Prep work for pullups
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2013-12-26 4:13 PM |
Expert 1187 Ontario | Subject: Prep work for pullups One of my goals for 2014 is to do real pushups and unassisted pullups (even one pullup is impossible for me now). I don't have a gym membership (used to use the assisted pullup machine when I did go to the gym). I don't have a pull up bar yet. We do have a bowflex but an older one that doesn't have a pullup option. What can I do now to start strengthening the right muscles to eventually move to assisted then real pullups when I get a bar? I can do lat pulldowns with my bowflex, will that help? |
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2013-12-26 4:52 PM in reply to: cathyd |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Lat pulldowns with enough resistance that you can only do 1-5 reps per set with 3+ minutes rest between sets. Do 3-5 sets every other day.
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2013-12-27 9:35 AM in reply to: cathyd |
Master 1996 Woodbridge , Virginia | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Lat Pulldowns and other pulling exercises (rows) and core ( the core work will help stabilize and reduce the swinging), and also use the pullup assist machine.. with the pullup assist machine (the heavier the weight the less of your body weight you lift). as you get stronger you can reduce the weight from machine, to increase the amount of body weight you are lifting. |
2013-12-27 5:45 PM in reply to: TriMyBest |
Expert 1187 Ontario | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by TriMyBest Lat pulldowns with enough resistance that you can only do 1-5 reps per set with 3+ minutes rest between sets. Do 3-5 sets every other day.
thanks don, I will start with this. I'm sure it will take me a few sessions to get the weight right and hopefully in a month when I get a pullup bar I might be able to do ONE ! |
2013-12-27 5:46 PM in reply to: momo |
Expert 1187 Ontario | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by momo Lat Pulldowns and other pulling exercises (rows) and core ( the core work will help stabilize and reduce the swinging), and also use the pullup assist machine.. with the pullup assist machine (the heavier the weight the less of your body weight you lift). as you get stronger you can reduce the weight from machine, to increase the amount of body weight you are lifting. thanks for the reply. I can do lat pulldowns and rows with our bowflex but don't have a gym membership right now to use the assist pullup machine. |
2013-12-27 6:21 PM in reply to: cathyd |
265 Denver, Colorado | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups I was In a similar situation at the start of LAST YEAR. There is no reason other than not owning a bar that you can't do pullups TODAY! I bought a resistance band you wrap around your knee or out a foot end to lessen the work you have to do. Mine was a Jump Stretch 75lb from amazon, but they sell them branded by RAGE crossfit at sports authority and lots of other stores. I started with 75lb band then moved to a 50 25 and now I can do pullups unassisted however I'll still use the bands when from time to time or at the end of workouts so I can still complete a set (like doing curls with 30s then fatiguing and finishing with 25etc) I strongly recommend a band and bar. It's so much more motivating to ACTUALLY go through the pull-up motion. Also, specificity in training right? Train for a marathon by cycling for cardio and lifting legs? Nah, you gotta run! And you need to do some pullups! I wish you the best-anyone can overcome the push-up/pull-up battle. Small steps and you'll get there. GOOD LUCK! |
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2013-12-28 9:49 AM in reply to: cathyd |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by cathyd Originally posted by TriMyBest Lat pulldowns with enough resistance that you can only do 1-5 reps per set with 3+ minutes rest between sets. Do 3-5 sets every other day.
thanks don, I will start with this. I'm sure it will take me a few sessions to get the weight right and hopefully in a month when I get a pullup bar I might be able to do ONE ! You're welcome! Here's why this was my recommendation - You said you can't even do one pullup right now. Strength is how much force your muscles can create for one contraction. Since you can't do one rep, focusing on strength is the shortest route to doing a pullup. No offense to any of the other posters, but some of those suggestions, while they will increase strength, won't increase it as much as a workout structure focused on it, meaning they're not the quickest way to a full pullup. A workout structure with multiple sets of 1-5 repetitions near maximal effort with long rests that allow nearly full recovery is a strength focused program, and will usually result in the greatest strength improvements. As a side note, 6-11 repetitions with 1-1.5 minutes rest typically focuses on hypertrophy (size gains), and 12+ repetitions with :30 rest focuses on anaerobic endurance. In all of these structures, there is a fair amount of "crossover", meaning that a program focused on strength will still result in some size and anaerobic endurance gains, just as a program with the goal of size gains will still increase strength and anaerobic endurance, but not as much as if the program design aligns better with the primary goal.
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2013-12-29 9:38 AM in reply to: TriMyBest |
Pro 4723 CyFair | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by TriMyBest Lat pulldowns with enough resistance that you can only do 1-5 reps per set with 3+ minutes rest between sets. Do 3-5 sets every other day.
This is pretty spot on. |
2013-12-29 11:24 AM in reply to: 0 |
Champion 13323 | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups I do bodyweight exercises exclusively now and I would suggest 'just hanging'. Yeah, just see how long you can hang and try to increase that. That will strengthen that whole region too to eventually prepare you for doing a pullup. You can also get a step stool and start in the 'up' position of the pullup (chin at bar), kick the stool out of the way and do a 'negative' on the decline - just try to lower yourself back down as slow as possible - do a few of these with a few minutes of rest between. This will develop the functional strength needed real quick. |
2013-12-29 12:27 PM in reply to: Ron |
Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
2014-01-01 11:21 AM in reply to: Teejaay |
Expert 1187 Ontario | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by Teejaay Originally posted by Ron I do bodyweight exercises exclusively now and I would suggest 'just hanging'. Yeah, just see how long you can hang and try to increase that. That will strengthen that whole region too to eventually prepare you for doing a pullup. You can also get a step stool and start in the 'up' position of the pullup (chin at bar), kick the stool out of the way and do a 'negative' on the decline - just try to lower yourself back down as slow as possible - do a few of these with a few minutes of reset between. This will develop the functional strength needed real quick. What Ron said ... the negative pull up (and push up if you are interested in improving those too) has helped me more than anything! You can't do too many like that in a session though because it will wear you out! I've done them with a bench and I jump up into the pullup then keep tight and go super slow on the way down .. you can also do them using a band too. Hanging from the bar is great for your grip strength as well!! I will do all of that when I get the pullup bar, I just don't have one yet and wanted to know what I could do with what I have now until I get one. Grip could be part of my problem as I do also have some arthritis in my hands and my grip is noticeably weaker the last couple years (as in having trouble opening jars), I'm hoping to improve that as well. How do you do negative pushups? Just lowering yourself slowly? I'm doing pushups on stairs now (so at an angle but full pushups rather than from knees). |
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2014-01-02 11:44 AM in reply to: TriMyBest |
Champion 5312 Calgary | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by TriMyBest Originally posted by cathyd Originally posted by TriMyBest Lat pulldowns with enough resistance that you can only do 1-5 reps per set with 3+ minutes rest between sets. Do 3-5 sets every other day.
thanks don, I will start with this. I'm sure it will take me a few sessions to get the weight right and hopefully in a month when I get a pullup bar I might be able to do ONE ! You're welcome! Here's why this was my recommendation - You said you can't even do one pullup right now. Strength is how much force your muscles can create for one contraction. Since you can't do one rep, focusing on strength is the shortest route to doing a pullup. No offense to any of the other posters, but some of those suggestions, while they will increase strength, won't increase it as much as a workout structure focused on it, meaning they're not the quickest way to a full pullup. A workout structure with multiple sets of 1-5 repetitions near maximal effort with long rests that allow nearly full recovery is a strength focused program, and will usually result in the greatest strength improvements. As a side note, 6-11 repetitions with 1-1.5 minutes rest typically focuses on hypertrophy (size gains), and 12+ repetitions with :30 rest focuses on anaerobic endurance. In all of these structures, there is a fair amount of "crossover", meaning that a program focused on strength will still result in some size and anaerobic endurance gains, just as a program with the goal of size gains will still increase strength and anaerobic endurance, but not as much as if the program design aligns better with the primary goal.
Could you maybe comment on this a bit more? I understand, generally, less reps, more time between stets = strength gains. Bu what does the progression look like. Do you find that weight you can do 5 reps of for 5 sets. Then the next workout day you up it by a bit so you are doing like sets of 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, then you stick at that weight until you can do 5 X 5? Or is their a benefit of doing 1 rep heavy sets right from the get go, so that you are never doing 5 X 5. Is there a benefit to increasing the weight between sets? For a beginner, would their be any need to worry about these things? I am trying to figure out this strength training thing, guidance on this is appreciated. Is their a very good book on this that you can recommend. Something akin to the Lore of Running or Daniels for running. |
2014-01-02 6:26 PM in reply to: BigDH |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups Originally posted by BigDH Originally posted by TriMyBest Could you maybe comment on this a bit more? I understand, generally, less reps, more time between stets = strength gains. Bu what does the progression look like. Do you find that weight you can do 5 reps of for 5 sets. Then the next workout day you up it by a bit so you are doing like sets of 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, then you stick at that weight until you can do 5 X 5? Or is their a benefit of doing 1 rep heavy sets right from the get go, so that you are never doing 5 X 5. Is there a benefit to increasing the weight between sets? For a beginner, would their be any need to worry about these things? I am trying to figure out this strength training thing, guidance on this is appreciated. Is their a very good book on this that you can recommend. Something akin to the Lore of Running or Daniels for running. Originally posted by cathyd Originally posted by TriMyBest Lat pulldowns with enough resistance that you can only do 1-5 reps per set with 3+ minutes rest between sets. Do 3-5 sets every other day.
thanks don, I will start with this. I'm sure it will take me a few sessions to get the weight right and hopefully in a month when I get a pullup bar I might be able to do ONE ! You're welcome! Here's why this was my recommendation - You said you can't even do one pullup right now. Strength is how much force your muscles can create for one contraction. Since you can't do one rep, focusing on strength is the shortest route to doing a pullup. No offense to any of the other posters, but some of those suggestions, while they will increase strength, won't increase it as much as a workout structure focused on it, meaning they're not the quickest way to a full pullup. A workout structure with multiple sets of 1-5 repetitions near maximal effort with long rests that allow nearly full recovery is a strength focused program, and will usually result in the greatest strength improvements. As a side note, 6-11 repetitions with 1-1.5 minutes rest typically focuses on hypertrophy (size gains), and 12+ repetitions with :30 rest focuses on anaerobic endurance. In all of these structures, there is a fair amount of "crossover", meaning that a program focused on strength will still result in some size and anaerobic endurance gains, just as a program with the goal of size gains will still increase strength and anaerobic endurance, but not as much as if the program design aligns better with the primary goal.
There are different techniques that can be used for progression. The most basic is to say if you can do 3+ sets of 5 reps, then increase the weight next session and reduce the reps. If you're stuck and not making gains, you can then incorporate things like negatives as mentioned above, or slow down the negative (eccentric contraction) to increase the training stress applied in the session. For most people most of the time, they can see some really nice progress just through consistent training with straight forward rep and set structure. (Does this sound similar to much of the advice regarding endurance training?   IME, it's usually not necessary to employ some of the more complex techniques for the average person just trying to get stronger. Now, if we're talking about power lifters or body builders, that's another story, but I'd refer them to another trainer who specializes in those sports anyway.
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2014-01-06 4:10 PM in reply to: TriMyBest |
Champion 5312 Calgary | Subject: RE: Prep work for pullups thanks, that helps. |
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