RE: Hi Kathryn!
Hi, Michele!
Yes, pull-ups are scary! I didn't even have a pull-up station until recently, but when I first watched "Chest and Back" it scared me so much I didn't get around to P90X until several weeks later! Then, I jumped in the middle of the rotation with Shoulders and Arms (less scary, though still tough and effective).
I just recently "graduated" from pulldowns with a band to pull-ups (well...ATTEMPTS at pullups, LOL!). I can do exactly 3, 1/2 repetitions of a pull-up with no help (does that make 1 1/2 actual pullups?). It makes me feel like a beginner again. And here I was feeling all macha about my progress in P90X. I can do a decent amount of pull-ups/chin-ups with chair assistance (one foot on the back of a weighted chair), but sometimes that leg gets almost as much work as my back.
But one thing P90X has taught me: if you don't try something, you'll never be able to do it. So, I'm going to valiantly plug on with the pull-ups (and supplement with band pulldowns, which still make me feel strong!). My goal is to someday do 5 with no assistance. Doesn't sound like much, but seems like a lot to me right now! Of course, I could surpass my goal someday.
But since I just started with the pullups, maybe I need to do another round of P90X with them?