Best Way to Learn How to do Pull Ups

[Keltron]

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

I'm not trying to take things out of context, I'm just trying to take you through a thought pattern.

So you wouldn't really compare power cleans to upright rows because even though the weight is moving in a similar path, they are two different movements w/diffrent purposes. Would you say a power clean is a cheated version of an upright row because you're using explosiveness and momentum to get the bar up right?

[Jay Rawd]

Uh oh, the stabilization freaks are coming...

[jShock]

http://kayak-fitness.kayaklakemead.c...beginners.html

[nitrotxtt]

Assisted pull ups and hanging scapular adduction.

Agree. Assisted pull ups are the way to go. Before you even get into pull ups you should be doing some light pull downs or other back exercises that can work those muscles before they chump into pull ups.

[Keltron]

The only time I'd use the lat pull down to build strength for a pull up is if there is no band strong enough to hold their weight or give them enough assistance to pull themselves up.

Another thing I'd try before resorting to the lat pull down or the assisted machine:
Set up a bar high in the squat rack or smith machine. Place a small stool under the bar. Grab the bar then put the feet toe side down on the stool/box. Lower slowly to a dead hang and then use knee and ankle flexion to assist in brining yourself up. I like this better because you can give yourself the least help where your strongest and the most help where your weakest. The lat pulldown and assisted machine won't give you this kind of variety. If they're still too weak for this, then they can modify their foot position ie on the balls of their feet instead of toe nails.. if this is still too hard then they can place their feet flat.

And btw, kipping pull ups, though they serve a different purpose than standard pull ups, WILL slightly help w/standard pull up numbers.

[broscience_wiki]

Uh oh, the stabilization freaks are coming...

lol nobody... move...

they detect destablised movements and weak cores...

but to add to the topic, yes you do 'learn' how to do pull ups as well

as someone said, correct form, but not just that

also learning things like which muscles are really being used, how different methods work, etc...

[BSCSCS]

Come on guys. Seriously...

We all know the best way to learn how to do a pull-up is to do them in a wind tunnel while somebody is shooting paintballs at your midsection to activate as much as the transverse abdominis as possible.

Forget about silly assisted pu and pulldowns grandpa.

[Keltron]

speaking of stablization, let's have our middle-aged, overweight female clients do some single arm dumbell chest presses while laying on a ball instead of progressing them towards push ups.

[laz76]

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.

Couldn't agree more, I do the exact same things, but I've found for someone pretty close to getting a couple of reps on their own, jumping pullups and negatives get them past that plateau the fastest.

[Keltron]

Couldn't agree more, I do the exact same things, but I've found for someone pretty close to getting a couple of reps on their own, jumping pullups and negatives get them past that plateau the fastest.

You mean combining them? like jumping on the concentric and doing a slow negative on the eccentric? I'll have to try that.

[Jay Rawd]

So no one exactly has explained why the assisted machine is not a good idea.

[laz76]

You mean combining them? like jumping on the concentric and doing a slow negative on the eccentric? I'll have to try that.

Yeah, exactly. They jump up to the bar on the concentric, make sure they have a good scapular retraction, and then a slow negative to the bottom.

So no one exactly has explained why the assisted machine is not a good idea.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I don't think it's the best way to get someone close to doing a pullup. If a client can't do a pullup with a band, or with some light assistance from me, and they can only do the assisted pullup with a good amount of help on the weight, they're just not strong enough for a pullup, simple as that.

[Jay Rawd]

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I don't think it's the best way to get someone close to doing a pullup. If a client can't do a pullup with a band, or with some light assistance from me, and they can only do the assisted pullup with a good amount of help on the weight, they're just not strong enough for a pullup, simple as that.

What's your point?

Why isn't it the best way? Notice you provided no explanation. All you said was "if you have to use the assisted machine, you're weak". Umm no ****.

[Al Shades]

Can't believe this hasn't been mentioned:



It's a basic, bread-and-butter bodyweight exercise, the natural precursor to vertical pullups from a dead hang. All of my clients learn it as part of the "beginner's circuit" that I teach them when we first meet.

Also, this thread belongs in the exercise forum.

[Keltron]

So no one exactly has explained why the assisted machine is not a good idea.

read...

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.

and read some more...

The only time I'd use the lat pull down to build strength for a pull up is if there is no band strong enough to hold their weight or give them enough assistance to pull themselves up.

Another thing I'd try before resorting to the lat pull down or the assisted machine:
Set up a bar high in the squat rack or smith machine. Place a small stool under the bar. Grab the bar then put the feet toe side down on the stool/box. Lower slowly to a dead hang and then use knee and ankle flexion to assist in brining yourself up. I like this better because you can give yourself the least help where your strongest and the most help where your weakest. The lat pulldown and assisted machine won't give you this kind of variety. If they're still too weak for this, then they can modify their foot position ie on the balls of their feet instead of toe nails.. if this is still too hard then they can place their feet flat.

And btw, kipping pull ups, though they serve a different purpose than standard pull ups, WILL slightly help w/standard pull up numbers.

I also think it's pretty funny how you've deduced that I'm a dynadisc, bosu loving "stablization freak" just because I said the word "stablization" once. I thought I was an annoying middle-eastern

Can't believe this hasn't been mentioned:



It's a basic, bread-and-butter bodyweight exercise, the natural precursor to vertical pullups from a dead hang. All of my clients learn it as part of the "beginner's circuit" that I teach them when we first meet.

Also, this thread belongs in the exercise forum.

This is an awesome exercise. It's really good for people who aren't ready for the positioning and body mechanics of the bent over row

[kserajuddin]

So no one exactly has explained why the assisted machine is not a good idea.

I've used the assisted machine to get some people that you think had no chance to learn to do pull-ups, so if anyone think it's not a good choice, I'd have to disagree -

[Jay Rawd]

read...

and read some more...
I also think it's pretty funny how you've deduced that I'm a dynadisc, bosu loving "stablization freak" just because I said the word "stablization" once. I thought I was an annoying middle-eastern

This is an awesome exercise. It's really good for people who aren't ready for the positioning and body mechanics of the bent over row

What kind of Middle Eastern guy is named Jim Bob McGee? Are you one of those Doug Flutie types?

[BSCSCS]

What kind of Middle Eastern guy is named Jim Bob McGee? Are you one of those Doug Flutie types?

Do we really have to distinguish between an annoying middle easterner and a regular middle easterner?

[Keltron]

Do we really have to distinguish between an annoying middle easterner and a regular middle easterner?

you like them equally eh?

[BSCSCS]

you like them equally eh?

Do we need to add a category? Middle Easterner that can't take a joke? :0)

[MateusMcClay]

Can't believe this hasn't been mentioned:



It's a basic, bread-and-butter bodyweight exercise, the natural precursor to vertical pullups from a dead hang. All of my clients learn it as part of the "beginner's circuit" that I teach them when we first meet.

Also, this thread belongs in the exercise forum.

look at post #6. your pic is more of a row tho. here's the rack chin that I was talking about (minus the 125lb dumbell tho lol). Ideally, you would want your pull to be from the same angle as a pullup.