At 42 lbs of assistance on assisted pull up machine

[jojo279]

I've been training to do a pull up for the past several weeks now. I'm 5'9" and weigh 150 lbs. I can now do two full pull ups on the assisted pull up machine with the assistance set at 42 lbs. When I get to the gym, I attempt to do a pull up on the assisted pull up machine at the lowest weight possible. After that, I do more reps with more weight. Generally, I'll go up to 54 lbs and then 66 lbs of assistance. A week or two ago, I could only do one and a half pull ups with 42 lbs of assistance, so I guess I'm making progress.

Anyone have any idea as to how long it'll take me to get to the point where I can do a pull up with no assistance? I've been training every other day. I'm also taking N.O. synthesize from VPX if that makes any difference. I think I'll try lowering my assistance to 38 lbs next time and see what I can do.

[rdferguson]

With the assisted pull up machines I've used in the past, I haven't found much difference between what I could do with 15-25kg of assistance (depending on where the machine capped off with minimum assistance) and unassisted pull ups. Sometimes I've actually found lightly assisted reps harder than unassisted reps, because the assist only comes up so fast -- pull yourself up hard enough and you'll move too fast for the machine, rendering the assistance obsolete. So I'd suggest that if you can do a couple reps with about 40lb of assistance, depending on how the machine operates, you might be very close to doing your first unassisted pull up: you might even have the strength to do it right now (no promises, though).

[womanoid]

Training every other day makes it sound like you do pullups every other day?


Anyway, it sounds like you're a couple months off (estimating how much weight you can take off each week until you get to 0).

[oregonchick76]

Well, I'm still not too good with (overhand) pull-ups, but I can do 3 sets of 8 chin-ups now, and when I started 2 yrs ago my trainer would lift me up to the bar and I would struggle to just let myself down slowly (negatives) - I couldn't pull myself up at all. In about 6 months of training I could do a couple, and with another 6 months of training I could do sets of 5, and now in my 2nd year I can do sets of 8. They are still hard! Sometime I want to be able to train with a 25lb plate dangling from my waist, lol. That would be so badass!

[jojo279]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Oregonchick76, thanks for sharing your experiences. I hope that with continued work I'll also be able to pump out a number of these one day.

I have been training on pull ups every other day. I lowered the assistance down to 36 lbs yesterday. I was able to do one full pull up at that weight, and came very close to completing a second one. Tomorrow I'll see if I can do at least one full pull up with the assistance in the 20s. Though I'll no doubt have to continue doing reps with an assistance level ranging from 42-66.

[gailh]

I was in the same boat as you. what really help me was getting one of those pullup bar things that fit over the doorway. anytime id walk thru that door id try to do a pullup. FINALLY, after about 2 months I got my chin over the bar for the first time....is a great feeling just keep trying....youll get there too!

[SultanaK]

I'm jealous of people who have that machine at their gyms. I'm dying to train my upper back.

[jojo279]

**Update**

I can now do one and a half pull-ups with 24 lbs of assistance. Getting closer.

[thehobbes]

**Update**

I can now do one and a half pull-ups with 24 lbs of assistance. Getting closer.

Awesome work, maybe another month or two and you'll be knocking out bw pull-ups.

[jojo279]

Awesome work, maybe another month or two and you'll be knocking out bw pull-ups.

Thanks, I sure hope so

[nycag04]

I was in the same boat as you. what really help me was getting one of those pullup bar things that fit over the doorway. anytime id walk thru that door id try to do a pullup. FINALLY, after about 2 months I got my chin over the bar for the first time....is a great feeling just keep trying....youll get there too!

me too. we've had one for a long time, and my husband would kind of spot me so i could work on them, but i think the things that helped me the most were lat pulldowns (or focusing on training my back in general) and losing a few lbs. i didn't think i could do one yet, but one day i made up my mind to try when my husband was out of town, and was shocked when i did it. i'm striving for a set of 8. can do 3 consecutive now. we will get there!

[jojo279]

me too. we've had one for a long time, and my husband would kind of spot me so i could work on them, but i think the things that helped me the most were lat pulldowns (or focusing on training my back in general) and losing a few lbs. i didn't think i could do one yet, but one day i made up my mind to try when my husband was out of town, and was shocked when i did it. i'm striving for a set of 8. can do 3 consecutive now. we will get there!

That's awesome, congrats. I've found lat pull downs to be very helpful as well. Good luck reaching your goal of a set of 8. If you're already at 3, it's only a matter of time until you get there.

[nycag04]

Thank you! Same to you.