Oh...we're supposed to be doing those?

I'm benching 75lbs, too, and I have 50 pounds of assistance bands that help me to a pull up. I can't do it without them, but my goal is to be able to do ONE unassisted pullup by summer's end.

Benching and pull-ups work different muscles, and if you want to do pull-ups, you're going to have to train them.

The progression is usually from assisted to unassisted. I'm currently training those muscles back there by sitting on my bench and pulling my upper body towards my bar that's resting on my squat rack. I do like 10 reps of those for now. I figure it's the equivalent to training angled push-ups. Unfortunately I don't have access to a lat pulldown machine, but hey, you work with what you have.

Having said that's there's really no reason you can't start training now.

Here's a pretty lengthy, but helpful, article on it:
http://www.bodytribe.com/2013/01/17/how-women-can-do-pull-ups/

I am benching 85 lbs. and have yet to be able to do a pull up/chin up, but I'm getting there! I can lift myself up higher than I used to. I am using this "program" to build up to be able to do a pull up. It's super simple and really seems to be helping. The video is from the Scooby's Workshop site creator (Scooby himself). Hope this helps :flowerforyou:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

When was the last time you tried? Are you sure you can't even do one? I was surprised at the last time I tried to do pull ups, I did 12. The last time I tried before that was 2 years ago and I could only do 1 or 2. I have an advantage because I pole dance and do aerial stuff (silks etc.) which works the back muscles a ton. Stronglifts helped me I'm sure but I highly doubt I would be able to do them without the other training I do. But like someone else said, the only way you really will get them is if you practice. Do assisted pull ups first, and go down with the weight each time you practice.

I weigh 194, bench 119, and can do 20+ toe push ups. The last time I did pull-ups I did 90 Pounds of resist (meaning I was pulling up 110lbs as I was fatter then). I did 5 reps. I also tweaked my shoulders a bit, because I'm an idiot and was thinking "it's the end of my workout, I should be fine just doing a set," and thus didn't do any warm-ups. Don't be an idiot like me even if it does give you a few weeks of super deadlift and squat days.

I have wanted to do pullups/chin ups since I started SL. I´m still a weakling, so I´m not able to yet, but I try to practice. My trainer told me to set the bar about halfways in the rack, sit on the floor and pull yourself up 4x10, with the legs supporting. When I can do that (I´m not there yet) I raise the bar higher- and so on, until I can do one.

There probably are way easier ways, but that was how I was told to practise them.

Ive recently changed from 5x5 to 3x5 so I have enough energy to do assisted pullups among other things....I progress with pretty much the same regularity as I do with stronglifts... its going better than I expected...

Your bench press ability has very little to do with your pull-up ability. Improving your bench will not assist you with pull-ups (however, as another commenter already pointed out, both movements use your core for stability).

Bench pressing uses the pushing muscles (pectorals and triceps) while the pull-up uses the pulling muscles of your back and to some extent your biceps.

Chin-ups are easier to do because they recruit help from the biceps a lot more. You might want to focus on completing chin-ups before moving on to pull-ups. I just recently was able to build up to a full chin-up after about 3 weeks of training like this:

1. Grab the bar and hang on it with your chin over the bar for as long as you can (either jump upward or use a chair to get up there). This is a great isometric exercise and you will build strength fast. You can time yourself and push for a few more seconds each time you try it.

2. You can also do negative reps, where you either jump up or use a chair to get your chin over the bar, and then slowly lower yourself back down.

3. Another way is using a very low bar, with your body hanging at a 45 degree angle or so and your feet touching the ground -- as you pull yourself up, the bar should come to your chest (someone else had already mentioned this method).

4. Bent-over rows are a very helpful exercise as well.

I hope this will help!! Good luck

I can do a set of 4 chin-ups with good form. I am 5'9" and weigh 148 lb, and I bench 110 for reps or 105 across sets (never tried a one rep max).

The only SL exercise that prepares you for pull-ups or chin-ups semi-directly is rows. Maybe deadlifts are somewhat helpful.

The way I worked up to a full pull-up was by practicing the pull-up on a pull-up bar. I did negatives (jump up to a pull-up position, slowly descend), and I did jump pull-ups, and then I tried to do the real thing. I ditched the assisted pull-up machine early on, and I didn't find the lat pull-down machine all that helpful--the most I could ever pull down was 85 lb, which is nowhere near the body weight I would have to pull.

[edit] Since 4 reps is my current max, I just practice as many sets as I can, with breaks in between. Anywhere from 12 to 18 pull-ups or chin-ups per session, usually.