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Tips to Improve your Pull-ups
by Stew Smith/Naval Academy graduate and a former Navy SEAL
www.stewsmith.com
Of all the exercises, the one with the largest mind game attached to it is the PULL-UP.
One thing I have learned is that women AND men CANNOT do pull-ups, if they do not
practice doing the pull-up. On the flip side, the common denominator among those men
and women who can do dead-hang pull-ups, are those who practice the pull-up.
Personally, one of the worst things we ever developed in physical fitness classes were
the "girl pull-up" or the 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 mother of three do 10 pull-ups.
How is that? They practice pull-ups as well as the auxiliary exercises that work the
muscles of the back, biceps, and forearms -- the PULL-UP muscles!
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 (straight) 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 a
spotter push you over the bar. Then, you slowly lower yourself all the way down, let
your arms hang grasping the bar fully stretched (straight). 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 pull-ups. Using the bar that is 2-4 feet
off the ground, sit under it and grab with the regular grip. Straighten your back, hips,
and slowly 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 pull-ups. This is a good replacement for the Lat Pulldown machine
as well.
The following three exercises will definitely assist/improve your pull-ups!
Pulldowns
Using a pulldown machine, grab the bar, sit down and pull the bar to your collar bone.
Keep the bar in front of you. Behind the neck pulldowns are potentially dangerous to
your neck and shoulders. Keep your pulldowns, pull-ups, and barbell presses in front.
Dumbbell Rows
Bend over and support your lower back by placing your hand and knee on the bench.
Pull the dumbbell to your chest area as if you were starting a lawn mower. Muscles
worked: Back, forearms grip, and bicep muscles.
Bicep 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 straight-
ening the elbows. Do not swing the weights, keep it smooth and fluent.
You can build up your strength and within a few months of this workout, you will have
your first full set of pull-ups in years - maybe ever! Good luck and always remember to
consult with your doctor before starting any fitness program.
Check out the StewSmith.com for answers to weight loss and pull-up goals. You can
also email him at stew@stewsmith.com
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