Pull up for beginner

LoriIAM

I didn't get any advice from my friends, so I thought I'd ask you all.

I've been trying to do a pull up (yes, I haven't done one yet) for about six months. We have a pull up bar in our bedroom doorway. I do about 10 attempts at a time about three or four times a day. Do any of you strong people have any helpful hints?

I have one of those doorway things and my husband can just do ten whenever he wants. I can't afford to go to a gym and use a machine to assist me. (I have no idea what that even means.)

Anyway, I'll keep trying. I've heard that this is also good for me. But...I really want to do one.

Any clues? Oh yeah, I'm 61 years old, which used to seem really old.

nguk123

I assume from what you write in the above, that you are standing under the bar, reaching up, holding the bar (wide hand spacing with hands wrapping over (pronated)? and trying to pull your body off the floow, but failing to initiate the movement and staying pretty much on the ground... ?

I have two suggestions if so
1) try closer hands together, like shoulder width, and hands in supinated (palms under the bar) . This is a 'chin up' , and for most people is easier (I think its due to relative biceps strength in typically untrained individuals... anyone want to chime in here?)
2) you can try to build strength/grow muscle, in order to accomodate the full from the floor pull up, by doing negatives. (the lowering portion of the movement as opposed to the lifting portion of the movement, as statistically people have approx 40% greater strength in this). You can do this by standing up on a chair , so as to get in the position at the top of the movement, and then lower down. There are youtube clips of doing this, search for pullup negative.

Use both techniques, like so.
do chinup negatives (1&2), do them only 2 or 3 at a pop, but take many pops at it over a day.
Then as your confidence improves, do a few more reps in each of these sets, you can therefore do less sets.
Then as you get better, switch from chinup negatives to pullup negatives, or do a 50/50 mix
Then you can attemp single chinups.
Then attempt small sets of two chinups.
You can mix small sets of full chinups with pullup negatives.
eventually you will have the confidence and ability to be under the bar and do a full wide grip pullup.

good luck !

LoriIAM

Thanks. I'll try it.

jenndymond

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/

That got me to my first pull up

wild_wild_life

I still can't do a real pull up, but have gotten closer to it with these techniques:

Negative pull ups (as mentioned above) -- use a chair or jump to get up there and lower yourself as slowly as possible
Assisted pull ups -- use a chair and give yourself a minimal amount of help with your legs while pulling yourself up (this is kind of tricky/subjective and I usually give myself too much help so not my favorite)
Jump pull ups where you jump up a bit and then pull yourself th rest of the way up.

I have gotten to where I can do 7 jump pull ups where I jump up maybe halfway and pull myself up the rest of the way and then lower slowly back down. It feels good!

neverstray

You may need an assist band to help. I bought one, and it helps a lot. http://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-4-PUR-USA-Pullup-Revolution/dp/B003KNC1MO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357400341&sr=8-2&keywords=Pull+up+assist

Sycoholic

Have your husband stand behind you while you put your feet above his knees with him holding your ankles. You can then push with your legs to "assist" yourself. This is sort of how we did them in basic training. You can also try jumping pull ups. You jump to assist yourself. Good in a cardio routine.

DJJW

just bought one yesterday, and love it! Good for you for doing it everyday