Do you think it is better to do regular (un-assisted) pull-ups and struggle until you can do one to start or to use an assisted machine until you can work without it?
Attempting the regular unassisted until I could do one then two and so forth is what worked for me.
[quote]RoadWarrior wrote:
Do you think it is better to do regular (un-assisted) pull-ups and struggle until you can do one to start or to use an assisted machine until you can work without it?[/quote]
I would try using kips to get your numbers up.
Kipping is shown at the end of the video.
crossfit.com/cf-video/strict-kip.wmv
-Machine
I would think that building up your strength on lat pulldowns for a few weeks (if you have access) would accelerate your progress on performing pullups.
I recommend doing all varieties. They’re just like squats or DLs. Do whatever variation is needed to work the weakness. Here’s what I usually recommend. And they’re all good.
- negatives
- partials (down half way and back up
3.isometric holds at different positions - horizontal pull-ups
5.hanging shoulder shrugs - towel pulls (loop 2 towels over the bar and grip them)
7.ring pull-ups - bungee pull-ups (tie each end of an 8’ bungee to the bar and stand in it)
Use both a pronated and a supinated grip for all of the above. Happy chinnin’.
TNT
I would go the assisted route. When I started out I could barely do two pullups but since I began doing them assisted and in high numbers, my regular unassisted numbers have gone up. I also had no carry over success from doing the lat pulldown to improve my pull up numbers.
Wide pronated grip on the lat-pulldown worked real well for me.
A couple of years ago I had access to a gym and decided to start chins. I could only do about 3 good ones but felt it would be better to be getting higher reps without struggeling so much. I started on the lat pulldown machine with 60 kilos for 10 reps.
Over the next 6 weeks I increased the weight till I could do the stack,120 kilos for 4-5 reps with a little cheat at a bodyweight of 190 lbs. Then switched to weighted pullups after. They really helped as I could add some weight almost every workout. When I was in high school I just did chins every day, but the lat machine seemed like a good tool, and worked well for me.
[quote]machine514 wrote:
RoadWarrior wrote:
Do you think it is better to do regular (un-assisted) pull-ups and struggle until you can do one to start or to use an assisted machine until you can work without it?
I would try using kips to get your numbers up.
Kipping is shown at the end of the video.
crossfit.com/cf-video/strict-kip.wmv
-Machine[/quote]
Great website. Love the music. Thanks!
[quote]gojira wrote:
Great website. Love the music. Thanks![/quote]
Yeah crossfit is pretty good, but it is no T-Nation! I went to my first Crossfit session this past weekend and learned a bit about kipping. Kipping is nice if you do not have access to fancy machines. Kipping will put you at the top fo the bar to get a nice negative out and will assist you on the way up, that way you are building strength on both sides! But kipping is done by swinging the hips, not the legs. Try it!
-Machine
Hmm…better for what? Doing one pull-up is certainly not gonna be a good workout. I think the best way to work up to unassisted pull-ups would be to use assisted pull-ups and chins as a main exercise. I did minimally assisted chins on CW’s program (ABBH for me) until I could do them unassisted for the proper rep ranges. This worked great to build up strength for me. Now I’m reaching the point where I need to add weight for some rep schemes.
Continuing to do lat pull-downs, rows, dead-lifts and other back exercises on other days to build strength is also a good idea.
lat pull downs have very little relation to a pullup…it was suggested that you kip to get your numbers up…i agree with this as kipping will allow you to do at least a good set and will also increase your number of strict deadhangs…once you get strong enough doing kipping pullups to do about 5 or 6 strict i would transition over to doing strict
[quote]ZachDelDesert wrote:
lat pull downs have very little relation to a pullup…[/quote]
I respectfully disagree with this quote from ZachDelDesert.
When I first started out I couldn’t do chins either. I started doing heavy pulldowns using correct form (shoulder width grip, no more than 45 degree back swing and pull the bar to the top of my pecks). I would strive to increase my weight over time. Once I was able to do my body weight on pulldowns (at the time of 180 lbs) for more than 10 reps I figured I was ready to try the chin bar. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to do 10 reps of chins with my body weight quite easily.
Now after many years of doing them I can easily use my body weight plus a 45 and 25 lb plate together with a weighted dip belt.
Just keep lifting heavy with pulldowns. You’ll get strong enough.
I wish you the best of luck.
Ass Buster