Help Choosing Bands for Asst Pull Ups

FromHereOnOut
FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
edited February 20 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I am so excited to learn that my local fitness store now carries GoFit Super Bands (the ones like Crossfit use, that are flat and all one loop---NOT the tube kind) and am trying to choose what strength for helping with assisted pull-ups.

Would it be correct to determine what my 1rm for lat pull-down is and subtract it from my weight, to get the category of band?

For example, I comfortably pulled 45kg (~100lbs) on lat pulldown for 1 rep the other day, so could I subtract 100lbs from my weight and then select the band that covers that amount of weight/resistance? And if so, should I err on the side of more resistance (assistance) or less resistance? (Also, I am pretty tall, 5'8.5", so with my foot in it, it'd be stretched pretty far and I think that means there'd be more assistance in that case vs. knee in. right?)


fyi, Super Bands ranges: 20-35 lb, 30-50 lb, 40-80 lb, 50-120 lb, 60-150 lb


Thanks!

Replies

  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    i think your way over thinking it lol

    how will you anchor the band to the bar? loop it around and put your foot through both loops?

    personall i just recommend getting one of the adjustable assistance ones that clip to the bar.

    otherwise i'm thinking some trial and error would be necessary.

    plus depending on what rep range you want will determine how much assitance your going to need.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    it's not as linear as you think it is because bands will give varying amount of resistance based on how far it's stretched. so a taller person gets more assistance and you can vary it by putting it around your knee or your foot. also, lat pulldown strength does not directly translate to pull up strength.

    get 2 or 3 bands of different resistance. that way you can double up the bands (1 big+1 small) as you're starting out, then use less band assistance (just 1 big band) as you improve and even less (1 small band) until you don't need bands any longer
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    i think your way over thinking it lol

    how will you anchor the band to the bar? loop it around and put your foot through both loops?

    personall i just recommend getting one of the adjustable assistance ones that clip to the bar.

    otherwise i'm thinking some trial and error would be necessary.

    plus depending on what rep range you want will determine how much assitance your going to need.

    i think you're thinking of a different type of band than what the OP is going to purchase. it's one big loop and all she has to do is throw it over the bar then string it thru itself. it's secured and there's just one loop for her to place her foot or knee inside.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    i think your way over thinking it lol

    how will you anchor the band to the bar? loop it around and put your foot through both loops?

    personall i just recommend getting one of the adjustable assistance ones that clip to the bar.

    otherwise i'm thinking some trial and error would be necessary.

    plus depending on what rep range you want will determine how much assitance your going to need.

    i think you're thinking of a different type of band than what the OP is going to purchase. it's one big loop and all she has to do is throw it over the bar then string it thru itself. it's secured and there's just one loop for her to place her foot or knee inside.

    oh that makes sense. still think she would be much happier with the purpose built device but its probably considerably more expensive then ONE band. buy two or three and your probably getting very close
  • LiftHeavyWeights
    LiftHeavyWeights Posts: 336 Member
    choose several smaller bands that add up to a bit less than your weight rather than 1 band that would support your weight. That way you can use various combinations together. As you get stronger you reduce the support of the bands. That is what I have been doing.
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    Unfortunately they are very expensive here (strongest band runs about 75euros which is about $104), so obviously I want to get the right one on the first try and I was hoping to get only one, a little on the light side, use it standing(foot in), then switch to knee and then just increase reps until I can get one unassisted rep out and take it from there. I'm thinking that b/c it's not linear, that my height would mean that using my foot, would put me at the high end of assistance (for example the one that is 40-80, it'd give me ~80lbs of push) and that with knee, it'd be on the lower end (40lbs of push, in the previous example).
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    i think your way over thinking it lol

    how will you anchor the band to the bar? loop it around and put your foot through both loops?

    personall i just recommend getting one of the adjustable assistance ones that clip to the bar.

    otherwise i'm thinking some trial and error would be necessary.

    plus depending on what rep range you want will determine how much assitance your going to need.

    Yes, davpul had it right, I'm talking about the single loop kind. As far as some specialized clip for the bar, I'm just THRILLED I can get these bands here now...I'm certain that there is no such clip available here anyway and even if there were, I'd never find it (I've been down that road before, looking all over my city trying to find something and not knowing if it even is imported to our country or not--it ends up being a big waste of time). Also, I was going to toss the band in my bag and use it at pullup bars in the parks on my running route.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    that sounds like quite a rip off.

    go to rougefitness.com they have those bands at what i suspect is far less and have reasonable shipping (in the US anyway )

    also would recommend looking on amazon for something called 'pull up assist'

    i think mine is called 'power pull up or something'. its got two different ways of adjusting the resistance. its build for exactly what you want it to do and mine was $80
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Fitness-Pullup-Exercise-Equipment/dp/B00BFCWA1E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398699510&sr=8-1&keywords=pull+up+assist+bands


    $25 and no BS
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    bands like you want starting at $ 18 for a pair

    http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-monster-bands.php

    they even offer something called a pull up package (like $65) if your dead set against the device that does procisely what you want (for $25 lol)
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    Thanks for the help, but I don't live in the US and only use cash (so, no online shopping).
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    I think I'll go for the one that is cheaper, that can just barely support my weight minus my 100lb lat pulldown (I would expect I could do more on pullup, because of getting more of the body involved in pullup than an isolation on lats) and if it is not good enough, I'll get the absolute lightest one to fix with it for extra help and then I can always use that light one for my progression later, so it wouldn't be a total waste. I just don't want to go too heavy and waste my money and have to go with a lighter one anyway and then have a heavy band I don't need. I never thought of doubling them, so I really appreciate that input. :flowerforyou:
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    unless there is something that prevents them from shipping to where you live, i'd just get a prepaid credit card (avilable at grocery stores in this country) and save like 80 bucks buying the same damn thing lol
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    unless there is something that prevents them from shipping to where you live, i'd just get a prepaid credit card (avilable at grocery stores in this country) and save like 80 bucks buying the same damn thing lol

    There are no prepaid cards here. Usually shipping & VAT bumps the price up to approx what I'd end up paying cash in the local store. This is not the first time I've dealt with this problem and I've learned to just be resourceful and only covet supplies & equipment that can be bought in the local store and forget that everything else even exists. It's not an ideal situation, but there are many, many positives to where I live, for example my running route:

    1558511_10202390141069110_1929907049_n.jpg
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    have any close friends living in the US?

    at that price point it may be worth it to somehow pay them to buy it, and then ship it too you. just a thought, sounds a little crazy but so does paying over 100 dollars for a thin strip of rubber.
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    have any close friends living in the US?

    at that price point it may be worth it to somehow pay them to buy it, and then ship it too you. just a thought, sounds a little crazy but so does paying over 100 dollars for a thin strip of rubber.

    I have two kids and their grandparents live in US and even they don't ship stuff any longer and just wire money for gifts b/c the shipping is so expensive and takes so long. We've lived here long enough to have learned. As I said, I've wanted this for awhile and was THRILLED to find it in local stores. I only saw the price of the big band, so I'm expecting the smaller bands to be cheaper, but don't know how much yet. (Also hoping for a "member discount" considering how much stuff I buy from that store! haha)
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    ok, good luck
This discussion has been closed.

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