The Cornerstone of Upper Body Strength: The Pullup

1…457910…13

Replies

  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    This is mostly the reason why boot camp in the military they test you on pullups.

    The only branch I know of which requires pullups for the Physical Readiness Test is the Marines. Good or Bad. US Army is 2 mile run, X Pushups in 2 minutes, and X situps in two minutes depandant on age and gender. Whoops never mind they have just recently changed the test requirement that includes pull ups.
  • BigBrewski
    BigBrewski Posts: 922 Member
    Great post. I cannot do a pull-up and so I have avoided them. I felt like a fool haning on the bar not being able to complete a pull up. Haven't tried chin-up's maybe I can do those and work up to a pull-up? I always thought I would go use the pull-up assist machine but they just didn't feel right.
  • ChadWGreen
    ChadWGreen Posts: 12 Member
    Re-read later
  • rchupka87
    rchupka87 Posts: 543 Member
    Bump! Thank you!!!
  • eknobbe
    eknobbe Posts: 106 Member
    I would love to do a pull up one day! what are your thoughts on using a chair to help when doing pull ups. as suggested on P90X?
  • MariaMariaM
    MariaMariaM Posts: 1,322 Member
    I love this post!
    The satisfaction I get from being able able to do pull ups/chin ups is almost as big as the one I get from getting to the level of fitness/weight I am at today.

    2 years ago, I could do only 1 chin up and 0 pull ups. Today, I can do about 11 - 13 chin ups and 6 - 7 pull ups in a row. These are also full motion ones! I am so proud of this and it is very satisfying to feel people looking at me as I am doing them.

    So in the event of a zombie apocalypse, I will be able to pull myself up with ease and increase my % of survival.
  • MariaMariaM
    MariaMariaM Posts: 1,322 Member
    I would love to do a pull up one day! what are your thoughts on using a chair to help when doing pull ups. as suggested on P90X?

    That is how I started!
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    For those just starting out or struggling with pullups/chin ups ... place a chair in front of you with the seat facing away. Gently place your feet on the back of the chair as doing a pullup. When the chair begins to move or fall towards you stop ... that should signal that you form is going south as you are using too much leg strength to push you up. The chair should be as far away as you can get it and still perform pullups with good form.

    See this image for setup ...
    http://ninja-fitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/TonyHortonChairAssistedPullUps-300x227.jpg

    When I first started, I tried this method and I had a hard time not relying on my legs or figuring if I am using my legs too much. I found negatives more effective, as there's no question that I am using my strength. I was able to do a chin up first, then pull up two days later.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Great post. I cannot do a pull-up and so I have avoided them. I felt like a fool haning on the bar not being able to complete a pull up. Haven't tried chin-up's maybe I can do those and work up to a pull-up? I always thought I would go use the pull-up assist machine but they just didn't feel right.

    Yeah, most strength coaches I've read from say to stay away from the assist machine. Start with the narrow-grip chin-up and narrow-grip neutral grip if you can as those are the easier ranges for chins & pulls.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    bump for future reading
  • FistToTheFace
    FistToTheFace Posts: 22 Member
    bump
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    In response to the Gold Gym pull up bar not allowing for wide grip pull ups, we just got the Iron Gym Extreme Edition one that have a bar for wide gripe. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001ND04U4
  • 19kat55
    19kat55 Posts: 336 Member
    Bump
  • LiftBigtoGetFit
    LiftBigtoGetFit Posts: 3,399 Member
    good read, thanks for the info. i will start adding this into my StrongLifts routine. :drinker:
  • jvheel
    jvheel Posts: 6 Member
    bump
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
    Bump
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Bumpage, good stuff here.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Great info as always Joe. I've never been able to do a pullup my whole life. Now I do 30 broken up in sets three times a week. They're my favorite exercise right now.

    The only exercises that truly matter are the ones that prepare you to fight zombies. Fact.

    Video??
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    <<<Weighted pullups FTW!
    Great post Joe!
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    In response to the Gold Gym pull up bar not allowing for wide grip pull ups, we just got the Iron Gym Extreme Edition one that have a bar for wide gripe. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001ND04U4

    The bar allows for wide grip pullups. It just doesn't allow for a shoulder width grip for chinups, putting your hands too close together, (or way to far apart if using the pullup width).

Categories