Ladies who can do unassisted pullups

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  • sraffel
    sraffel Posts: 66 Member
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    As a female Marine I can tell you that not all female Marines can do pull-ups. It will be a requirement in 2014 though. :) To get better at pull-ups you simply have to do pull-ups.

    Things that helped me:

    Negatives
    Jump pull-ups
    Kipping
    &overall improving my back strength via weight lifting.

    (let's not forget shedding the excess body fat. I gained 3 pull-ups just from losing 10lbs)

    What are negatives and kipping?
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    As a female Marine I can tell you that not all female Marines can do pull-ups. It will be a requirement in 2014 though. :) To get better at pull-ups you simply have to do pull-ups.

    Things that helped me:

    Negatives
    Jump pull-ups
    Kipping
    &overall improving my back strength via weight lifting.

    (let's not forget shedding the excess body fat. I gained 3 pull-ups just from losing 10lbs)

    What are negatives and kipping?

    Kipping means cheating and negatives are when you start from the top and resist going down for as long/hard as you can (in the case of pull-ups).
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    I've seen that article, whatever!

    I can do 3-4 sets of 10 chin-ups unassisted and 3-4 sets of 5-6 wide grip, palm out pull ups unassisted. Will work on the weighted pull-ups as I increase the volume of wide grips. Also recently won my gyms competition for most amount of pull-ups in 60 seconds in the female catergory. Practice, practice, practice and lift those weights. :)


    B268B77D-007D-41E7-B356-EA2F5DED83E0-4528-0000024F3566018B.jpg

    You're my hero!!

    I can do four unassisted chin-ups as of yesterday. Still working on pull-ups. I suspect that dropping the last ten pounds will help me tremendously.
  • matt2442
    matt2442 Posts: 1,259 Member
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    As a female Marine I can tell you that not all female Marines can do pull-ups. It will be a requirement in 2014 though. :) To get better at pull-ups you simply have to do pull-ups.

    Things that helped me:

    Negatives
    Jump pull-ups
    Kipping
    &overall improving my back strength via weight lifting.

    (let's not forget shedding the excess body fat. I gained 3 pull-ups just from losing 10lbs)

    What are negatives and kipping?

    kipping is swinging your body so it helps you get up above the bar better...(cheating, dont do it, you arent using your back muscles) Negatives are when you start at the top and go down til you cant any longer
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    Agree with whoever mentioned negatives.

    Negatives helped me to be able to do more pullups.
  • sraffel
    sraffel Posts: 66 Member
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    As a female Marine I can tell you that not all female Marines can do pull-ups. It will be a requirement in 2014 though. :) To get better at pull-ups you simply have to do pull-ups.

    Things that helped me:

    Negatives
    Jump pull-ups
    Kipping
    &overall improving my back strength via weight lifting.

    (let's not forget shedding the excess body fat. I gained 3 pull-ups just from losing 10lbs)

    What are negatives and kipping?

    Kipping means cheating and negatives are when you start from the top and resist going down for as long/hard as you can (in the case of pull-ups).

    Thanks, I've been working on pull-ups, never thought of negatives! I'll have to try that.
  • darwinwoodka
    darwinwoodka Posts: 322 Member
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    It's my goal for this year. Last year I got the pushups down. I can pulldown 110 right now, but I weigh 150. Working on that, too. BTW, I'm 54. ;^)
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
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    *Note to self:
    Accomplish unassisted pull-ups and return later to post*
  • sblake204
    sblake204 Posts: 458 Member
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    Definitely took practice for me. on a good day I'm able to do 5-8 unassisted pull ups for approx 3 sets. I'm working on getting the wide grip down. Right now I'm able to do approx 2-3 of those.
    The assistance machine definitely helped w progress. I decreased the weight for each set till I could do 1 on my own.

    Girl Power!!!
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I am a man and I can't do them unassisted. Although, I used to have to have 120 lb assist and now can do them with only about 50 lb assist... Of course, I am relatively new to the whole fitness scene... It has NOTHING to do with sex and everything to do with upper body strength, weight and fitness level. I am not there yet, but one day I shall be... Way to go ladies... I am glad you can do 'em and one day, I'll join you...

    53 yo Male
    221 lbs 6' 3"
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    Such baloney. I found out last month I can do 10 chin ups in a row, and 4 full pull ups in a row.

    All of these were unassisted.

    This was after I lost 90 lbs, of course.

    This would have not been feasible at all for me at 215.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    What's even odder about the article is it states the taller you are and the longer your limbs, the harder time you will have.

    I'm on the tall side (5'9") and my arms are pretty long and skinny.

    As a kid, I was always one of those who could also climb the gym rope all the way up to the top, while I watched other kids my same age struggle.

    Whatever. I can do them. That's all I care about...
  • squeakyfish
    squeakyfish Posts: 109 Member
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    My old coach told me that the reason it's so hard for women, is because of where our center of gravity is located as opposed to where men's is. Not that it's impossible.

    Me, I'm the loser who has to put her entire body weight on the assisted pullup machine just to get a few in. Of course, I've never actually stuck with it for very long.

    My niece on the other hand, kicks @ss! She's a competitive gymnast training 20 hours a week and can do more than any other boy in her whole school!
  • MissPeppers
    MissPeppers Posts: 302 Member
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    I just got strong enough to do one unassisted pull-up myself; now I can do 2 on a good day - getting stronger and looking forward to doing at least 5 :love: I'm 5'5", around 147 lbs, it's fun to see the strength gains and it feels great to be able to hoist my own body weight.

    But my SO and my son can do 3-4 just like that and they don't work out at all. I guess it's all down to the difference between the male muscle and the female muscle. We just aren't that strong naturally; we have to work harder for it.

    That doesn't mean it's impossible though :devil:
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    You have my body! And I can do pullups. But, as I found out yesterday, not while wearing a 10lb. weight vest, so that's my new goal. When I'm in the gym, I do assisted sets, but I have a pullup bar at home that I just do one or two on whenever I walk into/out of the kitchen, so I know I can do about 5 or 6 unassisted.

    And I haven't been able to do pullups all my life, this is a pretty recent development. But otherwise:

    Age - 38
    Height - 5'4"
    Weight - 140
    Body fat- according to the Omron handheld thingy, 25%

    Also short-waisted with big shoulders.

    I know - I'm a male - but I am 5'3" and currently 166lbs so it is encouraging that once I get nearer my ideal 140 I will be able to do more than the one unassisted pullup I can currently do. I love bodyweight exercising so this is a real incentive.

    Thanks :-)
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I could do about 3 overhand grip pull ups in a row when I was at my usual weight (I'm 5'6" and like to weigh 140-150 lbs). I'm about 30-40 lbs overweight, so I can't even do one unassisted at the moment, but I am working on assisted pull ups and negatives anyway. I wouldn't think pull ups will be troublesome once I get back to my usual self.

    I read that article back when it came out as it made quite a stir amongst the community of women fitness professionals! Pretty shocking and weird....so behind the times!
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    I personally don't feel weight is as much as a factor as people are making it out to be; it's more focused on upper body strength. I know guys who are 200lbs and can rock out 30, just as I know girls bigger than me that can do the same. Just as there are people of similar statures who cant even lift 10 lbs who are not going to be able to do a pullup. I also was the same weight in June and couldn't do more than 1 then. You can be as light as you want, that doesn't mean you'll have the strength or base to do them.
  • bnjones23
    bnjones23 Posts: 86 Member
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    I am working towards doing unassisted pull ups now!!! It is my goal!!! I can push out 1 now after a month of doing tons of assisted ones!! My goal is 10!!
  • Absonthebrain
    Absonthebrain Posts: 587 Member
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    When I first started I couldn't do one lol and so I just kept trying and lifting and I also have a bar at home that helps.


    I can now do up to 6 pull ups 4 wide grip pull ups and 13 dips all without assistance.

    130-132lbs
    5'4
    BF 25%est
  • MarineCodie
    MarineCodie Posts: 256 Member
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    As a female Marine I can tell you that not all female Marines can do pull-ups. It will be a requirement in 2014 though. :) To get better at pull-ups you simply have to do pull-ups.

    Things that helped me:

    Negatives
    Jump pull-ups
    Kipping
    &overall improving my back strength via weight lifting.

    (let's not forget shedding the excess body fat. I gained 3 pull-ups just from losing 10lbs)

    What are negatives and kipping?

    Kipping means cheating and negatives are when you start from the top and resist going down for as long/hard as you can (in the case of pull-ups).

    I get a little tiffed when people call kipping cheating... Is it a strict pull-up? No. Will it help strength? Yes. Youtube has different kipping methods to try out if you're new to it :)

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