Assisted Pull-Ups is it cheating

2»

Replies

  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    I hope it's not cheating, because it's all I can manage right now. Due to my hypermobility (loose joints) my trainer wouldn't even let me loose on the assisted pull up until I could manage 80lb on the lat pull down and then he started me with a lot of assistance (don't know how much weight but started at level 4), I've gradually increased the difficulty by adding reps and the going up a level once up to 3 sets of 10 and am finally ready to start working on hanging from a bar (no pull ups just hanging).
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    If it is cheating I am a cheater. I did 2 sets of 10 at 120lb assistance today. I have been working on it and am down from 150 lbs.
    Yup 120 lbs is a long way to go to get to 0 but hey it is improvement and I am feeling the difference.
  • JasonRainboze
    JasonRainboze Posts: 168 Member
    Yes you're a cheater. Just kidding.... props for doing it all.... you're already ahead of most people.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    I sure do feel like assisted pull-ups are better than none at all.
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited May 2017
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    If that 300 lb man was drew carey(a former marine) it might not be so bad. If it's Joey Bagadonuts yeah, its an awful idea.

    Note: I didn't say it would be a good idea for Drew Carey, just much less bad.

    "You're the brother of Joey Bag-o-donuts? We love that guy!" -- Head Chef to Mike Birbiglia

    It is only "cheating" if the machine is doing all of the work for you.

    Balance it out with some hangs if you are able and work towards negatives.
    Lat pull-downs should probably be in there somewhere also.

    Simply put, you will almost certainly need to lose weight to do "normal" unassisted pull-ups.
    But the number of people in the gym that think they are "strong" while not being able to do a single pull-up themselves is startling.

    Just keep it up. Decrease the amount of assistance when you can.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    Definitely not cheating....it's modified! You have to keep yourself safe and if doing a assisted pull up is what you can do than do it!!!
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    My goal is to rep 200+ on the bench... but I can only rep 185 at the moment. Is it cheating to use a lighter weight while I work towards my goal? Or should I have a spotter help me do nothing but negative reps on the bench with 200 until I can do a real bench press with that weight?

    /lol
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    First, it's not cheating-it's called an Assistance machine for a reason. ;) That said, I'm not a big fan of the Pull Up assistance machine but in your case I think it's a great place to start. Some other options to work the same muscle groups would be the Seated of Standing Lat Pulldown.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
    Not cheating. I use the machine myself. Have some joint issues in my shoulders.
    Been doing for about 2 months and I definitely getting stronger and using less counterweight.
    I also notice better muscle definition in the arms and shoulders.
  • blakemarshall
    blakemarshall Posts: 17 Member
    Have you tried australian pull ups? Plenty of videos on YouTube
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    It isn't cheating at all. That's kinda like someone thinking it is cheating if they shift into a lower gear on a bicycle when climbing a hill. Straining too hard can result in injury.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories