RickChacon's Review Of Pullups

Jul 12, 2011 4:27 PM: I need some advice/help. I am weigh at 220 lbs. I love to do pull-ups but I can barely crank out 2 then I rest a min and do 2 more. Is there any other exercise at home I can do to help this? (I workout at home with dumbbells I need some advice/help. I am weigh at 220 lbs. I love to do pull-ups but I can barely crank out 2 then I rest a min and do 2 more. Is there any other exercise at home I can do to help this? (I workout at home with dumbbells -See Less

Nov 14, 2011 4:06 AM: just keep going, man. You will get stronger with every exercise you do. Try to do 2 or 3 a day with push-ups mixed in for a morning warm up for your day. just keep going, man. You will get stronger with every exercise you do. Try to do 2 or 3 a day with push-ups mixed in for a morning warm up for your day.-See Less

Aug 9, 2011 6:31 PM: There is absolutely something you can do. Put a chair under you (or just use the floor if your pull up bar is too close to the ground) and gently push up with your foot as you go up, then at the top of the exercise, lift it off the ground and let the downward portion of the exercise bear your full...+See More There is absolutely something you can do. Put a chair under you (or just use the floor if your pull up bar is too close to the ground) and gently push up with your foot as you go up, then at the top of the exercise, lift it off the ground and let the downward portion of the exercise bear your full weight. Make sure to alternate legs so that you don't under-utilize one side of your body.

In this way, you'll be doing pull ups with less than your full bodyweight, but on the way back down you'll be resisting your full bodyweight. Make sure that you let your body back down at a slow pace - you want absolutely all you can get out of those negatives!

Another option would be to do your 2 full pull ups, then step up on a chair so and grab the bar, so that you START at the top of the motion. Then, as slowly as you can, let your body back down all the way to the ground, without touching the chair (the chair will have to be in front or behind you so you don't hit it with your legs on the way down). These NEGATIVE REPS following on the heels of your FULL pull ups will help you build up your pull up reps in no time! Before you know it, you'll be slamming out sets of 6, then 8, then 10! You can DO it!-See Less

Jul 18, 2011 5:13 AM: Hey mate, just keep at it. When I first started doing chinups many moons ago I could manage about 5 in one go. I just did what I could as often as I could. Within a month I was doing 12. Three months late it was 25. If you have access to a machine, try doing some lat pull downs, using a wide grip. They...+See More Hey mate, just keep at it. When I first started doing chinups many moons ago I could manage about 5 in one go. I just did what I could as often as I could. Within a month I was doing 12. Three months late it was 25. If you have access to a machine, try doing some lat pull downs, using a wide grip. They help, but still can't beat the real thing. I'm back in the same boat as you after a few years of being slack, so have to build back up to it. Just takes perseverance.-See Less

Jul 12, 2011 11:00 PM: Unfortunately, there isn't. All I can say is to workout your overall upper body strength. Train everything...but if you really want to help increase your pull up reps in your sets, I suggest hitting it hard on your biceps and your middle back. There's plenty of exercises to choose from in the site...+See More Unfortunately, there isn't. All I can say is to workout your overall upper body strength. Train everything...but if you really want to help increase your pull up reps in your sets, I suggest hitting it hard on your biceps and your middle back. There's plenty of exercises to choose from in the site on those muscle groups that you can even do at your own home-See Less