Of all the exercises, the one with the largest mind game attached
to it is the PULLUP. One thing I have learned is that women AND men CANNOT do
pull-ups IF they do not PRACTICE pull-ups. On the flip side, the common
denominator among those men AND women who can do dead-hang pull-ups, are those
who practice pull-ups.
Personally, one of the worst things we ever
developed in physical fitness classes were the "girl pullup" or flexed arm hang.
At an early age, we have been telling young girls, that they cannot do regular
pull-ups because they will never be as strong as boys. Well, part of that
statement is true -- the strongest woman will NEVER be stronger than the
strongest man -- but I have seen 40-50 year old mothers of three do 10 pullups.
How is that? They practice pull-ups as well as the auxiliary exercises that work
the muscles of the back, biceps, and forearms - the PULLUP muscles! Anybody can
do pull-ups, but it helps to not be 40-50 lbs. overweight and to follow a
program that places pull-ups and the following exercises in your workouts at
least 3 times a week.
The Proper Pull-up (regular grip) - Grab
the pull-up bar with your hands placed about shoulder width apart and your palms
facing away from you. Pull yourself upward until your chin is over the bar and
complete the exercise by slowly moving to the hanging position.
Pull-ups (negatives) - If you cannot do any pull-ups,
you should try "negatives". Negatives are half pull-ups. All you have to do is
get your chin over the bar by standing on something or having spotter push you
over the bar. Then, you slowly lower yourself all the way down - let your arms
hang grasping the bar fully stretched. Keep your feet up and fight gravity for a
count of 5 seconds. This will get your arms used to supporting your weight.
Assisted Pull-ups - This is the first step to being able to
perform pullups. Using the bar that is 3-4 feet off the ground, sit under it and
grab with the regular grip. Straighten your back, hips, and slightly bend your
knees while your feet remain on the floor and pull yourself to the bar so that
your chest touches the bar. Repeat as required. This is a great way to start out
if you cannot do any pull-ups at all. You can also do this on a pair of parallel
bars that are used for dips. These are also great to do after you can no longer
perform anymore dead-hang pullups. This is a good replacement for the Lat
Pulldown machine as well.
Pulldowns -Using a pulldown machine, grab the bar, sit
down and pull the bar to your collar bones. Keep the bar in front of you. Behind
the neck pulldowns are potentially dangerous to your neck and shoulders.
Dumbbell rows - Bend over and support your lower back by
placing your hand and knee on the bench as shown. Pull the dumbbell to your
chest area as if you were starting a lawn mower. Muscles worked: Back, forearm
grip, Bicep muscles
Biceps Curls - Place dumbbells or bar in hands with
your palms facing upward. Use a complete range of motion to take the weight from
your shoulders to your hips by bending and straightening the elbows. Keep it
smooth. Do not swing the weights.
You can build up your strength and within a few months
of this workout, you will have your first pullup in years - maybe ever! If weight
loss is needed, naturally find a plan that incorporates cardio vascular exercise, diet
and nutrition tips and weights and calisthenics if your next
goal is to do a pullup one day! Good luck and always remember
to consult with your doctor before starting any fitness program.
Going from 10-15 pullups to a goal of
25-30?
Try this workout - 100 pullups in as few sets
as possible. Rest with 100 abs of choice and 50-100 pushups then repeat
pullups for the next set until you reach 100 pullups.
Check out the
StewSmith.com Fitness
Store for answers to your weight loss and pull-ups goals. All programs are
written by Stew Smith and access to Stew is as simple as emailing him at
stew@stewsmith.com.
Cannot do Pullups? Check out the
TRX
TRX Workouts - This is a great device to use if
you are failing at pullups. The TRX rows will help you build your bicep /
back muscles like a set of weights, but also work the core at the same time.
