Help with pull ups

[McNeill]

You can also give T-Bar Rows a shot. Should help build Tricep and Latimus Muscles.

 

[The_Falcon]

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.

You can also give T-Bar Rows a shot. Should help build Tricep and Latimus Muscles.

Umm last time I checked your triceps were involved in EXTENDING/STRAIGHTENING ones arms, which means "pulling" exercises such as pull-ups and rows have very little effect on them generally speaking (unless you are doing super slow, heavy negative repetitions).  TW  chin ups and pull ups work essentially the same muscles biceps,deltoids,lats (again tricep involvement is fairly non-existant unless you are doing strict negatives, and unless you are beginner or just adding variety, there is no need to do negatives very often,) your hand position is what determines the emphasis.  As stated previously, using a supinated (ie chinups) grip places more emphasis on your biceps (as quite litterally you are doing arm curls using yourself as the weight), and pronated grip (pull-ups) places the emphasis almost exclusively on your lats, since you virtually eliminated the bodies ability to "curl" the arms. If you want to give yourself a challenge and really focus in on your lats, use a wider grip when you do pull-ups.

 

[McNeill]

Umm last time I checked your triceps were involved in EXTENDING/STRAIGHTENING ones arms, which means "pulling" exercises such as pull-ups and rows have very little effect on them generally speaking (unless you are doing super slow, heavy negative repetitions).  TW  chin ups and pull ups work essentially the same muscles biceps,deltoids,lats (again tricep involvement is fairly non-existant unless you are doing strict negatives, and unless you are beginner or just adding variety, there is no need to do negatives very often,) your hand position is what determines the emphasis.  As stated previously, using a supinated (ie chinups) grip places more emphasis on your biceps (as quite litterally you are doing arm curls using yourself as the weight), and pronated grip (pull-ups) places the emphasis almost exclusively on your lats, since you virtually eliminated the bodies ability to "curl" the arms. If you want to give yourself a challenge and really focus in on your lats, use a wider grip when you do pull-ups.

Thanks Hatchet should have mentioned that. But if someone cannot do a chin up/pull up at all focusing on the negatives, with say 25 lbs to start, is a good way to start off.

 

[combat_clarke]

I have a friend whom is a gymnast and Here are some tips I was given to help me with pull ups, hope this helps you.


1. dangling Pull ups- Just get in pull up position and hang dead weight dont atemp to pull up. I was told this streaches the tendons and muscles in the back and arms, and the longer you hang there your body will get used to it though muscle memory.

2. Hoping pull ups- Get into pull up posistion and with your feet touching the ground and do a little hop while you pull up and hold the pull up as long as you can works for muscle memory.

3. got this one from P90X . put a foot on a chair while your doing your pull ups it takes some weight off , you fail when you start using your leg to push you up or when the chair is wobbling .

 

[kayakguyt72]

Even if you aren't using elastics or a gravitron or a lat pull-down for that matter, just going through the motion of a pull-up will improve your ability to do them.  When I first started doing pull-ups a couple of years ago, like many on here I couldn't even do one.  I was told to just keep trying to get my chin over the bar.  One day I was able to do one, then two and so on.  The more I worked at them the better I got and now I can complete 15 or more on a good day.  I didn't do weights or use anything else to help other than pull ups themselves.

cheers 

 

[Spider Begley]

Alright so i was told that Pullups are Required for the military is that true?
right now i have the weirdest Strength i can Bench 205LBS, Squat 550LBS but cannot do a single pull up. I can scale walls like 2 - 5M wall but no pullups

 

[MJP]

Alright so i was told that Pullups are Required for the military is that true?
right now i have the weirdest Strength i can Bench 205LBS, Squat 550LBS but cannot do a single pull up. I can scale walls like 2 - 5M wall but no pullups

entry in the CAF nor any test during BMQ/BMOQ requires pull ups.  Doesn't mean you won't be told to do some though.

 

[Spider Begley]

Okay thats a relief what about DP1 and on besides para

 

[MJP]

Okay thats a relief what about DP1 and on besides para

DP1 Nope.  Nothing you need to worry about at this point in your career, other than the fact you have a huge imbalance in your physical abilities. 

 

[cld617]

I'd be more concerned with why you have such disproportionate strength, and stop focusing on one particular movement. Pull ups will find their way into PT, you need to be able to get youeself above a bar. Are you severely overweight/underweight? I don't know of any reason beyond a physical limitation that would cause such drastic imbalances. How's your running? Pull ups are an excellent measure of both relative and absolute strength, being able to not do one but having a 550lb squat doesn't add up.

 

[Spider Begley]

Honestly I play Rugby and Football. I weight around 103Kg
I workout in the gym atleast 1 hour a day 5 days a week. Doing Plyometrics,Upper body,Lowerbody, ect and lots of conditioning

 

[Oscar590]

You're gonna want to train on your pull ups. On my BMQ we had to do pull ups before every meal and on my DP1 we did pull ups every time we entered and left the shacks.

 

[Spider Begley]

Alright thanks!

 

[mariomike]

Alright so i was told that Pullups are Required for the military is that true?

"Even the Canadian Armed Forces do not use pull-ups as part of their official fitness evaluation."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/even-fit-women-cant-do-pull-ups-study-finds/article4651742/

See also,

Day 1: Up at 0450, brush teeth, shave (if you have time) and get ready for morning PT. We did baseline testing on day 1 using stations. Burpees, Push-ups, Squats, Pull-ups and sit-ups.

 

[daftandbarmy]

You're gonna want to train on your pull ups. On my BMQ we had to do pull ups before every meal and on my DP1 we did pull ups every time we entered and left the shacks.

And that's how the infantry rolls.

Sadly, the CF fitness tests do not meet infantry requirements so local adaptations to the 'official' fitness programs are always required so that a rifleman can do their job properly.

That aside doing lots every day, as you describe here, is a great way to get good at it.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Alright so i was told that Pullups are Required for the military is that true?
right now i have the weirdest Strength i can Bench 205LBS, Squat 550LBS but cannot do a single pull up. I can scale walls like 2 - 5M wall but no pullups

For context, I've never had to push 205lbs off of my chest (lots of guys have though, if you know what I mean  ) but I have had to pull myself up through the opening in a ceiling/floor above wearing my kit. If you're in the infantry you're going to be doing Urban Ops training and that requires good upper body strength for pulling yourself up and over shit.

If you can't even do one pull up work on dead hangs and slowly lowering yourself to the ground.  Various back and bicep workouts will have you up to a dozen or more pullups before you even know you can do one.

 

[BinRat55]

Not that i'm a gym freak or even a PT God... but could it be that

a) muscle is heavier than fat
b) you are squatting over half a ton (which by my thoughts, leaves you with some pretty legs to pull up...)
c) you are at the 230lb mark... 35% are MTL your ... yes, legs.

I would look at it from that side (if you haven't already) - less squats, more bicep / traps / triceps - and the deadhang thing Jarnhamar said? Perfect.