Pullups for Beginners?

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JTick
JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work out at home, currently zero access to a gym. I have a basic setup that has a lat pulldown, but I've maxed it out with the weights I have available to me. I still am not close to doing a pullup, but I want to get to that point. I do have a pullup bar my dad hung for us.

Even though I'm not close to being able to pull myself up, is enough to hang and just try? Or is this something that I am going to need access to a gym and a better lat pulldown machine?

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  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
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    place a chair like a foot away in front of you, and use it to support yourself as you start. This will help you strengthen your back and eventually you won't need the chair. There are some nice reads on the internet on how to improve your pullup abilities faster (things like hanging and slowly releasing and other techniques). But the Chair one is the simplest way for now if you have a bar setup already.
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    I got there by doing "negatives" - jump up into the pullup position, then lower yourself down as slowly as you can, fighting gravity. Several sets of 3-5 of these, with a big rest break in between, 3 times per week. After a few weeks I could finally do one on my own.
  • gseburn
    gseburn Posts: 456 Member
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    I got there by doing "negatives" - jump up into the pullup position, then lower yourself down as slowly as you can, fighting gravity. Several sets of 3-5 of these, with a big rest break in between, 3 times per week. After a few weeks I could finally do one on my own.
    Yep, that'll do it. Or if you don't want to jump up, use a bench of chair to get you to the top position.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    Check out this blog post @ Nerd Fitness: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/
  • thundercat011
    thundercat011 Posts: 12
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    Hello! I was having the exact same problem. I started doing some research and found that a lot of Crossfit gyms use Pullup Bands to assist with the pullup. The basic idea is that the band helps offset your weight, so that little by little you get stronger, and are able to work your way down to bands with less resistance until you can do unassisted pullups. Even when you can do unassisted ones, the bands are still nice so that you can do more reps. Doing the chair stuff just wasn't working out for me. The bands really did the trick.

    You put the band around the bar, then you stick your foot in it and just start doing the pull-ups (here's a video I found on youtube with a way better explanation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93gNrOhy5KU

    I ordered the first pullup band package from rogue: http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-monster-bands.php

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