Fitness Advice - Pull-ups

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-12-22 02:55am

OK, to my shame, I am 20 years old and I have not done a single pull-up for my entire life. This is a matter of great embarassment to me, insignificant as it may seem. So I would appreciate any advice you physically fit people could offer me on how to adequately increase my abdominal strength to do a pull-up within the next six months. I'm taking a weight-training course next semester, if that helps.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-12-22 03:08am

Erm, abdominal strength is not the key factor to pullups.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-12-22 03:10am

OK, well, whatever is.

They told me it was in PE during elementary school. Damn teachers...

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-12-22 03:17am

Think about this. You're pulling yourself up with your arms. Pull your arms back. What muscles are you using?

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2003-12-22 03:19am

*buries a finger in his own flabdominal manflesh, and releases it again to much giggling*

Now that you mention it, an excercise routine for geeks would be great. I'm not Michelangelo's David but I damn well should be!

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-12-22 03:19am

Biceps, triceps, shoulders, it feels like.

I am fortunate enough to be trim, very trim, but I don't have a lot of muscle mass.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2003-12-22 03:24am

I would recommend push ups of alternating types to work the various muscles of the arm while at the same time strengthening your chest.

The Health and Fitness Guru is always glad to help!

*messily devours entire pizza*

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-12-22 03:29am

Joe wrote:Biceps, triceps, shoulders, it feels like.

I am fortunate enough to be trim, very trim, but I don't have a lot of muscle mass.

So you're trying to bulk up, then. Well, just make sure you rotate through the entire upper chest region. I'm sure that you could get some advice from the instructor or assistants in the weight training course.

And, when you're working, make sure you eat well. You need minerals, carbs, and proteins... a lot of people tend to overlook the mineral part, but that can be fixed by having salads with your meals. (And, contrary to formal dinner practice, the salad should come after the meal...)

Oh yes. Drink lots of water, too.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2003-12-22 04:02am

I HATE PULL UPS!!! NEVER MENTION THOSE BASTARDS IN MY PRESENCE EVER AGAIN!!! I've probably done a few at one point. I always hated these two guys I knew who were like the uber athletic guys, and they'd just fly through some pull ups man.

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2003-12-22 06:10am

So far I've tried pretending that I'm really fit. Doesn't seem to work and I'm all out of ideas.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2003-12-22 07:28am

Joe wrote:OK, to my shame, I am 20 years old and I have not done a single pull-up for my entire life. This is a matter of great embarassment to me, insignificant as it may seem. So I would appreciate any advice you physically fit people could offer me on how to adequately increase my abdominal strength to do a pull-up within the next six months. I'm taking a weight-training course next semester, if that helps.

höhö, you´re a wussy.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2003-12-22 07:47am

what i find really pathetic is that i on a good day i can do 40 push-ups... however i can barely do 10 pull-ups

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2003-12-22 10:09am

Zac Naloen wrote:what i find really pathetic is that i on a good day i can do 40 push-ups... however i can barely do 10 pull-ups

Hah - that is pathetic.

I'm just kidding. I could do 35 knuckle-pushups, and about 10 chinups (what we call pullups down here - pullups are a kind of diaper, which seems somewhat strange and unrelated to the topic at hand.

)

Oh yeah, I said I could do it - I'm not sure if I still can. Lately I've been having trouble with doing just 30 pushups, these of the palms-flat variety. As for chinups, the last time I did them was so long ago I can't recall accurately enough, and I could only do maybe 3 or 5. Wanna talk pathetic? Look at me.

PainRack · Post by **PainRack** » 2003-12-22 10:12am

Zac Naloen wrote:what i find really pathetic is that i on a good day i can do 40 push-ups... however i can barely do 10 pull-ups

Huh? That's supposed to be depressing? Are you trying to be scarastic? I could go 100 push ups, but only pull 12.

Here's the tried and tested way.

90 push up in the morning, afternoon and dinner, before your meals. 30 normal, 30 spider, 30 diamond. For starters, you might want to start from 15, and progress to 30 after 2 weeks. Meanwhile, do a complete set of pull-up(3-6)before a meal.If you can't do one, get someone to assist or the gym has the excellent assisted pull up. Alternatively, the girls chin bar works. To me however, my heavier mass actually make doing that harder.

.

At night, after all of the above, do a negative set. Do one chin up, and slowly let yourself down, hang on for a count of 10(slowly progress up to 15)

Please note, the above exercise programme assume that you're not overweight,like me, or am moderately cardiovasicularly fit.

After 2 weeks or so, you should find the ache and pain disappearing, and since you're zero fighter, in a month time, you should find yourself doing 5-6 with no prob.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-12-22 10:32am

I found using the lateral pull down machine was a good way to strengthen the muscles you use for pull-ups because you can change the weight to something other than your own body weight so you can work out longer at lowers weights or try some sets at higher weights.

When I was in high school the only difference between chin-ups and pull-ups was the grip. Chin-up had palms facing you and pull-ups had palms away. You still have the same goal which is to pull your chin over the bar so I'm not sure if my distinction between the two names is a real one or not.

Raxmei · Post by **Raxmei** » 2003-12-22 10:38am

Tsyroc wrote:When I was in high school the only difference between chin-ups and pull-ups was the grip. Chin-up had palms facing you and pull-ups had palms away. You still have the same goal which is to pull your chin over the bar so I'm not sure if my distinction between the two names is a real one or not.

In my high school a chin-up had palms facing away from you. Palms facing towards you was called cheating, because doing it that way is supposedly easier.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-12-22 10:41am

Raxmei wrote:In my high school a chin-up had palms facing away from you. Palms facing towards you was called cheating, because doing it that way is supposedly easier.

I've never known it to be easier but they never wanted us to do it that way during testing anyway so I've hardly ever even tried to do them that way.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2003-12-22 10:41am

Raxmei wrote:
Tsyroc wrote:When I was in high school the only difference between chin-ups and pull-ups was the grip. Chin-up had palms facing you and pull-ups had palms away. You still have the same goal which is to pull your chin over the bar so I'm not sure if my distinction between the two names is a real one or not.
In my high school a chin-up had palms facing away from you. Palms facing towards you was called cheating, because doing it that way is supposedly easier.

its not cheating, its less likely to rip the tendons

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2003-12-22 11:04am

It is cheating. Ti's allowing you to use more of your biceps in the pull. Pull-ups use your lats and shoulders. Push-ups are a good way to strengthen your overall muscle in your chest, but not that great for pull-ups. The best way is repetition (negatives work well here), as well as finding a lat-pull machine.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-12-22 11:31am

Lots of stuff about pullups. There's more info on page 1&3 of that thread but that should give you a good start. I'm one of those bastards who could always do pullups with ease so I can't really help on the learning part. Pullups are pure upper body strength, it's all in your arms & shoulders, and to a lesser extent your chest & upper back. Doing them hurts like a bastard after a good set, but remember, if your arms turn to jelly and hurt like mad, you're doing it right.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2003-12-22 11:38am

First - Lose weight you motherfucker

Second - Build up arm strength

Third - Just keep trying.. and try hard.

I can do about 15 before I just start hanging limply and can't go anywhere else but down. Gloves help a lot.. I have these huge parts of my palm that are calloused.

IndustrialNoise · Post by **IndustrialNoise** » 2003-12-22 11:39am

Trytostaydead wrote:First - Lose weight you motherfucker

He already said, he's very thin.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-12-22 11:45am

Join the Marine Corps. I'm sure they can help you.

Anyway, when my knee finally gets better, I'm gonna start working on those, since I have to anyway. Must get at least three, but my goal is twenty so I can be a "Super Bad Mother F---er" at boot.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2003-12-22 11:50am

Fighter of Foo wrote:
Trytostaydead wrote:First - Lose weight you motherfucker
He already said, he's very thin.

Well, dammit.. maybe not thin enough for his girly arms?!!

J/P

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-12-22 11:56am

RogueIce wrote:Join the Marine Corps. I'm sure they can help you.

Anyway, when my knee finally gets better, I'm gonna start working on those, since I have to anyway. Must get at least three, but my goal is twenty so I can be a "Super Bad Mother F---er" at boot.

20 will max out your score as I remember it, but you're not a badass until you can do them with one arm. I used to be able to do that when I was into rockclimbing but I've let myself go a bit in the last 2-3 years.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Fitness Advice - Pull-ups

Fitness Advice - Pull-ups

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