Pull ups

mmk137
mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I want to be able to do a pull up. Yesterday I tired to do one, (while my daughter was playing at the playground, I was attempting to do one on the monkey bars), and I could only bring myself up a few cm/in.
So what exercises can I do to improve my strength to do a pull up.

tia.

edit:. I should also note, that back in 2006 I injured my left shoulder (completely froze up and I could not move it at all). Now that I have lost weight, I'm finding that my left shoulder is a lot weaker than my right side.

Replies

  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    do more pulllups
    also benching, lat pulldowns
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    The best excersize to gain enough strength for pull ups, are pull ups.

    Use whatever assistance you need to get up to the bar, then lower yourself slowely without assistance.
  • mmk137
    mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
    ok thanks, this is good to know.

    now to find myself a pull up bar, so I can practice at home.
  • Actually_Mike
    Actually_Mike Posts: 61 Member
    Pull ups are also a little easier if you have your palms facing you rather than facing outward :)
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    you should sign up for a gym...mine's only 20 bucks a month
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Definitely just keep doing pull-ups, as much or as many as you can. If you can only do partials then just do as many partials as you can until you progress. Start with palms facing you as they're the easiest version to do. Other than that, heavy dumbell or barbell rows can help develop those muscles and to a slight degree lat pulldowns but keep the weight heavy. Maybe 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 7 reps tops.
  • good2bthaking
    good2bthaking Posts: 325 Member
    also, if you can get to a gym, see if they have the resistance machine. You only use portion of your weight but can still work on form. Same holds true for the dip machine also. I like it because I can still get good pull up workout in and I have definitely seen the improvement. Good luck!!
  • medennison123
    medennison123 Posts: 191 Member
    any rowing movement be it cable or free weight will help.
  • HopeBay
    HopeBay Posts: 32
    You can also pick up one of those rubber physio bands. You tie it around the bar and put one foot in it. It helps you so you aren't lifting your entire body weight at the beginning. As you get stronger you switch how tense a band you use until you can do them on your own. There are some links on you tube under "assisted pull ups".
  • Sp1nGoddess
    Sp1nGoddess Posts: 1,134 Member
    I'm working on pull ups too! I started by using a low bar (body weight rows), you can also work on them by using a chair to assist.

    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/

    Good luck!
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    If you go to a gym, look for this machine. I love it.

    Assisted-Pull-up-Machine.gif
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
    Here's a really good tutorial for beginner pull ups:
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/

    I think doing negatives are one of the best ways you can grow into true pullups.
  • HeealthyMee
    HeealthyMee Posts: 62 Member
    Same here! It's been my mission at the gym, amongst other things. I use the assisted pull up machine and am slowly decreasing the amount of weight I need to get the job done. If you belong to a gym - you could use the same one as I think most gyms have it.
  • randall774
    randall774 Posts: 37
    wide grip pull ups are a great compound exercise. the best way to get good at them is to attept as many as u can 4 times every time you hit the gym. superset these with lat pull downs as these are a similar movement.

    close grip pull ups are a bit more isolated in that they dont have as big an overall impact on the back, and is mainly bicep power lifting you up. same principal as above to get better with these, but superset with some dumbell curls instead of lat pull downs.

    the wide grip are better in my opinion and worth the effort to improve on.

    hope this helped.
  • mmk137
    mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
    I live in a small town, and our gym is crap... I mean seriously it's rubbish! Hence why I do stuff at home. That and I'm also a single mum, so spending money on a gym membership that I can only use a handful of times a month is not worth it in my opinion.

    But I will take on board everything you have mentioned. Off to look at this website now.
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    Pull ups are also a little easier if you have your palms facing you rather than facing outward :)

    That's not a pull up, that's a chin up. Chin ups are more bicep dominate than pull ups which are more lat dominate.
  • aggiesrar05
    aggiesrar05 Posts: 335 Member
    Since I started CrossFit a pull up has become one of my goals. They start us out with resistance bands to help build get strong enough to be able to do body weight pullups. This video describes it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TindOf7zyXM&feature=related

    The resistance bands come in all sorts of sizes and the bigger/stronger they are the easier it is (gradually go move down in size as you get stronger). Here is a link for the bands. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053ZAVRY/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_d2_g200_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0AKW2YGC1ZFVV6MFFRFM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

    Good luck!!
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    Sort of similar to couch to 5k

    http://twentypullups.com/
  • mmk137
    mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
    i have many resistance bands, so at least now I know I can use that. I will invest in a pull up bar soon, for the time being I'll just hve to use the monkey bars at the playground.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Our gym has a pull up/dip assist machine. That would be the best way to do it... That way you are not puling up your full weight. Also, any exercise that causes contraction of the biceps and back muscles such as curls, seated row, lat pull down, etc should help somewhat. As many have said... continued work on the assisted pull up will work best then decrease weight... DO not overdo that shoulder though... You don't want back in the same boat. Get with a personal trainer and have him/her help you .. make sure they know about that shoulder though!
  • peaceinside
    peaceinside Posts: 272
    Here's a really good tutorial for beginner pull ups:
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/

    I think doing negatives are one of the best ways you can grow into true pullups.
    Great link, thanks for posting!
    Peace
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/04/25/do-a-pull-up/
  • makeitbetter
    makeitbetter Posts: 40
    You can build up strength for pull ups with: inverted body rows (a horizontal pull up, feet resting on floor or chair), negatives (a reverse pull up - jump up on the bar so your chin is over the bar then slowly lower yourself), and assisted pull ups (with a machine, with bands, or with one foot on a chair). You can also try chin ups (palms facing you) since they're easier. Assisted pull ups and inverted rows are easier than negatives, in my experience. You can use all of these in progression as you get stronger.
  • rkr22401
    rkr22401 Posts: 216 Member
    Two things have worked for me:

    1) Use a stool and provide just enough assistance with your legs to get over the bar, then leave the stool and do a negative (resist as best you can on the way down). This is the method recommended for P90X beginners.

    2) Momentum...Adjust your distance to the bar so your feet are on a stable surface then slightly jump towards the bar while pulling with all your might. Then do a negative back to the bottom. When I first read about this technique, I thought it would be easier than using a chair. For some reason my lats are much more sore after using momentum than with a lat pulldown machine or chair.

    Hope this helps.
  • JonesJennings
    JonesJennings Posts: 59 Member
    You could try doing straight legs assisted pull ups. From the British Army Fitness Guide (Sam Murphy, 2009):

    "Place a broomstick over two sturdy chairs that are placed close together.
    Take hold of the broomstick with an underhand grip, arms shoulder-width apart, and lift your body clear of the floor, keeping knees bent, and feet on the floor. Then bend the elbows to bring the chest up towards the broomstick.
    Pause then lower and repeat. To make the excercise harder, straighten your legs."

    The illustration shows a student in a sort of upside-down press up position, pulling up to the bar.

    Hope this helps. Good luck!
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    Do what is called NEGATIVE Pull ups. If you google it you will see it in action. Works. Never mind lat pull downs etc

    Basically you just do the down part of the pull up, slowly and controlled, and then build up from there.
  • mmk137
    mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
    Just want to say thank you to everyone that posted.

    I've taken on all your comments, and links, and it has really helped.

    I'm hoping to get some personal training sessions some time this year... however house repairs take a priority over pt sessions *sigh*.
    However I will not let that get in my way of this goal. Yes I have this as a goal. I've got it down on my goal list (i do a goal list every week), and I will achieve it this year.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Well, it appears with suggestions such as using stools and negatives, plus the links, you've got what I think you need to crack pull ups. I was about to suggest what has been written as my training partners have used them and gone from zero to 10+ pull ups (not chin ups!).

    If you have access to monkey bars, that's all you need. For assistance, put one or two feet on the ladder you climbed up to reach the bars - the more relaxed your legs, the harder it is. Also try dead hangs (just hang) and locked off hangs (elbows locked at different angles).
    You could try doing straight legs assisted pull ups. From the British Army Fitness Guide (Sam Murphy, 2009):

    "Place a broomstick over two sturdy chairs that are placed close together.
    Take hold of the broomstick with an underhand grip, arms shoulder-width apart, and lift your body clear of the floor, keeping knees bent, and feet on the floor. Then bend the elbows to bring the chest up towards the broomstick.
    Pause then lower and repeat. To make the excercise harder, straighten your legs."

    The illustration shows a student in a sort of upside-down press up position, pulling up to the bar.

    This should be done as well but it's a horizontal row. I like pulling my body towards the pole then reaching up with one hand beyond it before lowering. Kinda simulates climbing on steep overhangs.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    A friend of mine used to struggle with pullups.

    He asked me how I did them and it turned out he wasn't really doing the movement correctly.

    I told him to imagine that it was a door shutter that he was trying to pull down, rather then thinking about trying to lift himself up. So perhaps look at it that instead of trying to get yourself up to the bar, try to pull the bar down to you...
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