Pull-ups/Chin-ups S.O.S.

[FiletMignon16oz]

I have been trying to bring my upper body strength to a point where I will be able to do at least a single perfect pull-up/chin-up. Well, this hasn't happened yet.

A guy at the gym told me this, is this true or false:

When you are able to pull your weight in a lat pull-down, you will be able to do a chin-up/pull-up

Any suggestions/thoughts on the topic? It feels very unnatural to me to use those machines where you can do dips, pull-ups etc...I feel like a use the inertia and not my body strength.

[C. Smith]

False.

There is counter pressure with most machines. (ie: legs under the pad in a lat pulldown) not to mention, very few machines are "true weight".

[Blut Wump]

Agreed, you can bring your abs and goodness knows what else into a pulldown since your legs are typically locked under a bar.

You can do a pullup when... you can do a pullup. :)

[Cynical Simian]

Agreed with the above: that's like saying you can squat a grand because your leg press is 1000 lbs.

I remember coming across pull-/chin-up articles that suggest progression on things like like static holds, negatives, and partial/assisted reps when building up to doing normal pull-/chin-ups.

[Lumberjack5.0]

I remember coming across pull-/chin-up articles that suggest progression on things like like static holds, negatives, and partial/assisted reps when building up to doing normal pull-/chin-ups.

I was gonna suggest something along these lines, esp negs -- use a bench to get up to the top position and s-l-o-w-l-y lower yourself a few times.

[Biter]

Are you able to do a kipping pull-up at least? If so, you might want to work on doing some kips infrequently and do a lot of them. That's helped me out since last May. I've gone from 4 pull ups to 12 since then.

[LiftHard410]

2 years ago i could not do one wide grip pullup, and only 3-4 narrow grips...so
everytime i went to the gym i would do one set of narrow grip to failure at the begining and end of my workout, after a few weeks i could do a couple wide grip reps, then did those to failure for two sets at the end of my workouts, so about 5 days a week
now, after only being back in the gym for about 7 months, i PR'd 40 reps last week:)

but i can't do rows with my body weight, so call BS on that comparison, not that if you can row your body weight you won't beable to do a pullup, just i think it's easier to work up to a pullup

[BRINO]

Like those guys said, do negs. off a bench, thatll do it for you.

[FiletMignon16oz]

Thanks yal these are all great suggestions!

I just saw what a kip pull up is. It's seems to be where you use your lower body to gain inertia and pull yourself up as opposed to doing dead body, strict pull-ups--which I have been trying to do all this time.

I should be able to kip and do negs with no problem.
I think these decent example of one v. the other.

YouTube - CrossFit - Strong women doing pull-ups (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uryt3n9q1q4)

YouTube - Maurice: 39 pull ups @ 83kg strict no kip chin up @ Bondi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0jNi-SdL-w)

[Evidence]

What's really helped me is that I used some Bands from Jumpstretch (The bands they band bench with using Westside Barbell Templetes for example) and tied them to the top of my pull up bar, dip station in my garage gym. Place my knees in and really rep out on some good form pull ups. I believe this has really helped as my free form pull ups have improved. As others mentioned, the machine assisted or lat pull downs isn't a true indicator of weight. Hope this helps.

[Blut Wump]

I tried that with my bands but there was so much tension in the band that I was concerned about twisting an already tender knee. These days, I loop a band around the front hooks of my rack and then simply stand on it for a weight assist. Week by week, I can lower the hooks or use a lighter band.

[Sue Me]

Definitely agree with what the more experienced said about the negatives, etc. One thing I have noticed with pull-ups moreso than other exercises, and this might just be me, but any break from doing them, even short, has a severe impact on my sets.

I also employed that pull-up "assist" machine initially. I would set a goal for myself, say, 20 pullups. I would do as many unassisted sets as possible (which at that time could have been a set of 3, set of 2, set of 1) then I used the assist.

[dubdubs]

lol.. these are tought for me but I banged out three today with no problem, the 4th one oh well I struggled. I usually have my workout partner hold my feet and I don't push off him usually till the 7th rep.

good luck FM... you will get them

[bigsix]

What's really helped me is that I used some Bands from Jumpstretch (The bands they band bench with using Westside Barbell Templetes for example) and tied them to the top of my pull up bar, dip station in my garage gym. Place my knees in and really rep out on some good form pull ups. I believe this has really helped as my free form pull ups have improved. As others mentioned, the machine assisted or lat pull downs isn't a true indicator of weight. Hope this helps.

Agreed. Look around and see if your gym has any of these bands. You can loop them around the pegs on a squat rack (assuming it has a bar across the top) and rep out some good sets.