use smith machine bar in an incline as alternative???

[natuk]

Hey I'm currently on the LiveFit plan and the first exercise for my workout on Day 36 is "Wide Grip Overhand Pullups" which I am definitely not strong enough to do! Jamie says "use smith machine bar in an incline as alternative". I'm just wondering what the actually means. Does that mean lie on an incline bench and pull up on the bar?

Thanks
Nat

[kimm4]

Hey I'm currently on the LiveFit plan and the first exercise for my workout on Day 36 is "Wide Grip Overhand Pullups" which I am definitely not strong enough to do! Jamie says "use smith machine bar in an incline as alternative". I'm just wondering what the actually means. Does that mean lie on an incline bench and pull up on the bar?

Thanks
Nat

I'm not able to do pullups because of a shoulder injury. I do rack chins and supine rows instead. It's not exact, but it's a pretty close substitute.

[Fitboss68]

when I do those I don't have a bench. I keep my feet on the floor and body straight.

I also do them with the TRX

[ladyhutch]

Does your gym have an assisted dip/chin? I've been using that for pull ups.

[natuk]

I'm not able to do pullups because of a shoulder injury. I do rack chins and supine rows instead. It's not exact, but it's a pretty close substitute.

Ah ok that makes more sense now thanks. I'm guessing Jamie means pull up from a bench though?

[natuk]

Does your gym have an assisted dip/chin? I've been using that for pull ups.

No it doesn't unfortunately

[kimm4]

Ah ok that makes more sense now thanks. I'm guessing Jamie means pull up from a bench though?

I'm not sure? I've never looked at her program.

[DivaJana]

Ah ok that makes more sense now thanks. I'm guessing Jamie means pull up from a bench though?

I don't think so. I believe she is referring to Rack Chins as posted above it can be done on Rack or smith machine in the same manner.

a good substitute can also be Lat pull down using wide overhand grip.

[cherreholley]

I am in the same boat. i have been researching incline smith machine pullups. lower the bar on rhe smith machine and place your body at an incline (no bench) for pull ups. google came up with some videos to help me understand it..I was thinking the same thing. Best wishes!

[TLTrooper]

If you have a lat pull down machine available to you, use that but without the knee pads securing you to the machine. That obviously wont help 100% but it will help because you're not using your legs to anchor you to the machine.

[Fiction2Fitness]

I've tried using the smith machine before. You don't need a bench. You just have your body at an incline and pull yourself towards the bar. Your feet don't leave the ground but you can work lower, which is easier for pulling the body up towards the bar and work your way up. It's kind of like how one can start by using a wall to try doing pushups before working lower to bars and benches before being able to do a push up on the ground. Only, it's the opposite direction from lower to higher.

And the smith machine is how I sometimes have done my couple of chin-ups and one pull-up I've been able to do. I can't reach the bar at some gyms, so instead put the smith machine at the higher spot and use that bar to try and do the pull-ups.

That's how I perceive of it anyways. I should probably work on those one of these days as I haven't worked on pull-ups in over a month.

[LunaLifts]

I'm more of a fan of negatives when it comes to working up to pull ups. You just jump into the top pull up position, and lower yourself as slow as you possibly can, and repeat.

[Artemis00]

The bench is just a way of making the body weight rows (that is what I'm used to calling them) harder. By placing your feet on the bench, it results in more of your body weight being transferred to your arms than your feet...that is as long as you didn't adjust the height of the bar. That needs to stay the same otherwise you defeated the purpose of putting your legs on the bench.

[inkedcat9]

Rack chins with a slow controlled motion, even if your feet are not on a bench, are still challenging.

[itsagoodday]

The bench is just a way of making the body weight rows (that is what I'm used to calling them) harder.

Yeah, I also know them as a type of row. I know them as Inverted Rows or Australian Pull Ups. Australian because you get down under the bar lol.

Edit: Oh crap, just noticed this was a really old post.