I posted this question in Open Chat.. didn't meant to.
What do I need to do to train for doing a pull up?
I'm a 50 yr old woman in decent physical shape.
I've been working out at the gym for 9 months now, but still can't do a pull up.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Pull ups.. posted in wrong board
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Pull-ups from memory, (although I haven't done them for a long while), seem to work the Traps, the Rear Delts, and the Biceps mostly. That's what I seemed to feel when I did them.
You will need to train every muscle group, but the main thing with Pull-ups is, you need a wide grip. Don't used a close grip like you can with Chins, or expect to get nowhere fast.
So it might be your technique, but also you just need to make sure, you've got good all over muscle devlopment, and that you are keeping your bf% low, as extra body fat weight, will hinder your Pull-up ability.
A better power to weight ratio will yield more success.
Hopefully that helps.
P.S. Congrats at getting into this at your age. That really impresses me, and I hope you continue to progress, and you feel better for it.
Keep up the hard work, and don't get discouraged. I hope this doesn't sound patronising, it isn't meant to, but I appreciate sometimes it must be harder for women, to keep it up, with all their daily commitments, and in many cases lack of support for their lifestyles, so I hope you stick with it, and GOOD LUCK.
You should be very, very proud of yourself
.
You will need to train every muscle group, but the main thing with Pull-ups is, you need a wide grip. Don't used a close grip like you can with Chins, or expect to get nowhere fast.
So it might be your technique, but also you just need to make sure, you've got good all over muscle devlopment, and that you are keeping your bf% low, as extra body fat weight, will hinder your Pull-up ability.
A better power to weight ratio will yield more success.
Hopefully that helps.
P.S. Congrats at getting into this at your age. That really impresses me, and I hope you continue to progress, and you feel better for it.
Keep up the hard work, and don't get discouraged. I hope this doesn't sound patronising, it isn't meant to, but I appreciate sometimes it must be harder for women, to keep it up, with all their daily commitments, and in many cases lack of support for their lifestyles, so I hope you stick with it, and GOOD LUCK.
You should be very, very proud of yourself
.
Last edited by Boss Man on Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thank you Boss Man for your kind reply
I guess I need to train harder for traps, deltoids and biceps.
I did get quite discouraged after trying a pull up after all these months of training.
We have a bar in the doorway that son uses for chin ups.
I can't even push myself up on that while standing on a stool.
So yeah, I need to train harder.
Thanks again.
I guess I need to train harder for traps, deltoids and biceps.
I did get quite discouraged after trying a pull up after all these months of training.
We have a bar in the doorway that son uses for chin ups.
I can't even push myself up on that while standing on a stool.
So yeah, I need to train harder.
Thanks again.
I would also post something about your diet too. Your diet is key, as without quality muscle and energy fuel, your lifting progress will last as long as a Britney Spears marriage.
Sorry lousy comparison
It's not just Traps, Delts and Biceps you need to train, it's other muscles too, like Triceps, Lats, Rhomboids, Erector Spinae, Iliocostals, Chest, to about the same degree.
If you get too much Traps increase, without any similar Chest improvement for example, you could affect your posture, so working all the body, (Legs would be a good idea too), in roughly equal amounts / intensity, will ensure you get results you want, without worrying postural side effects.
At 50, now your Bone density will start to decrease, and other physical attributes start to lessen in quality, (not trying to paint a morbid future here), you need to make sure you don't train in a way, that causes imbalances, defecits etc etc, that are harder to correct, because postural inadequacies for example, will be harder to correct when nature causes problems.
So don't just increase the intensity of work, for the muscles used for Pull-ups, or you may increase the rate of progress over other muscles, and still get postural inadequacies, if say those muscles are developing at a greater rate than the others.
Sorry lousy comparison
It's not just Traps, Delts and Biceps you need to train, it's other muscles too, like Triceps, Lats, Rhomboids, Erector Spinae, Iliocostals, Chest, to about the same degree.
If you get too much Traps increase, without any similar Chest improvement for example, you could affect your posture, so working all the body, (Legs would be a good idea too), in roughly equal amounts / intensity, will ensure you get results you want, without worrying postural side effects.
At 50, now your Bone density will start to decrease, and other physical attributes start to lessen in quality, (not trying to paint a morbid future here), you need to make sure you don't train in a way, that causes imbalances, defecits etc etc, that are harder to correct, because postural inadequacies for example, will be harder to correct when nature causes problems.
So don't just increase the intensity of work, for the muscles used for Pull-ups, or you may increase the rate of progress over other muscles, and still get postural inadequacies, if say those muscles are developing at a greater rate than the others.
Again, a lot of good information.
Thank you so much for taking the time.
I will continue full body workout then and definitely post back when I achieve pull-up
As far as diet goes...well I have cut out almost all processed foods for a year now.
I try to eat as clean as possible.
I drink plenty of water... and I do eat when I'm hungry and always try to get protein and carbs in me when I am working out.
I don't eat a lot... so some of problem may be this.
Anyway, I still have goal... push forward for the one pull-up.
When I started weight traning this past spring, goal was to do one pull-up by the end of this year.
I did one a few days ago at the gym with assistance... but I can't reproduce that again. This is what bugs me.
So I have a Valentine's Day goal... to do a pull-up again by then and to be able to do 'one' when I want.
Thanks again for your information.. it helps a lot
Thank you so much for taking the time.
I will continue full body workout then and definitely post back when I achieve pull-up
As far as diet goes...well I have cut out almost all processed foods for a year now.
I try to eat as clean as possible.
I drink plenty of water... and I do eat when I'm hungry and always try to get protein and carbs in me when I am working out.
I don't eat a lot... so some of problem may be this.
Anyway, I still have goal... push forward for the one pull-up.
When I started weight traning this past spring, goal was to do one pull-up by the end of this year.
I did one a few days ago at the gym with assistance... but I can't reproduce that again. This is what bugs me.
So I have a Valentine's Day goal... to do a pull-up again by then and to be able to do 'one' when I want.
Thanks again for your information.. it helps a lot
getting the muscles used strong isn't better than getting stronger at the actual movement...i couldn't do pull ups until I axctually started doing them...if you can't do 1 than do negative reps (lowering only) starting at 3 x 3 with a 10secs lowering phase and increase gradually until you can do 3 x 10 with 20secs lowering phase...may take a while but should almost get you to do 1 by yourself...if you can get someone to help you on the raising phase than that would help also
Well with the diet you could try something like this.
40/40/20 Proteins / Carbs / Fats
I would have 6 small meals a day, spaced 3 hours apart.
If you have about 25 grams Protein, 25 grams Carbs, and roughly 5.5 grams Fats, you should be fine.
So that's 100 calories Protein, 100 calories Carbs, 50 calories, (approx), Fats
On a 6 meal Plan, that's 1,500 daily.
To illustrate what that means meal wise, that's like having 2.5 OZ sliced Turkey or Chicken, a small Baked potato, and perhaps some healthy Fat source in the Potato.
Hopefully that helps. If your meals are like that, you won't go for too long between meals, and cause bits of Catabolism, (muscle burned as fuel), so you'll assist muscle devlopment.
This is a prime time to protect the muscles from deterioration, and you can still make good gains.
I think the meal stategy I outlined should be fine for you.
40/40/20 Proteins / Carbs / Fats
I would have 6 small meals a day, spaced 3 hours apart.
If you have about 25 grams Protein, 25 grams Carbs, and roughly 5.5 grams Fats, you should be fine.
So that's 100 calories Protein, 100 calories Carbs, 50 calories, (approx), Fats
On a 6 meal Plan, that's 1,500 daily.
To illustrate what that means meal wise, that's like having 2.5 OZ sliced Turkey or Chicken, a small Baked potato, and perhaps some healthy Fat source in the Potato.
Hopefully that helps. If your meals are like that, you won't go for too long between meals, and cause bits of Catabolism, (muscle burned as fuel), so you'll assist muscle devlopment.
This is a prime time to protect the muscles from deterioration, and you can still make good gains.
I think the meal stategy I outlined should be fine for you.
Thank you all for your input
I check this board (and post) everyday.
I've been working on strengthening core... and about 3 times a day I've been letting myself hang from the bar and just pull arms up... this is just a quarter inch of movement... but I'm feeling it in arm and lats.
I also get myself in the push-up position and hold it for a minute.
I check this board (and post) everyday.
I've been working on strengthening core... and about 3 times a day I've been letting myself hang from the bar and just pull arms up... this is just a quarter inch of movement... but I'm feeling it in arm and lats.
I also get myself in the push-up position and hold it for a minute.
That last bit sounds like Planks. The holding a Push-up.
That wil be good for Abdominal condition, as that allows direct influence of gravitational pull, on the Abdominals. If you do it right, you should after about 30-40 seconds, start to feel the Abs shake a bit.
A minute is about all you need at once. For an Abs session you could possibly Plank to start, then again to finish, but I wouldn't personally exceed about 60 seconds per Plank. I never do.
You shouldn't need to Plank more than about 1-2 times per session.
I would say, perhaps try a different tactic, with the Pull-up thing you mentioned, so instead of doing 3 spaced out over the course of a day, do 1, give it a couple of minutes, go again, wait another 2 minutes then again.
See how that feels for a day or two. You hopefully will find the 2 minutes rest, is enough to allow you to get another 1" pull.
You could also try different Leg positions. You may find possibly crossing the Legs works a bit better, or maybe not. Just a thought, incase you find one Leg swings about a bit.
Keep up the hard work, and GOOD LUCK. It's great to see someone of your years, not to sound rude, taking all this on. I really hope you suceed.
That wil be good for Abdominal condition, as that allows direct influence of gravitational pull, on the Abdominals. If you do it right, you should after about 30-40 seconds, start to feel the Abs shake a bit.
A minute is about all you need at once. For an Abs session you could possibly Plank to start, then again to finish, but I wouldn't personally exceed about 60 seconds per Plank. I never do.
You shouldn't need to Plank more than about 1-2 times per session.
I would say, perhaps try a different tactic, with the Pull-up thing you mentioned, so instead of doing 3 spaced out over the course of a day, do 1, give it a couple of minutes, go again, wait another 2 minutes then again.
See how that feels for a day or two. You hopefully will find the 2 minutes rest, is enough to allow you to get another 1" pull.
You could also try different Leg positions. You may find possibly crossing the Legs works a bit better, or maybe not. Just a thought, incase you find one Leg swings about a bit.
Keep up the hard work, and GOOD LUCK. It's great to see someone of your years, not to sound rude, taking all this on. I really hope you suceed
.Happy New Year everyone
Thanks again for the replies... and yes Boss Man, I do "pre pull-up" workout just as you said. I should have clarified.
I have a hard time keeping legs still. They swing out.
The bar we have is mounted in son's bedroom doorway on the very top.
It's not high enough to let me hang without having to bend knees and cross ankles... but I think I'm still getting the job done
I do about 5 at a time, but I think I should scale back and just hold for a few seconds before I let go... then do the next one with a minute break as you say.
I also have a bar in the door way below hip height that I do 'reverse push-ups' on... and an exercise that I sit under the bar with legs straight out, butt on the floor and "try" to pull myself up... this is a killer for me.
I'm not offended at all by your pointing out age... We're all going to get there/here.. God willing
I just don't want to set myself up for failure and try for something that is unrealistic.
Oh yeah... most people who meet me for the first time and get to know me after a short while are quite surprised at age... I hope that means I look younger
Thanks again for the replies... and yes Boss Man, I do "pre pull-up" workout just as you said. I should have clarified.
I have a hard time keeping legs still. They swing out.
The bar we have is mounted in son's bedroom doorway on the very top.
It's not high enough to let me hang without having to bend knees and cross ankles... but I think I'm still getting the job done
I do about 5 at a time, but I think I should scale back and just hold for a few seconds before I let go... then do the next one with a minute break as you say.
I also have a bar in the door way below hip height that I do 'reverse push-ups' on... and an exercise that I sit under the bar with legs straight out, butt on the floor and "try" to pull myself up... this is a killer for me.
I'm not offended at all by your pointing out age... We're all going to get there/here.. God willing
I just don't want to set myself up for failure and try for something that is unrealistic.
Oh yeah... most people who meet me for the first time and get to know me after a short while are quite surprised at age... I hope that means I look younger
Look at it this way, to try and fail is better than having a what if scenario, because didn't try.sparrow wrote:I just don't want to set myself up for failure and try for something that is unrealistic.
Obviously that depends on the scale of a given situation in life. If there's money involved etc etc, but for something as trivial in life as a Pull-up, go for it, and believe in yourself.
You'll do far better with belief alone. 80% mental 20% physical is the saying, and I have come to believe it's very true.
I'm sure you'll get there
.Don't forget all the other important physical changes inside. Lower blood pressure, increased Bone density etc etc. You will have already done so much physically in 9 months, that you can't see.
Lots to be proud of, and a great chance to take it further, so be strong, and don't worry about it. You'll make that Pull-up yeah
.I got started with enthusiasm, that started to wain after 2 months, I forced myself to stick with it, and not let it feel like a hobby. I only got to feel like it was a real part of life, after 6 months.
7.5 years later, the will is as strong as ever.
You've managed 9 months, and that's an achievement in itself. Many don't last 3, before losing their way.
GOOD LUCK