Pull ups!

So who can do a pull up? Or several? How long did it take you to be able to do one? Or could you always do one? I can't even do one! My housemates have a pull up bar so I've been trying every day... I'm buying 3kg dumbells tomorrow in the hopes it will make my arms stronger (providing I actually use them!) Do you think it will work? Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can master the pull up bar?

The main muscle used in the pull-up are the Lats, along with rear Deltoids, a little bit of Rhomboid action, and the Biceps. Six pound dumbbell curls will do nothing for you.

Do a search on this site for pull-ups, there was a pretty decent thread about improving your pull-ups. To improve at pull-ups you really just need to do pull-ups. One can argue that heavy rowing like (sets of 5 to 6 reps) will also help you build Lat strength to help with pull-ups.

Lat pulldowns are essentially the same excercise if you can't do a pullup btw. Also, lying pullovers are a great way to add strength to your lats to build up the strength to do a pullover if you're looking for an excercise to help you out.

I can do 7 in one set fwiw. I can do 8 when done as chin ups (palms facing face and closer together).

I leave my bar hanging up on the door all day so when I go past with nothing in my hands, I attempt a pull up. After time I assume I just gained strength and managed one! So I'll continue to do that and see if it helps along with my actual lifting schedule.

I started by doing the jumping to get me up in the first place, as long as it isn't an erratic movement it'll do no harm unless you have previous back/shoulder problems.

What's a pullover?

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/BBPullover.html

Pull ups are awesome! For myself, I prefer chin ups...not because they are easier, but I don't 'curl'...and so prefer the extra biceps work.

Negatives work...though I've always been able to do at least one or so. When I was improving, I'd do 1-2, then do negatives till I couldn't anymore.

Now, I'm doing 5x bodyweight, 5x10lbs (added weight), 5x15lbs, 5x 20lbs, 5x10lbs, 6x5lbs...5 sets total. I could probably do 10 or so in a row, though I've never tried.

Just KEEP AT IT! You'll get them .

So who can do a pull up? Or several? How long did it take you to be able to do one? Or could you always do one? I can't even do one! My housemates have a pull up bar so I've been trying every day... I'm buying 3kg dumbells tomorrow in the hopes it will make my arms stronger (providing I actually use them!) Do you think it will work? Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can master the pull up bar?

The main muscle used in the pull-up are the Lats, along with rear Deltoids, a little bit of Rhomboid action, and the Biceps. Six pound dumbbell curls will do nothing for you.

Do a search on this site for pull-ups, there was a pretty decent thread about improving your pull-ups. To improve at pull-ups you really just need to do pull-ups. One can argue that heavy rowing like (sets of 5 to 6 reps) will also help you build Lat strength to help with pull-ups.

I think this is the one you are referring to:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/646798-the-cornerstone-of-upper-body-strength-the-pullup

In summary, the best way to build up to them is by doing negatives.

I was also going to suggest the thread mentioned a couple posts ago :-)

I can do 3 and it surprisingly didn't take me a long time at all. Maybe less than a month?

I put the pull up bar in the living room doorway. So everytime I had to go to the bathrooom or kitchen or go back to my bedroom, I would do a pull up. I started out just trying to pull myself up. Then gradually, I was able to pull myself higher and higher. Until I could do a full pull up. So now I can do 3.

This is what I did, too (on nnylee's suggestion)...except my bar is in my bathroom. It took me about two months to finally do a real overhand pull-up, but I finally got there. Also, my bar has another set of handles that are perpendicular to the bar, and these make pull-ups much easier...so, I did my first pull-up on those bars and that gave the motivation to keep trying for overhand pull-ups. Aside from all that, when I do assisted pull-ups w/ a chair for P90X, I try to be really conscious not to put too much weight on the chair and really try to make myself struggle with each assisted pull-up (and not rely on my legs).

Lastly, I remember reading on one of these boards someone saying your first pull-up "just happens" (rather than you slowly inch closer and closer or see more progressive results), and that's so true. I remember thinking it'd be several months before I could do a pull-up, and I wasn't seeing much difference in my assisted pull-ups two months in...and the all of sudden, one night I'm getting ready for bed and walk up to bar...and bam! I did a pull-up! So, stick with it!

If you don't have access to an assisted pull up/chin up machine, you can get a set of these assistance bands- they look like large rubber bands- that can help you build your way to being able to do a pull up. I can't do one yet, but I'm shooting for an unassisted chin up by the end of the summer.

Example of the resistance bands:

This is great advice!

i started with the assisted machine, slowly decreased the weight on it over a period of months... this past week i did unassisted for the 1st time and did 15! lots and lots of practice. I know on youtube there is some guy named scooby and he has a trick for doing your 1st pull-ups. you should look him up.

Try negatives, try assisted (cheat), keep trying!

I couldn't do one single pull up 20 years ago and maybe managed one or two chin ups at most. Now I can do plyo pull ups launching myself upwards to grab a second pull up bar 15 inches above the first. I like to do pull up circuits - up, out, down, in, out , up, in, down. :-D

I started with negative chin-ups like 3 weeks ago.

I *almost* did a real one today.

Now I'm going to have to give this a try too... I am nearly at the 'real' push-up stage, so why not