pull-ups/chin-ups...help!

ms71069

ms71069

Cathlete
My DH just got a door-mounted pull-up bar from Beachbody (which is very nice, if anyone's interested) and I was shocked to discover that I could not do one. I can hang (literally) for a while, but there's not much (read, nada) upward motion happening.

I was doing STS today, M1 Disc 5, with my 7 yo DD watching, and she was very quick to tell me that I wasn't doing what everyone else was doing during the pull/chin-up sections. (Okay...thanks...don't you have a Hannah Montana show to watch somewhere else?)

How do I even start to get the strength to do just ONE?!? :eek::eek:

TIA!
Michele
 
Hi Michele! Another Michele with one L here. :D

I'm doing STS and I'm in M1, too. I'm scheduled for disc 11 tomorrow which requires chins and pulls. I have the door mounted doohickey, too (we have so much in common :p), and it cares nothing for my pride -- LOL!!

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!!! Even if you are just hanging there, as long as you are struggling to pull yourself up you will be engaging the muscles, thereby building the strength to eventually do a chin or pull. You can also get some heavy bands to do assisted chins and pulls. I bought the Woody Fitness Bands and I LOVE them. I bought the 3 pack http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/fitness-bands.php. I still can't do a chin up on my own but I've made steady progress using the bands. I can't recommend them highly enough!! ;)

ETA there are tons of videos on the net that demonstrate how to do assisted chins with a band.
 
Well, hello "1 L Micheles!" I have the Iron Gym Bar and don't know what yours looks like but if it has the handles that come out perpendicular to the bar so that you can pull yourself up with palms facing, then this may work for you. I have a 20 lb band with the handles and I wrap it around those bar things and pull down (either in palms away - pull-up, palms facing - chin-up, or palms to each other, just as I would on the bar) when I get too tired. It works those muscles just fine - it's a lot like what Cedie (sp?) does on the DVDs.
 
Bands

Miss Lee said:
Hi Michele! Another Michele with one L here. :D

I'm doing STS and I'm in M1, too. I'm scheduled for disc 11 tomorrow which requires chins and pulls. I have the door mounted doohickey, too (we have so much in common :p), and it cares nothing for my pride -- LOL!!

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!!! Even if you are just hanging there, as long as you are struggling to pull yourself up you will be engaging the muscles, thereby building the strength to eventually do a chin or pull. You can also get some heavy bands to do assisted chins and pulls. I bought the Woody Fitness Bands and I LOVE them. I bought the 3 pack http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/fitness-bands.php. I still can't do a chin up on my own but I've made steady progress using the bands. I can't recommend them highly enough!! ;)

ETA there are tons of videos on the net that demonstrate how to do assisted chins with a band.
Click to expand...

I have the Iron Woody bands, too. I would also recommend that you get those to help you.
 
Thanks, everyone, for the encouraging words! I was very humbled by my experience...it's amazing to think you're strong, only to find out you still have a ways to go!

Hey Michele - we "one-L" Micheles have to stick together! I'm always surprised to see someone else with "my name" since I always thought that my mom just screwed up when she was spelling it!!!;)
 
Hi, MIchele!
As others have said: don't be discouraged. Most people (women OR men) can't do one pull-up/chin-up when first starting out. There is a lot involved in doing them, and any muscle could be the weak link.

One way to work up to doing them (I got to the point of doing 1 3/4 when I was working on them a few years ago--but didn't keep it up, so can't do any right now) is to use some form of assistance. In P90X, they show how to use a kitchen chain (weighted down so it doesn't tip) for assistance. You start with both feet on the back of the chair, but use only as much assistance as needed, mainly just taking the weight of your legs out of the equation. Then you progress to just one foot on the back of the chair. Going from bent legs to straight legs also reduces the amount of assist.

Another technique is using negative reps. Get yourself up to the top postion any-which-way-you-can, then hold for as long as you can, then lower down as slowly as you can. (At first, you might not be able to hold long at all, and your 'lower' may be more like a 'drop,' but stick with it, you will progress). Negative reps are good to add on to the end of a set where you might do several assisted chin-ups (easier than pull-ups, because the biceps help more), then finish with a couple of negative reps.

HTH!
 
ms71069 said:
Thanks, everyone, for the encouraging words! I was very humbled by my experience...it's amazing to think you're strong, only to find out you still have a ways to go!
Click to expand...

My sentiments, exactly! I can't do pull-ups, either. But I have to remember that I "thought" I was an advanced exerciser until I tried Cathe. BodyMax was the first Cathe video that I tried--talk about humbling experiences.:eek:
 
i view chinups and pullups like i do levitation holds from coremax: just attempting the move is engaging the muscles. eventually you will get stronger and work your way up to doing full ones.
 
Miss Lee said:
I'm scheduled for disc 11 tomorrow which requires chins and pulls. I have the door mounted doohickey, too (we have so much in common :p), and it cares nothing for my pride -- LOL!!
Click to expand...

Michele: This made me LOL- you crack me up! But it's so true! The thing MOCKS me by hanging out (literally) in my kitchen doorway, daring me to actually do a few. I will! I will! (someday)
 
here is what I do...

Hello,

I can't do them either - well maybe one chin up for now lol!

I got this tip from a trainer at the gym when he watched me struggle.

I am not sure how high your bar is mounted, but here is what I do:

1. move a chair about 2 or 3 inches in front from where I will be "dangling" lol
2. jump up and grab bar (now I am dangling)
3. place one foot on chair back.
4. start my pull ups/chin ups using my upper body - the foot on the chair back is just there for now for support and mild assistance
5. As I fatigue, the leg on the chairback kicks in to support, but my upper body is still doing the majority of the work. I still get the range of motion and work into the muscles, but the asisstance provides some support to keep me from quitting.

As I progress, I will try one without the foot on the chair and then go back to using the chair and keep adding on unassisted reps as I get stronger.

If your bar is not high enough where a chair is appropriate, perhaps something else (low table, bench, step) can be placed in front. You want it high enough so when you dangle from the bar you can still go all the way down and then of course all the way up.

HTH! Good luck!
 
I actually did this yesterday. I used my high step and just placed it where I felt like it could do some good. The only problem is, when I'm in true "dangle" mode, that bar seems like it's a mile away. Is it possible to end up with monkey arms from doing pull-ups???:eek:

kryptychyck said:
Hello,

I can't do them either - well maybe one chin up for now lol!

I got this tip from a trainer at the gym when he watched me struggle.

I am not sure how high your bar is mounted, but here is what I do:

1. move a chair about 2 or 3 inches in front from where I will be "dangling" lol
2. jump up and grab bar (now I am dangling)
3. place one foot on chair back.
4. start my pull ups/chin ups using my upper body - the foot on the chair back is just there for now for support and mild assistance
5. As I fatigue, the leg on the chairback kicks in to support, but my upper body is still doing the majority of the work. I still get the range of motion and work into the muscles, but the asisstance provides some support to keep me from quitting.

As I progress, I will try one without the foot on the chair and then go back to using the chair and keep adding on unassisted reps as I get stronger.

If your bar is not high enough where a chair is appropriate, perhaps something else (low table, bench, step) can be placed in front. You want it high enough so when you dangle from the bar you can still go all the way down and then of course all the way up.

HTH! Good luck!
Click to expand...
 
I agree with Kathryn that the negatives do help. I felt very uncomfortable using a chair so never did assisted pulls/chins. I just kept working at them. Consistency is the key. I am now up to 4 chinups in a row and 3 pullups in a row. I've done the 20 pullups challenge:

www.twentypullups.com

which you can also do with chinups. Chinups are easier than pullups so you might want to start with those first.

I have been doing pullups/chinups in the Enter the Kettlebell Workout and have really upped my reps. I do pulls/chins 3x a week. Before that, I would just keep my pullup bar up all the time and whenever I walked by it, I'd try a few.

I've really gotten some nice definition in my arms and back since doing them.

Keep on chinnin'!

Marcy
 
I"m here to tell you that you can do it! I started STS without ever having been able to do a chinup. I'm now on week 3 of Meso 3 and I did 2 unassisted chinups yesterday after my Plyo Legs workout. I started out trying to do assisted chinups and pullups but it was just too much trouble for me, so I just practiced doing the negatives once a week when I started Meso 2. I also tried to lift as heavy as I can to build up my strength and was able to get significantly stronger. Somehow all that came together yesterday and I did the chinups without even thinking about it. I really surprised myself, and it didn't even seem that hard!

So keep at it, lift as heavy as you can with good form and you'll get there.
 
lol - I know what you mean!

ms71069 said:
I actually did this yesterday. I used my high step and just placed it where I felt like it could do some good. The only problem is, when I'm in true "dangle" mode, that bar seems like it's a mile away. Is it possible to end up with monkey arms from doing pull-ups???:eek:
Click to expand...

Haha -it does seem so far doesn't it!!!
 
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