P90X and Pull ups

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tidwelljw
tidwelljw Posts: 146
in Fitness and Exercise
I am about to start my 4th week of P90X and I am struggling with the pullups. Even back in the days when I used to lift pretty frequently and was in agood shape I have always struggled with pullups. I feel like I'm not making any headway towards being able to get better. My push ups and other excerises have grown by leaps and bounds though. I'm wondering dpes anyone else struggle with Pullups, or is it just me?

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  • tidwelljw
    tidwelljw Posts: 146
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    I am about to start my 4th week of P90X and I am struggling with the pullups. Even back in the days when I used to lift pretty frequently and was in agood shape I have always struggled with pullups. I feel like I'm not making any headway towards being able to get better. My push ups and other excerises have grown by leaps and bounds though. I'm wondering dpes anyone else struggle with Pullups, or is it just me?
  • brookefoley
    brookefoley Posts: 104 Member
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    Pull ups are really hard. Even when I was in ROTC many of the guys struggled with them.

    I personally couldn't do one if my life depended on it.
  • lauren85
    lauren85 Posts: 28
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    is that a good program? i know this is off subject but i keep seeing those commericals and wondering if its worth buying. right now i am doing the biggest loser workout dvds (cardio and body scuplter) and they are good. i mean i can feel it. but the P90x looks like it can kick you in the butt. lol
  • tidwelljw
    tidwelljw Posts: 146
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    the P90X Program is by far the best workout routine I have ever done. Not just the best at home program, but the best PERIOD! It is very tough though and requires a lot of dedication. If you follow the program it's 6 days a week for an hour a day. At first I was kind of worried , but after my first workout I was hooked!! By far the best thing I have ever bought for my health. It's good because there is usually 4 people working out each person shows you a differnt variation of the workout in case you are struggling with the main way. I know an hour a day 6 days a week sounds rough, but honestly by the time you start working out it's over with like that! I'm not gonna lie though, at first I was having a hard time keeping up, but that was gone by the end of the first week! I'm already down 12 lbs and a belt loop with only 3 full weeks done!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    there is only one word for pull ups...TOUGH...HARD...

    with any extra weight on us, pull ups are even harder than already hard for a normal weight guy or gal but totally tough with extra weight...I have started doing pull ups and it is a battle....

    you can start by doing halfs, and by hanging as long as you can....if you get up top, hold it there...progress is really slow so hang in there
  • lauren85
    lauren85 Posts: 28
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    i hate pull ups:mad: i can offically only do 6 pull up:happy:
  • tidwelljw
    tidwelljw Posts: 146
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    I am thingking to switching to the band and wrapping around the pull up bars I have and doing it that way....thats one of the variations they people on the workout do..... My realistic goal is that by the time I start my second 90 days I can do the pull ups!
  • cbrake
    cbrake Posts: 5
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    P90X is the best total body program. Tony did an amazing job creating a program that targets muscle growth and weight loss. He also created P90 which is a lead up program for P90X. I am addicted to P90X in a good way. I highly recommend it.

    Chad

    www.beachbodycoach.com/cbrake
  • cbrake
    cbrake Posts: 5
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    I agree I struggled early on and still do struggle on some of the pull ups. I started with the bands because I didn't have a bar. Then I began doing as many as I could unassisted (usually 1 - 5 depending on the hand position) and then moved to using the chair for assistance. As I began to focus on them I started setting my goal at one or two above my max. Slowly I am increasing the #. I think it comes with time and one upping.

    I hope this helps.

    Chad
    www.beachbodycoach.com/cbrake
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
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    P90X is an awesome program!! It is what taught me to do full pullups. When I took the Fit test, I couldn't even hang on the bar. What really worked for me was following the modifier and doing the negatives. I would use the chair to push myself over the bar, and then slowly lower back down. It really works the lats and helps you build strength. Also, make sure you are going ALL the way down and up, don't do partial reps. Do as many as you can that way until you really can't lift yourself up again. I was sooooo sore when I started doing them that way but by the end of 90 days I was able to at least do one full pullup. Now I can do wide grip, chinups, etc.

    Let me know if you have any questions about P90X, I have been using the program for going on 2 years now and my hubby as well.

    Bring it! :bigsmile:
  • LibraryAnn796
    LibraryAnn796 Posts: 3 Member
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    Use a chair they way they show on the tape. I didn't think I could ever do a full pullup, even one. But after 4 weeks on the program, doing the modified version, I started feeling stronger. One night, just for kicks, I grabbed onto the bar and did two full pullups, unassisted! Give it time, keep working at it, and it will happen.
  • tidwelljw
    tidwelljw Posts: 146
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    I ahve been doing them with a chair .....the problem is that the ghouse we live in now is an older hom,e so the doorways are narrower and shorter....also when I am standing flat footed my head almost hits the bar, it's just hard to get the right angle with what I have.
  • fjtcjt
    fjtcjt Posts: 199
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    Pullups are tough. Just wait until you do the second phase of P90X and you do arms and back on the same day. You have to do curls, arms are exhausted and then try and go do pullups. Very difficult. Luckily, I have a total gym (Like Chuck Norris advertises), so I you do a couple of real pullups, and then finish the set out using the total gym. This helped a ton, and now I can almost keep up with the guys on the video, except for the back and arms day, still can't keep up. Even really strong people that have a lot of muscle, but still weigh alot (big boned) have difficulty with them. Do the negatives, when you can't do any more regular or just start with negatives so you can get more reps in. Negatives build strength as much or more than the regular ones.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    I struggled with pullups until about week 8 or so. I think it was a combination of increased strength and fat (weight) loss. Up to that point I did modified/ assisted pullups. I can now do multiple sets of about 8 reps. I still struggle with doing more than 10 per set. Before P90X, I could barely do more than 1 or 2 pullups.

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