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/
  • sbbhbm
    sbbhbm Posts: 1,312 Member
    I used a chair for assists on my pull-up bar at home. I can now do 5 unassisted pull-ups before I need to use the chair. I'm actually rather proud of that, lol.
  • Zylahe
    Zylahe Posts: 772 Member
    Negatives worked for me.
    When i started hubby would lift me up and when i tried to just hold myself at the top i would just sink down wards.
    No i can do 2 pull ups from the bottom.

    It will tae a while but u can do it.
    Also look up "scooby pullups". That guy has some major pecs.


    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmRznU6pzez0

Categories