Help me do a pull-up?

labyrinthrunner
labyrinthrunner Posts: 27
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, this is not a random desire. Let me explain. I am in a running class at my college. On the first day, we did a fitness test that included mile time and how many push-ups and pull ups you could do and how long you could hold the plank. Well, I can hold the plank for a respectable amount of time. My push-ups suck, but at least I can do a few. I cannot do a pull-up to save my life. The teacher even has some resistance bands that help take some of your weight off to make it easier. The red band is supposed to remove 60lbs from the equation. Using this band, I still cannot do a pull-up.

I am 220lbs at the moment, and this is the problem. If I take 60lbs off of that, I'm still trying to pull 160lbs and I am WEAK. My question is, aside from shedding the pounds, what types of exercise can I do to increase my strength in those muscles? For that matter, which muscles am I using?

Tonight at the gym, I used the lat-pulldown machine and I can "pull" down about 80lbs. Is this helping?

Replies

  • Jennifer_Lynn_1982
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 Posts: 567 Member
    Bump...This is a goal for me too...
  • paulwgun
    paulwgun Posts: 439 Member
    google stronglifts 5x5 that should help your overall strength and muscle build up
  • briebear77
    briebear77 Posts: 253 Member
    I am doing New Rules of Lifting for Women and they have a whole section of the workout dedicated to getting you to be able to do a pull up. I'm pretty excited to get to that part! Not there yet for me, but I definitely recommend checking it out. I've heard a lot about the Stronglifts one, too, but I haven't looked into it since NROL4W is a 6 month program and so I'm focusing on that.
  • Razack541
    Razack541 Posts: 29
    Pull ups work your back, arms, chest, and core. Lat pull downs will help to some extent.

    Probably the best thing you can do is negatives. Jump up into the pull up so that you're in the "up" position. Then, as slowly and controlled as possible, let yourself down. repeat.

    Every once and a while attempt the real thing to see where you are at.

    Good luck.
  • ChinUp4Life
    ChinUp4Life Posts: 61
    First thing is to keep strong on your nutrition.

    I notice for me having 5 lbs more of mass could mean one less rep. So weight is important.

    Progression is the way to do it. Exercise bands that loop around the pull up bar are one of the best progression's available because it teaches you how to pull properly.

    A lat pulldown machine will strengthen muscles, but it won't teach you how to pull up.

    Afterall, the pull up is a skill too.
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
    You can do it! Just keep practicing! The negatives help!
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
    I am doing "reverse pull-ups" to help me eventually do a real pull-up! Last week I had a rude awakening when I tried, for the first time, to do a real pull-up using the assistance machine. I put it at maximum assistance (120lbs) and I still couldn't lift my darn body off the ground...I do weigh 230 though, so that might have something to do with it.

    The reverse pull-ups seem to be doing something, as my endurance tonight was much better than last time and I was able to get in a few more than previously.

    We shall see where I am in 2 months or so when I have to do the Spartan Sprint (yikes!)
  • Inforthelonghaul
    Inforthelonghaul Posts: 33
    Try using the pull-up assisted machines and gradually reduce the amount of resistance. Also try negatives.

    Hand positioning is also important. To make it easier to start with, though placing more emphasis on the biceps, place your hands in an underhand grip, that is palms of your hands facing you wrapped around the bar from behind it. Keep your hands about shoulder width apart but try varying this for comfort.

    Good luck.
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    Negative or assisted pull ups. I did negatives.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    As someone previously mentioned, the assisted pull-up machine is a fantastic way to work up to it. Negatives are great, however getting used to only one direction of motion has limited use. Using the assisted means that you are putting in the most work you possibly can in both directions, assuming you have the assist set to a weight that is tough, but not impossible.
  • rkr22401
    rkr22401 Posts: 216 Member
    I used all of the above, but the thing that helped me the most was those large Crossfit rubber bands. I don't do Crossfit. The brand I purchased was called Rubberbandits. You can get them online. They are inexpensive and come in varying strengths.

    You simply loop one or more over the bar and put your feet in stirrup-style. They are color coded and have charts to help you select the combo that's right for you. They provide just enough assistance to do the desired number of pull-ups, while allowing you to do real pull-ups. As you get stronger, you gradually ween yourself off of them. My pullup strength has come a long way since using them.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Use a chair. Push up as little as possible with your legs, but enough that you get all the way up. Keep doing that week after week after week, pushing less and less with your legs. Sooner or later as the amount you can pull up increases and your weight decreases the 2 will meet and up you go. Only being able to lat pull 80 and weighing 220 though I wouldn't expect the 2 to meet for a year or so. But they will meet if you want them to. Good luck!
  • bankmd
    bankmd Posts: 20
    I bought a door pull up bar. So I could try frequently, and initially had to jump up quite a bit, and would focus on the reverse, as well as holding the "arm hang" (in grade school, girls did the arm hang instead of pull ups as part of a fitness test).. It is ridiculous, but I also just hang and swing since it is easy to do this when I pass the door. Eventually, I could actually do pull ups.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    Everyone is giving excellent advice, but one important thing I'd like to add is being able to do pullups takes time and work. Pullups are not easy, especially for women. You are working pretty much all your upper body muscles to do it, so take everyone's advice, work hard and don't expect it to happen right away. But you can do it!!! It took me months to be able to real pushups and I'm still working up to just 1 pullup :-)
  • scarletgenesis
    scarletgenesis Posts: 33
    This is a goal of mine too, and my trainer has me doing all kinds of exercises to increase my back, arm, shoulder strength.

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