How do I become able to do pull ups?

[carclar]

I am mystified about this. I am unable to do pull / chin ups, and I don't know how to go about being able to do them. In the gym I don't have access to an assisted pull up machine. It's a case of get a step, hold onto the bars and off you go. So I just hang there, and grunt much to everyone elses amusement :-(
Are there other things I can be doing to help build whatever muscles I use to do pull ups?
At this stage I am living in hope that when I drop the 28Ibs I wanna drop I'll magically be able to do them.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

C

[Euqinom]

I am mystified about this. I am unable to do pull / chin ups, and I don't know how to go about being able to do them. In the gym I don't have access to an assisted pull up machine. It's a case of get a step, hold onto the bars and off you go. So I just hang there, and grunt much to everyone elses amusement :-(
Are there other things I can be doing to help build whatever muscles I use to do pull ups?
At this stage I am living in hope that when I drop the 28Ibs I wanna drop I'll magically be able to do them.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

C

Lat pulls, heavy rows, negatives and maybe use a band (loop like jumpstretch) to assist you.
For me, doing AGVT helped with going from no pull ups to a few. It's worth your while.

[joyce261]

The bands helped me learn to do pullups much better than the assisted pullup machine at the gym. I thought this was strange since the bands assist only at the bottom of the movement while the assisted pullup machine provides equal assistance throughout. But whatever the reason, the bands were much better.

[bosgirlin09]

Can you jump and pull yourself over the bar and just hang there in that position? I started that way and worked with holding myself up as long as I could and then trying a slow decline.

[nakedbabytoes]

I have heard that the negative(jumping up on the bar, then slowly lowering your body down to dead hang) builds more muscle than going up. So you are supposed to do that for a while I guess.
I did p90x for 13 weeks and still couldn't do 1 single unassisted pull up/chin up. Now I'm doing a Starting Strength lifting routine plus a program called "12 BX"(pull ups & push ups program). I am on week 6 and can do 4 unassisted pull ups now.
Yay me!!!
Basically, the 12 BX guy has you use bands(candoo) and multiple reps in different hand positions. We do 98 reps total 2 x a week on each level. Each level gets harder but you progressively build the muscle to support the pull ups gradually.
I see results. I've impressed kids on the playground with my newfound success. I was at the park the other day and jumped up on the monkey bars & ripped out 3 pull ups. This group of kids playing tag all stopped & watched me finish & said "Wow! That's cool!"
Lol!
Made the work worthwhile, I tell ya!

[kdiamond55]

It took me 6 months to do one unassisted pullup (now I can do about 5) and that was practicing 2-3x a week using a band to assist.

It is one of the hardest things for a female to do, says my Crossfit instructor.

[l3al3yJane]

One of the best things I did was to buy one of those home pull up bars from Wal-mart for $20 and put it in a door frame that I pass frequently while I am at home. Each time I went past I would jump up to do a negative or two until I finally stopped needing to jump I also found that doing heavy lat pull downs helped. When I'm practicing for pull-ups I do them kneeling instead of seated because it is more like the pull up position. Idk if that actually makes a difference in the way your muscles are used, but it helped me in focusing on the goal.

[asmith-conway]

Negatives have helped me a ton! I know that in crossfit they encourage kipping, but I don't like to use momentum to encourage a pull up. I would keep working with Negatives and Bands......good luck! Keep it up, it has been my challenge to get this exercise perfect

[bethanyboo]

Negatives and barbell rows helped me a lot.

[nickys]

One of the best things I did was to buy one of those home pull up bars from Wal-mart for $20 and put it in a door frame that I pass frequently while I am at home. Each time I went past I would jump up to do a negative or two until I finally stopped needing to jump I also found that doing heavy lat pull downs helped. When I'm practicing for pull-ups I do them kneeling instead of seated because it is more like the pull up position. Idk if that actually makes a difference in the way your muscles are used, but it helped me in focusing on the goal.

Bingo! Mine's over the bathroom door - everytime I need to wash my hands or do my hair I bang out a few. I'm progressively moving from close grip underhand to wide grip overhand chins.

[sweethunibabi]

Negatives, as previous posters said. When I first started, I used the assisted pull up machine...but that hurt my knees (I have a hard time kneeling/putting my weight on them for a while) so I sucked it up and started jumping onto the bar and lowering myself down.

[KyleAaron]

Inverted rows.



Overhand grip is easier than underhand as pictured, but mi it up if you like. Begin with your knees bent, and do a total of 10. Doesn't matter if it's 10 in one go, 5,5, or 4,3,2,1, whether you do other exercises in between, or whatever - just get 10 out during your workout.

Next session, do a total of 11. And so on. When you can do a total of 50, you'll be able to do 15 in a go, and it'll be time to change to

Inverted rows with legs straight. Begin with a total of 10, build up to 50. Then change to,

Inverted rows with feet elevated. 10, up to 50.

As well, do deadlifts, building up to reps with your bodyweight.

When you can do 15 inverted rows with feet elevated, and deadlift your bodyweight for reps, you will be able to do 1-3 chinups with some kind of grip. From there, again start with a total of 10 and build up to a total of 50. After that, sky's the limit.

In this way I have taken 25 year old 75kg women and 54 year old 95kg men from being able to do 3 inverted rows with knees bent to doing multiple chinups. Took about six months in those two cases, sometimes with others it's quicker or slower.

[discdoggie]

Yay, a pull up thread!

I don't know much about much, but this is one area where I feel more than qualified to answer. You can check out the competition vid entries in my bodyspace.

My advice is this (and yes, it works. I have people going from 0 to pull ups in a few months, assuming they're at a normal bodyweight): Keep doing your regular training. Get stronger. Overall. But also, get to a bar and just PULL. Never mind the assistance stuff. (Although aussie pulls/ inverted rows couldn't hurt) You just need to get used to hauling your own bodyweight up. Maybe for a couple of weeks you can just hang there or only go up an inch or two. That's okay. Just keep pulling. And pulling. Also, put your mind in your BACK and away from your arms. Too many people I think are trying to haul up 150 pounds (or more!) of weight using their tiny bicep muscles.

Good luck!

[carclar]

Thanks everyone for the reply's. Lot's of food for thought. At least I feel normal now that I know I'm not the only soul that struggled to do chin ups.

C

[oregonchick76]

I am mystified about this. I am unable to do pull / chin ups, and I don't know how to go about being able to do them. In the gym I don't have access to an assisted pull up machine. It's a case of get a step, hold onto the bars and off you go. So I just hang there, and grunt much to everyone elses amusement :-(
Are there other things I can be doing to help build whatever muscles I use to do pull ups?
At this stage I am living in hope that when I drop the 28Ibs I wanna drop I'll magically be able to do them.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

C

Pulling your bodyweight up by your arms/back is a big deal! Very few people can do it. I bought a doorway chin up bar (no screws or anything required) and every day I just go over to the bar, jump up and let myself down slowly. I do this about 10 times. I'm pretty close to being able to do about 5 unassisted chin ups now. It take a long time.