Doing more pull ups/ chin ups

**elipson** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 4:30pm

I'm doing 3x5 with a 25lbs weight strapped to my waste.

I topped out at 22 reps without the weight the other day.

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 4:54pm

So, laugh away guys, but I am just starting on the Pull ups craze...

How do you build up from none? Unless I jump to past the half way mark, I just can't get up there. I can understand building up the quantity from even one, but if your not doing the full range of movement from one full one... "how do improve pullups?"

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 5:02pm

I'm even worse than OP! Three in a row is all I can do at the moment buit it was just one a day a couple weeks ago. (Been woefully out of practice for nearly six months. All my previous gains are gone...)

A couple "beginner" tricks for developing the strength to do this exercise:

Reverses: Kick yourself into the up possition, and slowly let yourself down. Hang for five seconds at the bottom. Repeat. This is like the "knee pushup" version of pullups.

Kipping Pullups: These are the ones where you swing your weight to give you momentum for assitance. Also known as "cheating". However, if you can't do the full exercise without strain, both of these low impact techniques can be used to train untill you are strong enough to disgard them.

You can think of them like training wheels on a bike. Both helped me out when I was a flabby little girly man who couldn't even get my chin to the bar from a dead hang.

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 5:04pm

Cool, now help me out in the FMA forum too :-)

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 5:14pm

Originally Posted by Ignorami

Cool, now help me out in the FMA forum too :-)

I'll hit you're sparing thread later when I can give it proper thought amigo!

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 5:27pm

Another thing you can do is get some of those physical therapy bands. Hang them from the bar and step on them to do assisted pullups.

You can also cross your legs behind you and have someone hold your feet to assist you up. Do those and it wont take long to get you to one unassisted. Once you get one, never look back!

**Res Judicata** · Posted On: 7/24/2012 5:39pm

Originally Posted by Diesel_tke

Another thing you can do is get some of those physical therapy bands. Hang them from the bar and step on them to do assisted pullups.

You can also cross your legs behind you and have someone hold your feet to assist you up. Do those and it wont take long to get you to one unassisted. Once you get one, never look back!

The bands are good advice. Most people are weakest at the bottom and that's where you get the greatest assist from the bands. You can also use other stretchy things at the gym for similar effect if you don't have a band. The power lifter bands work well, too.