Pullups

[slimm26]

Ok..stupid question for most, but not for me. I have really been building up my strength in all parts of my body. I'm still training really hard and attempting to reach my goals. My hubby thought it would be a good idea for me to start doing pullups. Now...I haven't done pullups since high school!! I was just wondering what would be a good way to get into groove of doing pullups? I don't want to attempt it at the gym and look like a total idiot. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

[Mols]

hmmm negatives or assisted pull upmachine

[slimm26]

I have no idea! I'm guessing I would start off assisted.

[dirty~d~]

Are you worried about the technique or the strength aspect? How much weight do you currently use for pull downs, narrow grip?

[slimm26]

I currently lift about 72 lbs on my pulldowns. And yes it's a narrow grip.

[BiggT]

The hubby is right, keep him around, pullups are one of the best exercises out there.

You most certainly won't look like an idiot. Take my word for it, commercial gyms are generally full of imbeciles. I can guarantee you that you're NOT going to look like an idiot attempting pullups. If you feel uncomfortable, just take comfort in the fact that I am giving you a 100% guarantee that not only is there nothing wrong with what you're doing, but also that probably 7 out of 10 guys in there are complete fools who have no idea what they're doing (yet they have more confidence than they know what to do with).

If you can do 2-3 chins, I'd suggest 3 sets of 2 and add a rep to one of the sets each week until you're at 3x3, then add a rep until you're at 3x4, and so on and so forth.

If you can't do a chin right now, hit up the assisted chin machine and keep decreasing the resistance, once you're on the last setting or 2 and can get a good 8 reps, you should probably be able to move on to chins and get sets of 2-3.

I am not a big fan of doing chins with a partner holding your feet providing assistance because nobody ever knows how hard they're pushing or if it is consistent across the board. It's just too hard to guage progress that way in my opinion.

[RagingBull666]

You can also use bands if your gym doesn't have a pullup machine or you are doing them at home. Choke them around the bar and the get your foot up in it and stand. The band tension will assist you. Doing the eccentric portion, down/negative, is a good way to build strength until you can start doing a few on your own. SS, RB

[dirty~d~]

Originally Posted by RagingBull666

You can also use bands if your gym doesn't have a pullup machine or you are doing them at home. Choke them around the bar and the get your foot up in it and stand. The band tension will assist you. Doing the eccentric portion, down/negative, is a good way to build strength until you can start doing a few on your own. SS, RB

Bands are a better way to go, even if there is a machine, IMO. Your whole body will respond faster, vs the machine assisted option.

[slimm26]

Originally Posted by BiggT

The hubby is right, keep him around, pullups are one of the best exercises out there.

You most certainly won't look like an idiot. Take my word for it, commercial gyms are generally full of imbeciles. I can guarantee you that you're NOT going to look like an idiot attempting pullups. If you feel uncomfortable, just take comfort in the fact that I am giving you a 100% guarantee that not only is there nothing wrong with what you're doing, but also that probably 7 out of 10 guys in there are complete fools who have no idea what they're doing (yet they have more confidence than they know what to do with).

You sound just like hubby!!! It's too funny! I laugh everytime we're at the gym and he goes on a rant!

Originally Posted by RagingBull666

You can also use bands if your gym doesn't have a pullup machine or you are doing them at home. Choke them around the bar and the get your foot up in it and stand. The band tension will assist you. Doing the eccentric portion, down/negative, is a good way to build strength until you can start doing a few on your own. SS, RB

Thank you for suggestions guys. I think I'm going to try them both with hubby there and he can help me figure out what is best for me. I have chest and triceps tomorrow so I'll give it a shot then!

[Big Sky Guy]

Originally Posted by BiggT

The hubby is right, keep him around, pullups are one of the best exercises out there.

You most certainly won't look like an idiot. Take my word for it, commercial gyms are generally full of imbeciles. I can guarantee you that you're NOT going to look like an idiot attempting pullups. If you feel uncomfortable, just take comfort in the fact that I am giving you a 100% guarantee that not only is there nothing wrong with what you're doing, but also that probably 7 out of 10 guys in there are complete fools who have no idea what they're doing (yet they have more confidence than they know what to do with).

Now that is some insight right there! Tons of confidence/gonna act like I know combined with a lack of humility to ask when they need help understanding how to correctly perform a lift or what lifts will best move them towards their goals.

You will love the effect that doing pullups produces Slimm!

[Evidence]

Originally Posted by BiggT

The hubby is right, keep him around, pullups are one of the best exercises out there.

You most certainly won't look like an idiot. Take my word for it, commercial gyms are generally full of imbeciles. I can guarantee you that you're NOT going to look like an idiot attempting pullups. If you feel uncomfortable, just take comfort in the fact that I am giving you a 100% guarantee that not only is there nothing wrong with what you're doing, but also that probably 7 out of 10 guys in there are complete fools who have no idea what they're doing (yet they have more confidence than they know what to do with).

If you can do 2-3 chins, I'd suggest 3 sets of 2 and add a rep to one of the sets each week until you're at 3x3, then add a rep until you're at 3x4, and so on and so forth.

If you can't do a chin right now, hit up the assisted chin machine and keep decreasing the resistance, once you're on the last setting or 2 and can get a good 8 reps, you should probably be able to move on to chins and get sets of 2-3.

I am not a big fan of doing chins with a partner holding your feet providing assistance because nobody ever knows how hard they're pushing or if it is consistent across the board. It's just too hard to guage progress that way in my opinion.

Slimm, this is great advice from BiggT. I am Evidence, and I endorse this message, haha. Pullups are one of the greatest exercises to have in your routine at any phase of your periodization. Eventhough T said it's hard to guage with someone holding your feet (which I agree with) that is how I started. In college I had a good friend who was little stick of dynamite. I was much stronger than him in the conventional lifts, but he was very strong in push ups and pull ups. I didn't want him to be good at something that I was weak in and it was the first time I did pull ups. I always avoided them becasue I couldn't do them. I just did everything I could with him holding my feet and going for low reps with me doing as much of the work as possible. Which at first wasn't much. We didn't have an assisted machine so that's why we went this route. I have since had access to bands which I really recommend is a great place to start if your reps are on the low end. Do not worry about not being able to do these at first, just give it an honest shot and you will discover it is a great exercise. I wish you luck and I tell you what, if I was in a gym and saw a girl struggling but trying with pull ups, I'd say damn, that is one girl person who is truely challenging themselves.

[jaleena]

I'd recommend just getting up to a bar and finding out what you can do. If you can't do a single, then go with the band option--I tried the assist machines, never made progress with them.
That you do pulldowns with much less than your bodyweight doesn't mean at all that you won't be able to do pullups/chins--I have to use about 50lbs less than bodyweight to get the same number of pulldowns that I get with bodyweight pullups.

[saiyanjin]

i like to alternate grips, i do wide, medium, then chinups shoulder width apart, then repeat.

[slimm26]

Ok...tried it out last night for the first time. Worked out quite well. I did the assisted pullup machine. I was assisted at 84 lbs. Which isn't bad to me...I thought I would need more. So I did 5 x 5 sets. I have back and biceps again on Friday and I'll go for sets of 10 and even try to lighten up the weight some. It's a one step process and I'll be happy when I'm doing it on my own! Hubby was a great help and showed me what to do and made sure I was doing it right. He's so good to me!

[WonderWoman]

I did 4 the other day by myself with good form, LOL.. I know I know 4

I also use the assisted machine at times but I felt like I could atleast get 6 in. Slimm have your hub hold your feet and push off of him when you need assistance, do them without the machine. You will develop more strength this way and he gets to enjoy the view

[slimm26]

Originally Posted by WonderWoman

I did 4 the other day by myself with good form, LOL.. I know I know 4

I also use the assisted machine at times but I felt like I could atleast get 6 in. Slimm have your hub hold your feet and push off of him when you need assistance, do them without the machine. You will develop more strength this way and he gets to enjoy the view

I try not to bug him too much during his workouts. If he cools down too much he gets cranky!!! I may have him help me with that on Friday. But at least with the asissted machine I know how much of it is me. And I know I'll push myself to get less assistance.