I want to do pull-ups in the worst way!!!! Help Me!

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TrophyWifeSass
TrophyWifeSass Posts: 490 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi Peeps! I am having my mid life crisis (@ 42 but I think it has more to do with the 5 kids) and I really, really want to knock out 10 perfect pull up in a row by July. I started Strength training lifting heavy because of what I have read and seen here! Some of you guys and gals are amazing BTW! So my questions are: Is my goal realistic? What kind of weight lifting moves will help me reach this goal? And is two days a week of pumping iron enough or should I increase to 3 days? I run 45 min, outside, 3 days a week, but am willing to adjust. Also I was wondering if I should increase cals to gain muscle or continue in a deficit as I have more fat to lose? Can I really make my muscles stronger in a deficit (I know I can) but can you do it faster and better with more? I eat around 1600-1800 a day and I weigh 166, I am 5' 9" and have lost around 40 pounds over 6 months and went from a size 16/14 to a size 8 idk if you needed all that info but there it is. Thanks friends, most of you ROCK :happy:
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Replies

  • kekl
    kekl Posts: 382 Member
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    bump,because I too want to do pullups!
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    *bump* My upper body strength is sucking more and more. Grrr.
  • thecrossfitter
    thecrossfitter Posts: 424 Member
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    I use resistance bands for my pullups, and gradually move to smaller bands. I am SOOOOO close to getting a pullup with a band. I like the bands, because it allows me to do pullups and still get a good workout. (You string the band to the pull up bar, and then you put your foot through the loops on the bottom.)

    I know that there are a lot of assistance work to get better at pullups, and honestly, I don't know what they are off the top of my head - in fact, my gym recently posted a lot of lifts and other things and what OTHER things you can do to help you get better. I wish I could find it! I'm sure that someone here will be able to give you some though!
  • roberts1013
    roberts1013 Posts: 103 Member
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    I want to be able to do them soo bad too! I cant wait to see what ppl say!
  • manvsfood
    manvsfood Posts: 175 Member
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    I'm improving on my pull-ups!
    When I started P90X I couldn't do one full but NOW I can do 10 chair-assisted pull-ups and 5 regular. I love doing them.

    Good luck, and practice makes perfect.
  • BrendarB
    BrendarB Posts: 2,770 Member
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    also throw in some negative work. instead of pulling up, slowly lower down - you want to take about 3 seconds to reach full extension. Bands are a great way to start - for sure do strength training. Also - look into learning how to do a kipping pullup. this is a great way to start.
  • MMAsac
    MMAsac Posts: 191
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    yo will really need to work your lats. that is hte main muscle group being used to do a pull up. So definetly include heavy weighted Lat pull downs, also dont skimp on the pushups either. The best way at doing pull ups is to practice doing pull ups. some other exercises to help you would be negative pull ups. Stand on something to get your chin higher than the bar, and then slowly (as slow as you can lower yourself). Another thing is to do Assisted pullups, wheather it be with a persons help or a band. Dumbell Rows, and Bicep curls will also help get you to where you need to be, good luck!
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/

    read this. you need to work on things like inverted rows. which are awesome.

    3743CB32D2C136941715AF47C54F6EA.standard.jpg
  • Shizzman
    Shizzman Posts: 527 Member
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    As people have suggested negatives, rows, and band assisted. Also are you currently able to do any pullups? If so just try knocking out more sets of pullups during that day...
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
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    You and I are the same age, height, and size. I am a size 8/10, 5'10, 168 lbs, 42 with three kids. :)

    I started out using the assisted pullup machine at the gym. You can offset the weight by up to 100 lbs, so that you are lifting less than half your body weight. Its taken 4-5 months but I've gone from THREE assisted pullups to 13 unassisted. My trainer insists pushups help with this too - upper body plus working out the core - so she's had me doing military style pushups as well. It takes awhile to build up that much upper body strength, and its an area that us females are lacking in when in comparison to the guys.
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Can you do any pull-ups now?

    Back exercises are your friend... rows and pull downs especially. I think it is important to mix up the amount of weight you are using and the number of reps you do. One day you should go a little lighter, and do sets of 20... and on others go really heavy for sets of 3. Mixing it up will help your muscles grow stronger!

    More then just your back and arms, your core plays a part in pull ups. so things like hanging leg raises which intuitively seems to make no difference for a pull up will actually go a long way in helping you keep your form!

    Can you do chin-ups?
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I already do pull-ups in the WORST way-- namely by cheating!
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
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    This page has a lot of tips and tricks for building up to pull ups!
    Mistressing the Pullup: http://www.stumptuous.com/mistressing-the-pullup
  • zachbbb
    zachbbb Posts: 2
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    You want to do pull ups? Then you should try doing some pull ups. lol I know that's not the answer you were looking for but there is no magic trick or more realistically, no group of exercises that will make you better at pull ups then pull ups. With that being said if you cant do a single pull up, cheat and jump into to the movement hold at the top and slowly release down, also the chair assisted pull up or the bands are other good option. Keep tract of what you do too, even if the numbers are low, that's only because your just starting. 90x help me increase my pull ups, 5 to 20, but that also because 90x requires you to do a lot of pull ups. Getting your weight down will help you too; you'll be literally pull up less weight. Keep in mind the weight loss will only help if you lose weight correctly = fat loss, not muscle loss but seeing you've found this site I more then believe you can knock out that goal of yours. Best of luck to you and remember; if at first you don't succeed, you've fail. But just because you've failed doesn't mean you shouldn't try again.
  • unmitigatedbadassery
    unmitigatedbadassery Posts: 653 Member
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    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/

    read this. you need to work on things like inverted rows. which are awesome.

    3743CB32D2C136941715AF47C54F6EA.standard.jpg

    Exactly what I was going to post! Well done.
  • TallyNick
    TallyNick Posts: 27 Member
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    What Zach said...to become better at pullups - do pullups. use a chair to assist if you can't do your full body weight. Try every day and eventually you will get to unassisted and then work on reps.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    This is my goal too - I just ordered a pull-up bar for home and plan on working negatives to build strength. I also have lat pull-downs in my lifting schedule.
  • janet_pratt
    janet_pratt Posts: 747 Member
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    I've been lifting weights for 3 years and I have a lot of muscle and I'm pretty strong. I can deadlift more than any women in my crossfit class. But I can't do a pull up. I started crossfit in November and they have me use a resistance band for assistance. I'm improving. I can do more assisted ones with better form than I could when I started. Eventually I will lose the bands and do them by kipping, till I'm better at that and then move to a strict pull up. I think the only way to be able to do pull ups is to just do them. Start with bands and work your way up.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    I am pushing 48, I can do 40 + pull ups on any given day - love 'em!

    There is only ONE WAY to learn to do a pull up - no other way! And this is true for men and women, so it's not a man thing.
    You must get on that bar. Just get on that bar and just hang there for as long as you can. Second step is to lower the bar about waist high and lay under it, then reach up and grab hold and pull yourself up for as many times as you can.
    Do this every day.

    And every day between hanging and laying, try to do a pull-up dead hang.
    After a week or so, you will notice something. You will be able to pull yourself up more and more, then one day - BANG!
    You just did a pull up!

    And in a few weeks, BANG - two, then three and in a few months - six, eight and ten.

    That's how it's done!
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
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    I've been lifting weights for 3 years and I have a lot of muscle and I'm pretty strong. I can deadlift more than any women in my crossfit class. But I can't do a pull up.

    Besides being in crossfit, this is my situation pretty much exactly. My lat pulldowns are at 130lbs now and my back and shoulders are very strong. Pullups have been the bane of my fitness. I've gotten closer to pulling myself up, but haven't even managed to do one yet. People who tell me they can do pullups, unless they are completely ripped or completely thin and light as air, I don't believe them until they show me the video proof, lol. That's just the way it is, lol.

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