Fitness Goal- To do a pull up/chin up

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ResurgenceAuthor
ResurgenceAuthor Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello Everyone~

One of my fitness goals is to do a chin-up/pull-up. I know that this move is harder for females then males due to our upper body strength differences in general. Can anyone recommend a good way to reach this goal? Currently I set the weight to 60lbs on the assisted pull-up machine (the less weight, the harder it is on the machine).
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Replies

  • Matt200goal
    Matt200goal Posts: 481 Member
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    The assisted pull-up machine is a good start. "Negative" pull-ups, jumping pull-ups, assisted pull-ups (either with a partner holding your feet or with a variety of "stretchy bands") are good too.

    Best of luck & with persistence, know you'll be knocking out pull-ups in no time!
  • holly_roman
    holly_roman Posts: 116 Member
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    Funny my goal for strength is to do a push up...still can't manage one. can swing my 50lb kid around pretty well but I can't do even a half a push up before i fall flat on my face. lol GL, hope you get there!
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    I'm a guy and had the same goal a couple years back when I was heavier. I used the assist machine and it worked pretty well for me. Set it to a weight that you can do about 5 pull-ups and do 3-5 sets of those a couple of days a week. Every time that you're able to complete all 5 pull-ups for all of the sets, change the assist the next time. For example, you said you have it set at 60lbs now and on Tuesday you could do 5 pull-ups there, 1 min break, 5 pull-ups, 1 min break, 5 pull-ups...then on Thursday you would set the machine to 55lbs. You might only be able to do 5, 4 & 3 this time, so you would just leave the weight there until you could do 5-5-5 and then change the weight to 50lbs, so-on and so forth. Once you get down to about 15-25lb assisted for 3x5, you should be able to do 1 true pull-up unassisted. :) Have fun!
  • ResurgenceAuthor
    ResurgenceAuthor Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you so much for your responses!
  • ResurgenceAuthor
    ResurgenceAuthor Posts: 20 Member
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    McCloud33, thank you so much for the specifics of your plan! I will have to try it out!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    assisted pull-ups and negatives
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I did this a number of years ago. I couldn't do it now, lol, but it's a great feeling of accomplishment to have been able to do it. I believe I belonged to a gym at the time and was using most of the upper body machines when I went there. But the way I worked on chin ups was to install a bar in my apartment. I bought an adjustable bar that could be put into a doorway like a shower curtain rod.

    After that, it was a matter of practicing every day. The combination of assisted pullups at the gym and regular body weight push-ups was my approach. I believe I eventually was able to do about two. :# That may not be enough for you, but I felt pretty good about it. o:) Epecially since no one was around to ask any advice.

    Best wishes in doing this. We should be as strong as we can be.
  • ResurgenceAuthor
    ResurgenceAuthor Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you so much! :)
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
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    Pull ups are awesome and one of the best ways to help develop your back. It's hard to replicate what you get from pull ups on any machines. I keep working at it myself and they honestly make you pretty humble.
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    What helped me the most was assisted pull ups using bands of varying degrees. I also have a regular upper body strength routine that I'm sure helps. I also have the doorway bar at home.
  • scamp07
    scamp07 Posts: 17 Member
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    McCloud33 wrote: »
    I'm a guy and had the same goal a couple years back when I was heavier. I used the assist machine and it worked pretty well for me. Set it to a weight that you can do about 5 pull-ups and do 3-5 sets of those a couple of days a week. Every time that you're able to complete all 5 pull-ups for all of the sets, change the assist the next time. For example, you said you have it set at 60lbs now and on Tuesday you could do 5 pull-ups there, 1 min break, 5 pull-ups, 1 min break, 5 pull-ups...then on Thursday you would set the machine to 55lbs. You might only be able to do 5, 4 & 3 this time, so you would just leave the weight there until you could do 5-5-5 and then change the weight to 50lbs, so-on and so forth. Once you get down to about 15-25lb assisted for 3x5, you should be able to do 1 true pull-up unassisted. :) Have fun!

    ^^^^^ This is perfect and will get you there.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
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    Chin-ups are great, I went from two to eight in a few months. I started doing the two that I could do, followed by 3 sets of negatives (jumping to the top and lowering myself slowly), then built it up to doing more full chin-ups and fewer negatives.

    I seem to be totally stuck on 8 now though - been there for weeks ;-(

    Top marks to any woman getting into chin-ups!
  • kmserfes
    kmserfes Posts: 16 Member
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    I have a similar goal, I have never been able to do pull-ups/chin ups and I really want to be able to!
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
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    kmserfes wrote: »
    I have a similar goal, I have never been able to do pull-ups/chin ups and I really want to be able to!

    you can definitely start from none and achieve it. It's part muscle building and part weightloss. I'm at 24 BMI, I reckon if I can get my BMI down to 22 I'll be able to easily beat 8.
  • ResurgenceAuthor
    ResurgenceAuthor Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you to everyone who has responded so far for all of the support and ideas! It means a lot guys! <3
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    edited October 2015
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    I had this same goal and was doing assisted pullups with bands and inverted rows to get my strength up, but what really helped was negative/descending training. I started doing the program at www.50pullups.com, which I found super effective. Now, I'm able to do 3 pullups. I know its not too impressive, but as someone who has, until very recently, never been able to do a single pullup (and quite vividly remembers the shame of hanging from that bar in PE class), I feel pretty phenomenal about it!
  • scottver2
    scottver2 Posts: 53 Member
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    A negative will get you there faster than anything. Eccentric movements cause much more muscle growth than concentric. Plus, you'll build stability and full range of motion, which assisted pullups or machines will not provide.
  • Kidostud
    Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
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    I also have a goal of being able to do chin ups / pull ups. I don't have access to any machines, but do have the doorway bar. At the moment I jump and pull myself up as far as I can. How do you do the negative pull up?
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Pullups are one of the supplementary exercises I do along with my daily Ashtanga yoga practise as there is plenty of pushing going on in yoga but very limited on pulling movements - helps to keep a balance between the two. Also swimming as that is all pulling the body along in the water.
    I am using resistance bands as assist slings to step into and working on 5 x 5 and dropping the band resistance as soon as I can do all 5 x 5 as above.
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
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    Kidostud wrote: »
    I also have a goal of being able to do chin ups / pull ups. I don't have access to any machines, but do have the doorway bar. At the moment I jump and pull myself up as far as I can. How do you do the negative pull up?

    Negative pull up is simply starting at the top (by jumping or using a platform) and letting yourself down slowly, at least for a count of 5, but I like to pause and stay at the top because that's where I'm having issues. (I can do ~3 pull ups, but on the fourth I block with my forehead at the bar)

    OP, remember for pull ups the movement starts with the back, and you need to keep your shoulders and shoulder blades pulled down.

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