How awesome are pullups/variations thereof?

TOMMYGUNS201 · 06-05-2007, 12:36 PM

Pullups (chins, wide/neutral grip) are an amazing workout for the upper body and incorporate several muscle groups as well as stabilizer muscles. How freaking awesome is that? Anyone else like them or have any good workouts taht incorporate them?

GoJu · 06-05-2007, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMMYGUNS201

Pullups (chins, wide/neutral grip) are an amazing workout for the upper body and incorporate several muscle groups as well as stabilizer muscles. How freaking awesome is that? Anyone else like them or have any good workouts taht incorporate them?

I love pullups and chinups, the best workout I ever had with them is one based around the grease the groove technique popularized by Pavel Tsatsouline, basically pick a number of reps and do as many sets and reps as it takes till you get there, next workout (ie like a day later) increase the reps, I eventually got to a total of 120 chins (throught like 10+ sets, lol) in one workout, my vertical pulling strength went up real quick that way!

papi93 · 06-05-2007, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMMYGUNS201

Pullups (chins, wide/neutral grip) are an amazing workout for the upper body and incorporate several muscle groups as well as stabilizer muscles. How freaking awesome is that? Anyone else like them or have any good workouts taht incorporate them?

You might like this article then: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459477&pageNo=0

Mark42 · 06-05-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by papi93

You might like this article then: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459477&pageNo=0

Excellent link, thanks. Provides a great variation in the tpyes of chins/pull ups. Will def try next time I work back.

REPS

papi93 · 06-05-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark42

Excellent link, thanks. Provides a great variation in the tpyes of chins/pull ups. Will def try next time I work back.

REPS

I was never able to master those sternum chins. I couldn't get my hips as high as in the pic. Good luck.

jdmalm123 · 06-05-2007, 01:25 PM

I like L-chin-ups (raise and hold legs) works the abs while you pull up
Also, Gorilla pull-ups are similar

06-05-2007, 01:40 PM

pullups help achieve a bigger bench.....also if u do behind the neck pull ups its an awesome shoulder and trap workout

Briggsy · 06-05-2007, 01:45 PM

deciding to spend time investing in pullups is like when you sit down and decide it is time to start squatting.

a sign you are on your way to acheiving your goals.

respect to you

Ajk_Lpool · 06-05-2007, 01:47 PM

I was suprised that behind the back pull-ups wern't mentioned.

I thought it was interesting on the hammerr chins on how the fibres were recruited. I will have to apply that to my next session.

TOMMYGUNS201 · 06-05-2007, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Briggsy

deciding to spend time investing in pullups is like when you sit down and decide it is time to start squatting.

a sign you are on your way to acheiving your goals.

respect to you

-------------------------------------------

thanks for that.

--> Papi, thanks for the article, i will incorporate those sternum chins into my workout.

---to everyone else. thanks.

----ALSO

I found that if I use a normal pullup grip (palms out) with a grip about shoulder width apart, I can do a pullup, and then turn it into a dip of sorts by getting my head and chest over the bar and then pushing my body all the way up until my arms are fully extended. This has done wonders for my range of motion and strength...plus they look mad cool. Maybe they will work for someone else?

Al Swearengen · 06-05-2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by papi93

I was never able to master those sternum chins. I couldn't get my hips as high as in the pic. Good luck.

I was wondering how you made out with those, I never got a chance to try them as yet.

ExtremistPullup · 06-05-2007, 07:54 PM

DB rows are great to they make me want to throw up

Al Swearengen · 06-05-2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExtremistPullup

DB rows are great to they make me want to throw up

Try them with your arm out to the side as if doing bb rows.

jrink · 06-05-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExtremistPullup

DB rows are great to they make me want to throw up

i like ez curl bb rows, best burn ive ever had in my lats

ExtremistPullup · 06-05-2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrink

i like ez curl bb rows, best burn ive ever had in my lats

I used to to T-bar after pullups curls and shrugs but I really like DB rows.

TOMMYGUNS201 · 06-05-2007, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Swearengen

I was wondering how you made out with those, I never got a chance to try them as yet.

i tried those sternum chins tonight...holy **** they burn....nice!

06-06-2007, 12:36 AM

i told you BEHIND THE NECK PULL UPS, they are grrrrreat!!!!

TOMMYGUNS201 · 06-06-2007, 02:20 PM

i already do those... but you are right..they are quite good

papi93 · 06-07-2007, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Swearengen

I was wondering how you made out with those, I never got a chance to try them as yet.

I gave up on them because I couldn't get my hips up high enough. Currently, I'm doing weighted hammer chins and weighted behind-the-neck pullups on Friday's back workout.

I would like to see a vid of someone able to get as high as the guy in the pic without cheating. Reps to the person who can.

Hog_Legs · 06-07-2007, 08:17 AM

I can't wait until I am able to do sets of pullups! A month ago I could no do a single one, right now I can do two! Maybe in another three months I can do sets of them. I know they are great, that?s why I am working my butt off working up to them.

Dwizzo · 06-07-2007, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by papi93

I gave up on them because I couldn't get my hips up high enough. Currently, I'm doing weighted hammer chins and weighted behind-the-neck pullups on Friday's back workout.

I would like to see a vid of someone able to get as high as the guy in the pic without cheating. Reps to the person who can.

The real limitation here is flexibility... It's just plain hard to pull your arms that far behind your back... I tried the sternum pullups last night during my workout and after about 10 minutes of practicing form, I basically had it... You really need to row yourself up to the bar right at the end, that's the key... But I realized my arms will not pull that far back, I'm just not flexible enough... I was about 2" from touching the bar to my lower chest...

Core strength is the other major limiting factor... You need major control over your legs and core to stabilize yourself when doing these otherwise you will swing everywhere like I was at first...

I have fairly long arms, I don't know if that helps or hinders me when doing these, but it seemed like it was hindering...

Anyway, it was a good workout and I don't think touching the sternum to the bar is as "critical" as having your back arched and head way back which seemed (felt) like proper form...

So, x2 what Papi said... Hopefully some expert will post a vid of them doing these, because that video on youtube titled "sternum chins" is NOT a sternum chin by any means...

TOMMYGUNS201 · 06-08-2007, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog_Legs

I can't wait until I am able to do sets of pullups! A month ago I could no do a single one, right now I can do two! Maybe in another three months I can do sets of them. I know they are great, that?s why I am working my butt off working up to them.

hey man good for you....if you can't do more than two on your own there's always the assisted pullup machine and the lat tower that can help build up strength so eventually you can do more...good luck!

tarun_s · 06-08-2007, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMMYGUNS201

hey man good for you....if you can't do more than two on your own there's always the assisted pullup machine and the lat tower that can help build up strength so eventually you can do more...good luck!

nah, slow negatives is where its at

Hog_Legs · 06-08-2007, 08:49 AM

I have been using the assisted machine quite a bit as well as the lat pull down. I keep using less and less assist weight so I know I am making improvements.

tarun_s - Great tip! Something I have not thought about. I will start doing some of these as well. I would rep you if I could.

tarun_s · 06-08-2007, 10:20 PM

so i tried doing those sternum chinups. and they're f'in hard. only because more core isnt strong enough to bring my sternum to the bar and i cheat by rocking my hips. and my shoulders hurt like hell. anybody else tried them?

R.T.B. · 06-09-2007, 12:54 AM

pullups/chinups are great for many reasons. first of all, you can't really cheat on them, so your progress is easy to measure. secondly, it's scalable, meaning you can easily add weight or reps. thirdly, it's a bodyweight exercise which are always the best since they're so natural with so little chances of injury. lastly, and most importantly, is that they do a hell of a job in hitting the target muscles of each lift

Dwizzo · 06-09-2007, 07:38 AM

Like I said, I did them for the first time a few days ago... My back is still SLIGHTLY sore... The day after my back was pretty damn sore, more so than usual... But that happens when I try a new exercise... Overall, I like sternum chins, but they will be something I do maybe once a month for variety, I'm still sticking with weighted chins and yates rows, etc. for my daily workouts...

alphaproject · 06-09-2007, 09:01 PM

I 'm curious to know how many pull-ups you guys can do at once.

I just managed 25 in a row tonight. Then I did another 23, then another 15 but I was also working on bicep curls so it hurt my performance.

I'm really curious thanks!

25 was my best ever.

Hard Drive · 06-09-2007, 09:24 PM

Yeah, I love em.
There's one weird way I do them that I was wondering if anyone had a name for.
Basicly, I get on the hammer grip station, raise myself so my torso is parallel to the ground and my legs are sticking straight up, back facing the ground, and pull myself up as one would a t-bar row, except it's calisthenic.

TOMMYGUNS201 · 06-10-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphaproject

I 'm curious to know how many pull-ups you guys can do at once.

I just managed 25 in a row tonight. Then I did another 23, then another 15 but I was also working on bicep curls so it hurt my performance.

I'm really curious thanks!

25 was my best ever.

43 is my best