Help with pull ups

[dutchie936]

Okay,I've searched this subject,and found lots of answers,but none that answer my specific question.While I was training during my application process.I worked hard on push ups,sit ups, and chin ups.But once I was sworn in,and in regiment,we are doing only pull ups.
Now I can do 5 or 6 clean chin ups,but when I tried a pull up,I couldn't even do one.
So my question is.All the feedback on improving pull ups is to just keep doing them.But if I can't even raise myself once,how can I do this.
I've been doing negative reps in the hopes of waking up those specific muscle groups.But if anyone out there has had,and overcome a similar problem,any advice you can share would be great.
I am a large frame man(6'3",220lbs)and it is very tough to watch guys literally half my size doing these exercises almost effortlessly.

Thanks in advance for your help on this matter.

 

[The_Falcon]

Just keep doing what you are doing.  There really is no other easy way to get better at pull ups, I am coming from experience here, 18 months ago I could barely eke out 1 pull up, just kept at it (and doing negatives) and now I can do approximately 15 from a dead hang.

 

[Jacqueline]

My personal trainer tells me to work on the back, shoulders, arms like a crazy man in order to achieve this one pull up. (I can't even do one pullup even though I can do 7 clean chinups from a dead hang.) He also tells me to work hard on the chin ups because it supports the pull up. Hope that helps. 

 

[The_Falcon]

My personal trainer tells me to work on the back, shoulders, arms like a crazy man in order to achieve this one pull up. (I can't even do one pullup even though I can do 7 clean chinups from a dead hang.) He also tells me to work hard on the chin ups because it supports the pull up. Hope that helps. 

What your trainer "SHOULD" be doing is getting you to work on PULL UPS, through negative pull-ups and assisted pull ups (I presume you are working out in a gym, and any halfway decent gym will have an assisted pull up machine).  Working out the muscle groups in isolation is NOT beneficial (directly) to improving perforance in a exercise that requires the co-ordination of several muscle goups.  While you may see strength gains in those exercises you do for your chest/back/arms, you will see little if any improvement in your pull-up count.

 

[Munxcub]

+1 Hatchet.

Also, along with negatives (these should be done as slow as possible... agonizingly slow) You can do jumping pullups, flexed arm hangs, body rows (on a lower bar, think upside down pushup) If doing body rows, keep raising the bar until you're vertical. Can do these on a power rack with a barbell if you have access to one.

You could also get jump stretch bands, essentially a giant rubber band used for assisting. This is what I use for my wife.

 

[The_Falcon]

Ah yes, forgot about inverted (body) rows, those are good as well.

 

[Jacqueline]

What your trainer "SHOULD" be doing is getting you to work on PULL UPS, through negative pull-ups and assisted pull ups.


Course he gets me to practise PULL UPS, it's the only way to do pull ups. In addition to practising pull ups, these exercises you say, I will do. They sound good. However my PT does help me with assisted pull ups. When I couldn't even do 1 chin up, back, shoulder, arm, ab,  workouts (with weights) definetely gave me a huge boost. Maybe it's different with pullups, I'll try bodyrows and what not.

Cheers.

MJF.

 

[dutchie936]

Great advice.Thanks a million.I will keep plugging away at it.

 

[undeadnik]

2 questions for you guys wahts the difference between a pull up and a chin up? and what do u mean by negative pull ups?

 

[Lumber]

2 questions for you guys wahts the difference between a pull up and a chin up? and what do u mean by negative pull ups?

Chin ups use a supinated grip, while pull ups use a pronated grip. The difference is, with a pronated grip, if you were doing the pull-up, you would be looking at the backs of your hands, while with a supinated grip, you would see the bar, with the palms of your hands facing you on the opposite side of the bar.

Also, I find Lat-Pull downs are excellent at developing your latimus dorsi (hence the name), which is the primary muscle used in doing pull-ups. http://www.healthstylesexercise.com/catalog/images/Body-Solid-G1S-Lat-Pulldown.jpg

 

[Lumber]

2 questions for you guys wahts the difference between a pull up and a chin up? and what do u mean by negative pull ups?

Here:

Supinated Grip:
http://www.beastskills.com/chin%20grip.jpg

Pronated Grip:
http://www.beastskills.com/pull%20grip.jpg

 

[The_Falcon]

what do u mean by negative pull ups?

You perform the "negative" or elongation portion of the exercise.  So basically you step up, jump up whatever the case may be to get into the "positive" or contracted portion of the excercise (head/chin over the bar), and then you very slowly lower yourself to the ground, and repeat. 

 

[DVessey]

Also, I find Lat-Pull downs are excellent at developing your latimus dorsi (hence the name), which is the primary muscle used in doing pull-ups. http://www.healthstylesexercise.com/catalog/images/Body-Solid-G1S-Lat-Pulldown.jpg

See what Hatchet Man said. Lat pull down != pull up.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Try these machines... they're pretty good, and many gyms have them.

Beginners who are not strong enough to perform a chin-up may make use of an assisted chin-up machine, where one stands on a bar with a counterweight to reduce the weight that one pulls up. Another useful exercise for beginners is the negative chin-up, where one is assisted to the top position and executes a slow, controlled descent. These machines frequently also include a dip bar, allowing for assisted dipping.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chin-up

 

[Munxcub]

Gravitron machines are great, but very costly. If you have a pullup bar at home just order a set of jump stretch bands from http://performance-training.ca/store/bases_sets.html#intro

They provide a more realistic experience, which should help when you transition to unassisted pullups. (not to mention take up less space and cost a lot less then a gravitron machine )

 

[edgar]

I am a large frame man(6'3",220lbs)and it is very tough to watch guys literally half my size doing these exercises almost effortlessly.

Thanks in advance for your help on this matter.

There's no help for that, little guys have an inherent advantage in these events. All you can do is be smug because chicks dig tall guys.
If you are carrying any extra weight that might be a problem too. For me every ten pounds of beer belly is a couple of fewer chinups I can do. Even big legs from doing squats and stuff is dead weight for chinups.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Another suggestion from the cheap seats: go to an indoor rock climbing gym. It's more fun than crankin' em out in the doorframe at home. After a good season rock climbing I have no trouble at all with doing 15-20.

 

[JBoyd]

As an Avid Rock climber i agree with the above post, once you are decent at rock climbing, challenge yourself by trying to do a complete run with only your upper body, do not use your feet at all.


anyways, I as well have problems with Pull-ups, they are completely different from Chin-ups, which use more bicep strength. These two sites have helped me on my way to doing many pull-ups,

http://www.healthandfitnessadvice.com/fitness-tips/how-to-do-a-pull-up-when-you-cant-do-a-pull-up.html

&

http://www.kayaklakemead.com/pullups-for-beginners.html

the second link there has a good program for beginners. give it a go if you want and let us know your progress nonetheless.

 

[edgar]

Another suggestion from the cheap seats: go to an indoor rock climbing gym. It's more fun than crankin' em out in the doorframe at home. After a good season rock climbing I have no trouble at all with doing 15-20.

Truth. Speakin of being motivated by watching a guy do chins, some of the people who hang out at the rock climbing places can do a bunch of chins with two fingers, or one arm. Kinda awesome.
For best results try not to hang from the rope all the time like me.

 

[TacticalW]

As some others said, work on your back and shoulders (mostly Deltoids, Latissamus and Triceps). While for the chin-ups you need more bicep strength for the pull-up you need the very rarely used tricep muscle. What worked out for me is doing seperate excercises for those specific muscles and before making the full attempt at "pull-ups" do negatives on a machine at a gym if possible. Start with half your weight put on there for safety and then put it up as you progress - make sure you do at least 7 before taking off the negative weight. You can find everything you need at the gym and check with a supervisor for advice on which machines to use. We all start somewhere when it comes to facing the treacherous pull-up... it is a tough foe best served with gatorade.