Need Help Working Up to Pullups/Chinups

darrensurrey · August 2012

Practice as often as possible:
-negatives
-locked off holds (straight arm, fully bent, 90 degrees for as long as you can hold the position)
-assisted pulls and chins - use a dynaband or one toe (or more) on the floor to help you up

When I was 20, I could barely manage one chin up. At 40, this is me:

http://youtu.be/yGFp5rE3cUU

:bigsmile:

hypallage · August 2012

bumping to look at the links later

mommyred35 · August 2012

I wil do pull ups one day!

apriltrainer · August 2012

Since a long time ago in high school gym class and having my teacher call me weak, I have harbored a desire to want to do pullups...

So a few years ago I installed a pullup bar right outside my bathroom door. I would attempt to do a pullup each time I went to the bathroom and each time I exited. Most of these attempts were fails. And I did mostly negatives ....

Well 6 weeks later after doing this daily I went from 0..to immediately doing 3!

I have gotten as high as 8 deadhangs currently. Working on getting to 10.

contingencyplan · August 2012

What did it for me was working out with a suspension trainer.

Vailara · August 2012

http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/

I did just what the guys said. It works! That is all.

The negatives (walk the plank) worked wonders for me. I went from barely doing a couple chin ups to doing 5 sets of 5 chin ups within a couple months. I've started working on pull ups now and I'm now doing negatives on these till they get easy enough to do for real in sets.

Pro tip. Do you like to work your abs? Wait till you try to do a few sets of negative chin ups. Your abs will be so sore the next day. Just wait and see. This is an awesome workout for your core.

I've been using this tutorial too. I agree about the soreness. These negatives really work you hard, and they hurt more than any other exercise I've done whilst trying to get fit. Arms, chest, it feels like everywhere is sore! I suppose that's one reason chin-ups are such a good exercise, because they work so many muscles!

I'm still walking the plank, but I do feel a difference in strength.

lauren3382 · August 2012

bump

Zylahe · August 2012

http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/

I did just what the guys said.

oooh i'm doing scooby too.
I just love his pecs.
I just started about 2-3 weeks ago, couldn' t do a reverse chin up.

Then on thurs got a nice slow reverse chin up ( and a few more).
I know i still have a long way to go, but it does work really well.
( would probably work better if i managed the fulll 5 sets, but i only manage 3)

Ely82010 · August 2012

bump

meerkat70 · August 2012

I can do SOME full body pushups, usually 10-12 at a time, with a wider hand position. If I try to do the triceps pushups, I crash and burn. LOL

Oddly enough, I was stronger with my palms facing away from me, than with my palms facing me (I never can remember the distinction between chinups and pullups). So I suppose my back muscles are stronger than my biceps, which really doesn't surprise me much. I've also noticed that with my palms facing me, my wrists actually start to hurt. Does this have to do with something I'm doing wrong, or just weaker in that area?

I was interested in the inverted pullups, but just don't have access to the a bar.

I've also had the suggestion of just hanging from the bar until I can't hold it anymore.

Try the 100 pushups programme, to support developing that. It's a good programme. I'm seeing real progress with it. (From being utterly pathetic, to just a bit pathetic.... )

apriltrainer · August 2012

http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/

I did just what the guys said. It works! That is all.

The negatives (walk the plank) worked wonders for me. I went from barely doing a couple chin ups to doing 5 sets of 5 chin ups within a couple months. I've started working on pull ups now and I'm now doing negatives on these till they get easy enough to do for real in sets.

Pro tip. Do you like to work your abs? Wait till you try to do a few sets of negative chin ups. Your abs will be so sore the next day. Just wait and see. This is an awesome workout for your core.

Ditto about the abs! I finally got a 6 pack(ok, I don't have one now but I had one prior to baby) without doing any crunches. AT one time I was working towards 10 pullups. By the time I got to 6 pullups...I had a 6 pack..

WOW.

Never did get to 10...but my abs didn't seem to mind. They responded at 6!

Had the same thing happen when I was doing the 100 pushup program.

By the time I could do 75 pushups (and I was not doing any crunches at that time either...) I had some killer abs.

Working on getting myself back to that level after baby! Weight gone but gotta get that strength and muscular development back! Pushups and pullups are AWESOME! I still haven't done one crunch post baby.... and my abs are getting flatter and flatter. Ok, off to do a couple one arm pushups.