Women and Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups

YoBecca
YoBecca Posts: 167
in Fitness and Exercise
After many years of longing to be a BAMF who can knock out some pull-ups, I've finally made it a goal and am taking steps to make it happen. I got a pull-up bar for my house, and am planning to try the Scooby's Workshop method. (http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/). My first effort at his phase one was tonight - I was pleasantly surprised that I did better than I expected, but also am a bit intimidated by the number of reps/sets.

I was wondering if other ladies either have pull-ups as a goal, or have conquered them. I would love to hear your experiences - how quickly (or slowly, lol) you progressed, what worked for you, etc. Did you incorporate it into your strength/lifting workouts, or take it on as a separate goal?

Thanks, y'all!

Replies

  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Being able to do an unassisted chin up and pull up is one of my goals. I have the Iron Gym bar - about $30 on amazon. I've been pushing hard to get at least one of each by the end of this year.


    I started off literally hanging on the bar for a set amount of seconds. Then did negatives, progressed to half chin/pull ups and am now doing assisted chin ups and pull ups. :smile:

    Once I get my one of each completed, next year's goal will be doing one handed chin ups and pull ups and pikes. :)
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    This is a goal for me too. I'm working up to it, and can do some well controlled negatives now.
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    research negative pull ups. They are hard and will let you be able to work up to assisted and then regular.

    Good luck!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    I'm doing assisted pullups now. I can do 1 full chin-up on my bar at home, but not 2. It's part of my body weight strength program, but since running is my primary focus, I'm not all that consistent with strength. I sometimes get too tired.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    I really should push myself using the assist machine at the gym. This is such a good idea.
  • JenniferPlus2
    JenniferPlus2 Posts: 119 Member
    This is one of my goals as well. After some research and talking with the trainers at the gym, I found that I should start with negative pull ups until I can do those smoothly (I still struggle with these). Apparently that morphs into being able to do pull ups. I think women who can knock out pull ups like they are no problem are friggin BADA**!!
  • JenniferPlus2
    JenniferPlus2 Posts: 119 Member
    After many years of longing to be a BAMF who can knock out some pull-ups, I've finally made it a goal and am taking steps to make it happen.
    Oh and BTW I love this!
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    I can do 3-4 on a good day now after previously not being able to do any. I found this article very helpful

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    I have this same goal. I've been working at it about 2-3 times a week doing 3-6 sets of assisted pulls (by assisted I mean I have my feet on a chair while I fight like hell to get to the top with as little help from the lower half as possible). Pull ups still vex me but I can now do two fully unassisted chin ups after a few rest days.

    Good luck!
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    I didn't actually practice it, I just tried it sometimes. I just did my thing, went to gym etc. I saw slow progress. In march I couldn't pull myself up even if I started from the top lol :P but then I was able to pull myself up if I hopped from a bench or something (: Now I can pull one from the ground ^^ I hope soon I'll be able to do many pull ups and with even better form. :P
  • vikingheart
    vikingheart Posts: 79
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    You have to get past this guy's grunting, but his advice is great.

    I started with negatives, and within 1 1/2 months, I did 1 full pull up. I've been kind of slacking on the program though, but seriously just doing 1 made me feel like a BEAST.
  • chard_muncher
    chard_muncher Posts: 75 Member
    That's awesome. Pull ups are really intimidating, even for guys (even for strong guys). Good for you, I'm sure you'll hit your goal in no time.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,472 Member
    I have chin-ups as a goal (I believe pull-ups are harder, but I'd be delighted if I could do one chin-up!), but progress has been very slow and I'm still nowhere near after over a year. Through almost all the time I've been trying I've been obese (in terms of both body fat % and BMI) and from all that I've read, it seems that it's extremely difficult for an obese woman to do any pull-ups at all. There are certain things that help, to do with size and body proportions, but being female and having a lot of body fat is a big disadvantage. The body fat is a lot of "dead weight" and you're trying to pull all that up with relatively small muscles. I don't know what your proportions are and you don't look overweight in your photo, but I'm just saying that if you are and you find pull-ups impossible to start with, don't feel defeated!

    I did used to have a pull-up bar and used to try the Scooby programme, but embarassingly, I managed to break the pull-up bar. I've since changed to just doing exercise which I hope will help strengthen the muscles (inverted rows), and do assisted pull-ups at the gym now and then. However, I don't believe I will get there until the point when/if I am significantly lighter and there's less to lift!

    One of the women at my old gym could do lots of pullups and pullup variations - I had such admiration for her as it's so hard!
  • gowrirao81
    gowrirao81 Posts: 139 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    You have to get past this guy's grunting, but his advice is great.

    I started with negatives, and within 1 1/2 months, I did 1 full pull up. I've been kind of slacking on the program though, but seriously just doing 1 made me feel like a BEAST.


    ^^ This. I can do one or two (on a really good day) and I swear it makes me feel like a beast. I did make it my goal and worked with my PT for almost 3 months (started with assisted and then with resistance bands) have got to this stage. You need to train for it to get there and I doubt it is an overall indicator of how strong/fit one is. My bench press numbers are abysmal!
  • shellfly
    shellfly Posts: 186
    I'm using Scooby's program too, currently in phase 4 and am up to a 5 chin-up max per set (I don't always hit 5 yet unfortunately). Separately, I'm pursuing Stronglifts 5x5 and bodyweight training (mostly plank variations), so I do Scooby's and some cardio on my in-between days. I don't recall exactly when I started, but it's probably a couple of months. I went pretty quickly through the first couple of phases but slowed down a bit on phase 3, and I expected phase 4 to be slow as, no doubt, phase 5 will be. Still, I definitely make observable progress each week, and given that I'm working my body pretty hard nearly every day in different ways, it's not surprising that it's taking a while.
  • jmayerovitch
    jmayerovitch Posts: 71 Member
    I did my first, non-kipping, pull-up in March. Mostly, I just made sure to work on pull-ups every time I went to the gym. I did a combination of reverse rows (you lie underneath a bar or set of rings with your heals on the ground in front of you and pull yourself up), banded pull-ups, and kipping pull-ups. The key for me was mixing it up so on some days I would use a thicker band or do ring rows (which are easier), with a aim of several sets of ten, and on other days I would use the tiniest band possible and knock out 2-3 pull-ups at a time.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I had been working on them for a while in the gym, but usually after doing some lifts. I was pretty surprised when I put my chin up bar in at home and, independent from my gym sessions, decided to try some chin ups and was able to hammer out several in a row! Maybe I had already worn myself out at the gym, I don't really know. So now I try to set a goal of how many I can get throughout the day, just a few at a time, when I am at home.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Alright.

    Here's the deal with pull ups.

    Pull ups are AWESOME!! I <3 pull ups. But women don't just often lack the physical strength but the muscle awareness to hit those muscles.

    So not only do you need to get stronger- you need to be aware of which muscles you are needing to use in order to GET you to the bar.

    First strengthening.

    Rows- almost ANY time of row is going to help.

    T-Rows
    DB Rows
    BB Rows
    CABLE rows
    LAT PULL DOWNS
    Negatives
    INVERTED rows
    Using a stair/chair/stepper whatever to help you up- I have pictures of this floating around somewhere.

    Lastly and least importantly- I would recommend the assisted- that thing as a whole is a useless piece of crab. There are- as you can see- at least a half a dozen other ways to engage the lat's and the rhomboids.

    Please keep in mind- a chin up- or neutral grip (palms inward and parallel) is going to be a LOT of bicep.... and a lot less back- which is why most women find that easier. It is what it is. It is neither good nor bad it just is- and it's something to be conscious of as you are doing this work.

    The first thing I would recommend is to have someone help you bring attention to those muscles.

    How to do this- first things first: you need a friend

    now- stand in front of your friend- with your back to them.
    put your arms up in the classic flex my bicep pose (ZoeLifts avatar- is a perfect example) put both arms up- don't worry about flexing though. :D do that later.

    now- have your friend put their hands UNDER your elbows.

    you push down.... they push up...

    feel that... you should feel that in your back. THOSE muscles are the ones you want to use.

    So- now that you know this... go train those muscles with the above listed exercises- KNOWING now what you need to be using to pull with to move that weight.

    I have found the grease the groove method to be best- but it can be hard on the body- so I would say if you go to the gym EVERY DAY- just do it 3--4 times a week... if you just hit the gym 2-3 times a week- make it a point to do something to engage those muscles at least for one or two sets.

    I'm a pull up manic- I love pull ups- I do weighted pull ups at this point- which was a huge highlight of my lifting career this summer... so if anyone has MORE specific questions- by all means- I'm happy to help

    AH HA

    I found ze linkie to what I was talking about. pictures are in here about the help up with the steppers/risers.

    http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/topic/28668-advice-for-aspiring-to-pullups/
  • YoBecca
    YoBecca Posts: 167
    Thanks, y'all - this is all super helpful! The Scooby plan starts with negatives (negative chin-ups, then move to negative pull-ups), so that's where I'm at now. I'm not planning to use the assisted p/u machine at the gym at all, and I don't have the right resistance bands to do it that way - so it's go big or go home!

    JoRocka - that's great advice. I love rows, but don't really focus on them much at the moment - but, can definitely work in some sets of them at the gym, and work them into my other workouts as well. I'm definitely feeling last night's negatives in my back! Love that worked-hard next-day soreness.

    Joy-Joy - I got the same bar. The hubs kept saying he would build me one, that an over-the-door bar would mess up the door frame, etc. But I wasn't willing to wait for him to have the time to figure out an alternative, much less build anything. Assembled it myself, and was working on negatives the same day, with no sign of doorway damage. ;)
  • YoBecca
    YoBecca Posts: 167
    I'm using Scooby's program too, currently in phase 4 and am up to a 5 chin-up max per set (I don't always hit 5 yet unfortunately). Separately, I'm pursuing Stronglifts 5x5 and bodyweight training (mostly plank variations), so I do Scooby's and some cardio on my in-between days. I don't recall exactly when I started, but it's probably a couple of months. I went pretty quickly through the first couple of phases but slowed down a bit on phase 3, and I expected phase 4 to be slow as, no doubt, phase 5 will be. Still, I definitely make observable progress each week, and given that I'm working my body pretty hard nearly every day in different ways, it's not surprising that it's taking a while.

    I'm also doing SL 5X5 at the same time. I do quite a bit of cardio and bodyweight strength work too, and I worry about over training. I have been trying to proceed carefully with SL, since I'm not *just* doing it, and I don't give my body as much rest as I should. So, I haven't been as aggressive at adding weight as the program calls for and usually do the same weights twice before adding on. I'm going to try alternating days on SL (which I do 3 days/week) and training pull-ups (which I'm planning to do every other day) and see how that feels. I can be patient about seeing progress - but it's helpful to hear other people's success/work-in-progress stories.
  • YoBecca
    YoBecca Posts: 167
    I have chin-ups as a goal (I believe pull-ups are harder, but I'd be delighted if I could do one chin-up!), but progress has been very slow and I'm still nowhere near after over a year. Through almost all the time I've been trying I've been obese (in terms of both body fat % and BMI) and from all that I've read, it seems that it's extremely difficult for an obese woman to do any pull-ups at all. There are certain things that help, to do with size and body proportions, but being female and having a lot of body fat is a big disadvantage. The body fat is a lot of "dead weight" and you're trying to pull all that up with relatively small muscles. I don't know what your proportions are and you don't look overweight in your photo, but I'm just saying that if you are and you find pull-ups impossible to start with, don't feel defeated!

    I did used to have a pull-up bar and used to try the Scooby programme, but embarassingly, I managed to break the pull-up bar. I've since changed to just doing exercise which I hope will help strengthen the muscles (inverted rows), and do assisted pull-ups at the gym now and then. However, I don't believe I will get there until the point when/if I am significantly lighter and there's less to lift!

    One of the women at my old gym could do lots of pullups and pullup variations - I had such admiration for her as it's so hard!

    Thanks for this! I am carrying extra weight, but it's going down. I think having this as a goal, and knowing that my ability to succeed increases as I drop the lbs, will help me on track, in terms of food. Good luck to you on your journey!
  • cad39too
    cad39too Posts: 874 Member
    I had a goal of being able to do 5 pull ups/chin ups - this was an number I pulled out of my *kitten* basically cause to be honest I never thought I was ever going to have the strength be able to do any.....but I do tons of rows, lat pulldowns etc...

    A few of weeks ago, i was doing hanging leg raises and while hanging there I dediced to see if I could do 1 pull up; managed to do 2. A week later managed to surpass my goal by 1. Yay!!! Next goal is to do 10, then 15 and so on.
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 942 Member
    Props to you all. So many men can't even do a proper pull up.

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