NSV: Women, Can You Do A Pullup?

I can do almost 10 unassisted pullups for almost a year now (when I was 42... now 43). I was about 145 lbs when I built up to 5. Now I weigh 130 and can do almost ten (would be more but had a shoulder injury and had to start over after rehabbing). Instead of trying to do more of them now, I am playing with a 12 pound weighted vest and building back up to 10 while wearing it.

Go for it! Best advice I have it get a pullup bar for your house, start by jumping up as high as you can and pull the rest and lower slowly (or start with a chair at the top and just lower). But the main thing is to do it OFTEN - every time you go through that doorway, try one or two! Within a few weeks you will be surprised how far you have come.

They also make a strap called the "perfect pullup" that "assists" you on the doorway pullup bar at home, with a few different resistance bands you can progressive get less assistance. I used for 2 weeks and returned, as that is all it took to do one on my own

Also what really helped - someone told me not to think of it as pulling yourself up, but driving your elbows down. Just a mind game, but helps you isolate the right muscles (instead of your biceps, use your back).

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aylajane wrote: »

yoovie wrote: »

ever climbed 40 feet of rope covered in bog mud to be shot through fire?

Oh Oh Oh! Pick me! I want to do that!!!!!!

You are too cute...:) Here in the office we were all to do a Muddy buddy a few years back, here in Denver, I bowed out as I wanted to be able to complete it... one of my co workers broke her leg fell from the wall ouch... so do be careful...it's fun...it's rough but like Clint says "A man's (or woman's) got to know their limitations."

I can do several. I'm 5'5" and currently 133 lbs (at the end of my bulk). I think negatives are the most effective for pull-up training. I never trained pull-ups, but I do aerial circus arts, and in silks you are doing holds constantly. There's also a lot of pulling needed (like the vertical pulls or half pulls demonstrated in the videos above). After a while of this type of training, I was suddenly able to knock out some pull-ups. Depending on the hand grip, I can also do them weighted.

That is my goal by the end of the year!

I've been doing negatives. My goal is to be able to do one by my next birthday. That is 5 months from now. Hopefully you reach your goal!

I've never done one in my entire life. I hope to be able to before I turn 36.

Right now I'm 34, I'm down 80lbs (started at 275ish) and I've got at least 45 to go.

I can. The most I've had in a row were 7 chin ups, which are slightly easier for me than pull ups. I think I've done 4 pull ups at once, I prefer chins though as they give me those killer biceps without a single curl.

I haven't been training regularly on them or practicing though, I think I could do 4 chins now.

It takes time and practice, and you really need to be at a healthy weight for your size or it will be hard. DH can't do them, and he's got far more upper body strength than me - but he's still got weight to lose. I wasn't able to do it until I'd lost my weight.

I can also do 20+ real pushups. I don't find pushups hard anymore, I look for ways to make them more challenging. That has come from both doing pushups, and benching heavy.

I'm 32, and it took me a good 5 months of work to get to the FIRST chin up. I would say another 7 months or so to get up to 7. The best way to get good at pullups, is to do pullups. I did negatives for a long time, I preferred to jump up and then negative instead of the band method. I'm too short to use the assisted pull up machine. I bought a bar for my house and when I was working on it hardcore I'd just walk by and do a couple.