Best Way to Learn How to do Pull Ups

[STRENGTH COACH]

So what does everyone think, this is for someone that can't do any but really wants to be able to do them

-flexed arm hang?
-Negatives?
-Heavy Lat Pulldown? Around the 6 rep range,


Combination of all 3?

Something different?

[dshinton]

I always use the assisted pull-up machine. Over time I lower the counterweight until they are doing them on their own.

EDIT: If you don't have the machine you can use bands to assist regular pulls

[Lasharm]

Assisted pull ups and hanging scapular adduction.

[Keltron]

I try to stay away from the assisted pull up and assisted dip and use bands instead. The platform takes out the instability element of the whole thing. I just use thick bands.

But I like to try a combination of things.. negatives, jumping pull ups, band assisted pull ups.

Another thing that works great is self assisted pull ups. Have them set up a bar in a squat rack @ a height where if they reach up while on their knees, they can just reach the bar. Now, have them pull themselves up while spotting themselves by pushing off of their toes.

[Corp_T]

I built my way up to unassisted pull-ups with bands under one knee and then later with my leg out on a chair back to take a little weight off when needed.

[MateusMcClay]

all of these will help. i would also add rack chins to the list too

[xxsupergman25xx]

i went from being able to not do any bodyweight to 10-15 in about 5 months.
i started with assisted pullups and slowly worked my way up using different reps and different sets.

[bnice500]

Have the client hang from the pull up bar with flexed knees. As the trainer, stand behind them and place their feet up against your thighs (their toes should be pointing towards the ground.) Your (trainer's) hands should be cupping the ankles. Ask the client to commence. He/she will be able to do multiple pull ups, trust me. As the client struggles, they will place more weight on your thighs with their feet. I had a client who has female who wanted to pull ups but could not do any. During her first attempt she did it this way and she was able to do 9. It was a great ego boost for her because she didn't want to use the assisted pull up machine. Try it.

[Jay Rawd]

So what does everyone think, this is for someone that can't do any but really wants to be able to do them

-flexed arm hang?
-Negatives?
-Heavy Lat Pulldown? Around the 6 rep range,


Combination of all 3?

Something different?

Assisted pullup machine. Work your way up from the bottom up. I started out at 40 lb. less than what I weighed and can now hang 30 lb. from my legs while doing it for reps.

[Jay Rawd]

I try to stay away from the assisted pull up and assisted dip and use bands instead. The platform takes out the instability element of the whole thing. I just use thick bands.

But I like to try a combination of things.. negatives, jumping pull ups, band assisted pull ups.

Another thing that works great is self assisted pull ups. Have them set up a bar in a squat rack @ a height where if they reach up while on their knees, they can just reach the bar. Now, have them pull themselves up while spotting themselves by pushing off of their toes.

Why stay away from it

[Jack_Lupino]

Why stay away from it

the assisted pullup/dip is one of the best machines in any gym.

not just for people who can't do body weight but for people who can and just want to rep it out. for example:

anyone tried doing a set of asst. narrow grip pull ups immediately after an ab exercise? used to be my favorite thing to do before i found planks.

also, something about the mechanics of the dip on this thing seems to hit my chest harder than body weight dips. i'm not sure if it's just the difference in handles or angle or having the pad under the shins or what but i like it.

[Simmo0508]

Assisted pullup machine, and building strength in the upper body in general. If someone doesn't have the strength, they don't have the strength.

Just like anything else, build them up to it and work on things gradually.

If your studio doesn't have an assisted pullup machine, then use a few step platforms from the cardio room etc. to get the person to a higher starting point on a regular pullup (instead of arms being fully stretched out initially). Have a spotter, and work with a smaller range of motion, whilst the spotter obviously supports and corrects form. If they can get a few out, that's alright. Better than not trying at all.

[Austin109]

rack chins are amazing for building strength for pull ups.

[Onisac]

Do pull-downs build any strength for pull-ups? I usually use my assisted pull-up machine at the gym but it's a air compression machine so it seems very innacurate. Hard to keep track with it.

[notgumbel]

Good thread!

[2020Wellness]

Pullups with their feet on a fitball, or kneeling on an upside down bosu ball

Better yet, make them do them on a bar that is only supported on a string so they completely lose stability

**Do not take this advice seriously**

[kserajuddin]

Best IMO is foot on a chair - as you get better, put the chair farther and farther a way - I use this one to force reps at the end of sets -

Thanks to Mr. P90X Tony Horton for this one.

[Keltron]

Why stay away from it

the assisted pullup/dip is one of the best machines in any gym.

not just for people who can't do body weight but for people who can and just want to rep it out. for example:

anyone tried doing a set of asst. narrow grip pull ups immediately after an ab exercise? used to be my favorite thing to do before i found planks.

also, something about the mechanics of the dip on this thing seems to hit my chest harder than body weight dips. i'm not sure if it's just the difference in handles or angle or having the pad under the shins or what but i like it.

Well it's definitely not a bad machine and it has it's benefits but due to the fact that your lower body is sort of stablized on a platform, I think the use of assistance from a band or a spot closer mimics an actual pull up.

So in terms of simply getting one closer to their first pull up, would a band work better than the machine? For most people, yes... Can they still see some good progress w/the machine? You betcha.

[theapexxxx]

the assisted pullup/dip is one of the best machines in any gym.

not just for people who can't do body weight but for people who can and just want to rep it out. for example:

anyone tried doing a set of asst. narrow grip pull ups immediately after an ab exercise? used to be my favorite thing to do before i found planks.

also, something about the mechanics of the dip on this thing seems to hit my chest harder than body weight dips. i'm not sure if it's just the difference in handles or angle or having the pad under the shins or what but i like it.

A bench placed under the bar would work better than any assisted chin machine out there.
Using your legs for the assist allows you to control how much weight your pulling to the bar.
It allows you to perform more reps during a set. You can start of using all your BW, then as you fatigue your legs help more and more allowing more forced reps than you would with an assisted chin machine.

A bench also allows you to do negatives as well. Weighted negatives, IMO, are what helped me out the greatest when I was having a hard time doing pullups.

I would choose to use a bench under the bar any day over an assisted chins machine.

[trulyhuge1]

Have any of you tried rack chins? Those are the only chinups I do.

[Jack_Lupino]

A bench placed under the bar would work better than any assisted chin machine out there.
Using your legs for the assist allows you to control how much weight your pulling to the bar.
It allows you to perform more reps during a set. You can start of using all your BW, then as you fatigue your legs help more and more allowing more forced reps than you would with an assisted chin machine.

A bench also allows you to do negatives as well. Weighted negatives, IMO, are what helped me out the greatest when I was having a hard time doing pullups.

I would choose to use a bench under the bar any day over an assisted chins machine.

okay but while we're on the subject the door swings both ways...
ever seen anyone "kipping" ? (ya know, probably the same guys that bench doing a half wheel pose) i seen a big dude do like 37 chins this way.

in this instance i would say someone could reap more benefit from the machine because it would eliminate the temptation/possibility to utilize momentum while keeping the core at least somewhat active.

not to mention a lot of people (especially ones who can't do a body weight chin up) might not feel comfortable wandering into the Men's section of the gym to perform half-ass pulls...

[skyheart]

You don't "learn" how to do pull ups. You just get stronger over time. There are no tricks.

[theapexxxx]

okay but while we're on the subject the door swings both ways...
ever seen anyone "kipping" ? (ya know, probably the same guys that bench doing a half wheel pose) i seen a big dude do like 37 chins this way.

in this instance i would say someone could reap more benefit from the machine because it would eliminate the temptation/possibility to utilize momentum while keeping the core at least somewhat active.

not to mention a lot of people (especially ones who can't do a body weight chin up) might not feel comfortable wandering into the Men's section of the gym to perform half-ass pulls...

If someone is "kipping" as you refer it. Then they are cheating themselves. They probably stop doing assisted pull ups when it starts getting hard too.

And if they are worried about what people are going to think, then they are simply going to fail in the end.

[theapexxxx]

You don't "learn" how to do pull ups. You just get stronger over time. There are no tricks.

There is proper form though.

[Jack_Lupino]

If someone is "kipping" as you refer it. Then they are cheating themselves. They probably stop doing assisted pull ups when it starts getting hard too.

And if they are worried about what people are going to think, then they are simply going to fail in the end.

A) people love to cheat, watch the high school and college crowd "bench"

B) I spent the first half of my life worrying about what people thought...

but yeah, you've already voiced your opinion of me previously... regardless, i can do pull ups of every kind now... fingertips are my fave.

[Keltron]

kipping pull ups are a different exercise and serve a different purpose than standard pull ups... so for that sake, theyre irrelevant in this thread.

[Jack_Lupino]

kipping pull ups are a different exercise and serve a different purpose than standard pull ups... so for that sake, theyre irrelevant in this thread.

and that purpose would be? and they're irrelevant because?

[Keltron]

and that purpose would be? and they're irrelevant because?

Well, how do you feel about power cleans as opposed to upright rows?

[Jack_Lupino]

Well, how do you feel about power cleans as opposed to upright rows?

yay! let's take things out of context and make an analogy for the sake of argument...

[Jack_Lupino]

There is proper form though.

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