Chin Ups! I did 3!

N

nbergren

Cathlete
Ok... so all you out there may be thinking "Big Deal" but Hey, I am easily excited, what can I say. For my birthday hubby got me a chin up bar and installed it last night. Well, I thought for sure there was now way I could do one but you gotta start somewhere. Imagine my surprise, I did 3 sets of 1, unassisted! WOW - that was so cool! In high school I could NEVER reach the top of the bar! Cathe has brought me a long way!

Besides bragging about my achievement :), I do have a question... now, of course I did it the easier way, with palms facing me and I know that works the biceps more than the back, but is that a good way to start and then work toward the palms facing out? What is the best way to work up with this exercise? Should I tack it on to a back work day or will muscles be too fatigued already and I should slap them at the end of a cardio session a couple time a week?

Any advice (or kudos!) are welcome.

Thanks,
Nancy}(
 
Yeah! That is awesome!

I think, and please correct me if I am wrong, that when palms face out you are working more of your shoulder than anything else. When palms face towards you, you should still be working your back as well as bicep as primary. I would tack that exercise on as the first exercise when you do weights for back and shoulder. If you do it after you work back you will definitely be too fatigued! You could definitely tack it on after cardio since you will be warmed up and pumped for it! Good luck.

HTH
Missy:)
 
woohooo next goal is 5 or 600??? LOL

kassia


When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
Good for you. DH has a bar in the basement, but I've avoided it like the plague. Maybe your accomplishment will inspire me to give it a try. I never thought I could do a push up either.
 
Wow Nancy that's great! I don't have any advice as to how to work up to the more advanced way as I've never gotten to the height of my bar without my STEP holding me up. :7

Congrats!
 
Ya right, Kassia.. I was hoping 5 in a row by my next birthday! :) My son, Nick, who is 8, and I are going to try that goal. He was able to do 1 yesterday! Woo Hoo!

Thanks guys. ;-)

Nancy
 
Wow that is awesome!! Congratulations it is a big deal!!
I just was able to do my first pullup about a month ago. I've been practicing on the monkey bars on the playground near my house. I would love a pull up bar. Its still exciting for me so I go over randomly and try about 4 times a week so I don't have any advice on a good place for you to put it in your workout. Hey if you find something that works let me know...I should structure them into my workout better.
~Angel

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=agzo&x=0&y=0
 
Whoo hoooo! You go, girl!

I just bought a pull-up bar last week. Hopefully it will get installed this week and I can see just how much work I have to do. I'm betting I won't even be able to do 1!
 
Congratulations, Nancy! I do pull-ups with back and bicep work. Since doing pull-ups, I've noticed a bit of improvement in my bicep strength and my back definition. It's tough work. Even though I can do a few sets unassisted, I still dread it.

Pinky:)
 
Woo Hoo!!! I would be excited too! My DH got me an assisited pull-up and dip machine last week. I am so excited to be able to work up to unassisted pull-ups. I can tell it's going to take me awhile, but always something to work towards.
 
Congratulations!!!!! You're doing great!!!!!

One way to advance with pullups is to do "negatives". Use a chair to get to the top and then lower yourself as SLOW AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE without the chair. You can also try bands. Hook the band to either ends of the pullup bar and then pull the center of the band down and hook it over one knee. BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET IT SNAP BACK IN YOUR FACE.

I'm currently trying to progress by strapping a 20 pound weight to my belt and pulling myself up ONCE. I'm hoping to increase reps by this method. Some days it's just not there and I can hardly do any and then other days I get a burst and do better!! Aren't pullups fun!!

Briee
 
Briee, I am not sure I follow with the band thing... can you explain that better? What is the purpose? 20lbs extra... WOW... you go Briee!

Edie, how awesome for you! What a great gift. Keep us posted on your progress.

I found a new use for the bar too... I put the dyna band around the top and do tricep extensions and lat pull down. Works great! Give it a try. I read that to get that horseshoe tricep going on, tricep extensions are a must. Maybe my horseshoe will be more defined soon. :)

Have a great day and happy pull ups!

Nancy

P.S. I did 2 in a row the other day!
 
I'm sorry Nancy...let me try again. Take a resistance band, the long tubular ones. The ones I got at Walmart had clips at the ends of them. I took one clip and clipped it to one side of my pullup bar by wrapping the end of the band around the bar and clipping it to itself. Then do the same to the other end of the band on the other side of the pullup bar. Now the band is hanging like a giant "U" shape from your bar. Grab the band at the bottom of the U and pull it down and at the same time bend your knee and loop the band around your knee so you are holding it down with your knee (does that make sense?). Then grab the bar with both hands and when you pullup, the bands tension will make it quite a bit easier to pull yourself up. There is a site that describes this method and maybe Kathryn could give reference to this. I can't remember it offhand. I like to loop the band around both feet and do the pullup, but if it slips off your shoes you could get a nasty snap where you would not want one!!

You did 2!!! That is soooo awesome. I just started pullups about 1 1/2 years ago when I got the P90X and I could barely do one. I never had much back definition until pullups! They become addictive. I have 3 pullup bars now in various parts of the house and some days I have a pullup day and I do a few each time I pass through the room where the bar hangs. The only way to progress is to DO THEM!! Have a blast.

Briee
 
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