How do you learn to do a pull up in the beginning? For those who've lost 50 pounds or more....

Balaru
Balaru Posts: 203 Member
edited November 8 in Fitness and Exercise
If you are just starting out, (female age 52 - 198 pounds) would really like to be able to do a pull up. Never have been able to, even when I was in P.E. in high school at 112 pounds. How do you start? Working on push ups too.

My current workouts are walk/run 5ks and 10ks, bicycling, Zumba, Spin and the weight machines at the gym. But I've been reading alot of bodybuilding posts and websites. I don't want to be a bodybuilder to compete but I would like the benefits of the sculpted arms and legs and abs.

Did a strength training class last year but it was cut and is not longer offered at the gym.

Can't afford a personal trainer right now.

How can I get started? Goal - do a proper pull up to include it in my routine.

Most of the routines I'm seeing posted include pull ups and push ups. Trying to work up my own routine that I can do with free weights at the gym or at home.

Please post some pointers.

Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Start with assisted pull-ups (using a resistance band), that's what I did. Negatives supposedly help too. It took me several months to be able to do even one. Two years later and I can do 10. It takes a while.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Lat pull downs help, rock climbing helped, and just doing them helped. Jump up, raise and hold your chin above the bar, then slowly let yourself down. Do it daily, as it's as much a motor skill as it is a strength task.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    It took me a year of consistently working on them with progressions and strength stuff 3-5x per week. I got a 315 pound deadlift before I got one pull up! I only got them a few weeks ago and now I can do 2 in a row occasionally. Some days I can do none. Some days I can do 8 singles. I finally just had to hang from the bar and just keep trying to engage for as long as I could. I have the strength, but I've never done them in my life so I don't have the motor memory! My muscles are like a slow computer processor trying to talk to each other. I can also usually only do them after I've done this scapular rehab circuit with cables that I do--it's like it wakes my muscles up. Lat pull downs and dumb bell rows, etc. helped me with the strength but I could legit do 25 negatives and no pull ups for a long time because my muscles weren't engaging/speaking to each other. Right now, start with strength stuff like inverted body rows, negatives, dumbbell rows, lat pull downs, etc.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    http://eattoperform.com/2014/10/21/7-reasons-why-youre-struggling-with-pull-ups-by-james-barnum/ This is a really good article!
  • noexcusesjustresults2014
    noexcusesjustresults2014 Posts: 212 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Start with assisted pull-ups (using a resistance band)

    +1



  • Laurochka
    Laurochka Posts: 140 Member
    Bump for tips - also have Pull Ups as a goal.
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    have you asked direct question to staff at your gym?
    all the staff/personal trainers at my gym give free pointers regularly.
  • charlesmauch
    charlesmauch Posts: 58 Member
    If you can't do a pullup, you can also try to slowly strengthen yourself using progressions. There are a couple different progressions you can pick from (should be easy to find with a google search), I used:

    * Vertical Pulls (Hang on to a door frame and lean back, pull yourself upright), pretty much anyone can do this. I started out being able to about 3 sets of 15 before feeling a "burn".

    * Horizontal Pulls, use a broom between sawhorses, barbell in a rack/smith machine (get creative) about waist high or higher. Lie down on your back and reach up, you should not be able to reach the barbell without sitting up. Sit up and grab the barbell, straighten core out and do a "reverse pushup". The idea is your pulling instead pushing though.

    * Jack-knife pullups. Basically a pullup but your legs are supported in front of you at a 45 to 90 degree angle on a box or something.

    * Half-Pullups. Pullups but only go halfway down. (Easier)

    * Full Pullups. All the way down.

    Each step up in the progression is harder than the one before. For a rep scheme, start out with 3 to 5 sets (start at singles, and work up to maybe 10 reps per set) before moving on to the next progression. You can also try ladders. eg: 1 rep, 2 reps, 3 reps, 4 reps, 5 reps, (total 15 reps) and start over. I found that bodyweight exercises like pushups and pullups seem to respond well to ladders.

    I don't like bands much as I got great at band-assisted pullups (but not regular pullups). And negatives make you REALLY sore if your not used to them.

    Good luck.
  • DGR70
    DGR70 Posts: 7 Member
    http://train.elitefts.com/exercises-by-body-part/biceps-exercises-by-body-part/band-assisted-pull-ups/
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