How long does it take to get to the ever elusive pullup….

[sunshinegirl4816]

I found Nerd Fitness in my quest to figure out how to do a pullup.....I read the website and am totally hooked!

 

I was just wondering if anyone had an idea on how long it will take to get to that friggn' pullup.  Just one....that is my goal.  I realize my weight was/is a factor but I am down 45lbs in 6 months (now at 170lbs), consistantly training with weights, eating really well and following the Nerd guide......   

 

I am definately stronger and can see definition in my arms.....so I guess soon  (hopefully)......

 

How long did it take you???

[Nuala]

It took me exactly 6 weeks + one day It really came by surprise, the day before I couldn't do it to save my life, and the D-Day, I went flying up to the bar. It was quite an unbelivable feeling. 

 

It took me a long time to convince myself that I was actually able to do one and that it was not pure luck or cheating  

[Elastigirl]

It took me 6 months. I did negatives, and rows, and assisted for stinking ever before it finally happened. But now I can do 1. Which of course just wants meto be able to do more.

[I-Jo]

I can't tell you really- I've been doing them since I was a child.

 

BUT I can tell you- it takes time and consistent practice.  I haven't always been active at practicing mine- but even when I haven't been working out- I can still muscle my way up to the bar at least once.

 

With more consistent work I can do several sets of 5 (usually 3 depending on how long my break is between sets)   

 

I find two things to be incredibly helpful

 

1. doing ACTUAL pull ups- (not on the assisted pull up machine- that thing is pure rubbish) they are assited- but not on a cable mechanism.

 

If you work out at a gym- use the stepper risers- put them up high enough you can reach out with your foot and touch them when you are on the bar.  use a chair to get up to the bar- and then use the raisers with your foot on them to assist yourself up.

 

If you work out at home- and you have a pull up bar thing- use a chair- I like to put it out front so you can jump down w/o worrying about hitting it- you have to control the amount of assist you give yourself through the use of your leg.  

 

I actually can use the frame of the machine to help myself out with my foot- I'll have someone take some pictures tonight if you need a visual. It makes a huge difference. 

 

 

 

2.) use the lat pull down cable machine- I found that invaluable in helping me really dig deep into my lat muscles. 

 

identifying those muscles and learning to use them are CRUCIAL.

 

that and consistent consistent consistent work.  that's what it takes.  

[Morrigainz]

Forever. I still can't do one.

 

Another thing that really helped me was the inverse bodyweight rows on the Smith machine. That got me closer to a pullup than all the lat pulldowns and pullup negatives in the world.

[I-Jo]

OH PS... I weigh 170 lbs... if my lard ass can do it- so can you!!!!

[Waldo]

Another thing that really helped me was the inverse bodyweight rows on the Smith machine. That got me closer to a pullup than all the lat pulldowns and pullup negatives in the world.

That right there is the single best use there is for a smith machine.

An adjustable height bar? F' yeah.

[Morrigainz]

That right there is the single best  only use there is for a smith machine.

An adjustable height bar? F' yeah.

Fixed

[cianalas]

It took me about a week and a half to do my first one.  But I had also been waterskiing/wakeboarding for years before that and could stay behind the boat for hours at a time and was underweight according to BMI (still on the low end of normal after adding 15 or so lbs).  Used negatives and isometric holds.

[Steinbike]

I did more inverse bodyweight rows and assisted pull ups -I used the back of a chair to place my feet- than I can count and/or remember. But the feeling was awesome when I was able to do my first. So, it might feel like it's taking a while, but don't give up! It will come. 

 

[Toast]

I wasn't able to do a pull-up as a kid until I took a weightlifting class in High School. After just a few months in the class I was able to do several pull-ups. Then again, I was 16 at the time and it's fairly easy to do physical stuff when you're young (I would assume).

[BarefootViking]

Still working on it!  At ~#290 it isn't an easy feat and having never done one in my entire life it is my goal this year to be able to do 3 in a row.

 

Right now I am doing a bunch of weight training to get my upper body strength up including a lot of back work trying to teach my mid and lower traps to pull.  I also do three reps on the assisted machine whenever I go to the gym regardless of what I am working on.  At home I have workout rings and am doing assisted (almost) pullups on them.

[Kunai]

About 2 months for me. I was still a little over 300. I tried couldn't budge myself off the ground so I tried negatives, couldn't hold it at all, fell right to the ground and hurt my back. Got kind of obsessed with it. Bought a home pull-up bar and everytime I walked by I would attempt it. Would get maybe an inch closer everyday. Eventually I could hold myself up so I started negatives. Then one day I decided to go for it again, screamed like crazy at the bar and finally got over. Now I can do sets of 3 usually with a personal best of 6 in a row.

[Burizado]

Still working on it!  At ~#290 it isn't an easy feat and having never done one in my entire life it is my goal this year to be able to do 3 in a row.

 

Right now I am doing a bunch of weight training to get my upper body strength up including a lot of back work trying to teach my mid and lower traps to pull.  I also do three reps on the assisted machine whenever I go to the gym regardless of what I am working on.  At home I have workout rings and am doing assisted (almost) pullups on them.

 

O_O OMG this is exactly my weight, what I am doing, and my goal.  Are you my twin?  lol

[I-Jo]

this is a great tutorialand while it isn't 100% relevant I think it's got some relevant and highly useful suggestions! enjoy

[BarefootViking]

O_O OMG this is exactly my weight, what I am doing, and my goal.  Are you my twin?  lol

 

LOL  That is too funny! 

[BarefootViking]

Great breakdown on muscle ups.  Don't know how long it will take me to get there. 

 

this is a great tutorialand while it isn't 100% relevant I think it's got some relevant and highly useful suggestions! enjoy

[Pyth]

It took me about a month to get a proper unassisted pull up done. Or what I think is a full pull up. I touch the bar to my collar bone. Not sure if that's what they really are or not but it's what I set for myself as a pull up. That was about 1.5 months ago.

 

I started out just doing 1 leg assisted pullups with a chair about 3 feet in front of my bar. I would crank off max rep sets of those every single time I walked past my bar. Which was hanging from a doorway in my hall, right by my bathroom and bedroom. So essentially any time I walked down my hall, max rep set of pull ups. I still do this now, and I'm up to 5 now. Six chin ups, just set that PR yesterday.

 

More or less just work at it, work hard. Do the most difficult form of assisted pull up you can do, and do them constantly until you can do one. Then do 1, a lot, a dozen sets of 1 a day. You'll be at two before you know it.

[I-Jo]

exactly!

good job that's a great way to do it. I used to do them every time I left my bedroom... just two or three. the consistency is super helpful.

anyone tried doing assisted Smith machine muscle ups? is that feasible? I might give it a go today and see what gives lol

[Steinbike]

It took me about a month to get a proper unassisted pull up done. Or what I think is a full pull up. I touch the bar to my collar bone. Not sure if that's what they really are or not but it's what I set for myself as a pull up. That was about 1.5 months ago.

 

I started out just doing 1 leg assisted pullups with a chair about 3 feet in front of my bar. I would crank off max rep sets of those every single time I walked past my bar. Which was hanging from a doorway in my hall, right by my bathroom and bedroom. So essentially any time I walked down my hall, max rep set of pull ups. I still do this now, and I'm up to 5 now. Six chin ups, just set that PR yesterday.

 

More or less just work at it, work hard. Do the most difficult form of assisted pull up you can do, and do them constantly until you can do one. Then do 1, a lot, a dozen sets of 1 a day. You'll be at two before you know it.

 

That's what I did too, hung the bar right in my bedroom door, whenever I walked in I would do as many as I could. And it's still hanging there. Up to sets of 12 now but my chin ups are slacking a bit, max at about 8 or 9 at this point. 

 

 

this is a great tutorialand while it isn't 100% relevant I think it's got some relevant and highly useful suggestions! enjoy

Oh man now I want a set of rings. 

[I-Jo]

... so doing anything pertinant on the smith failed... well that's not true- I learned I have NO strength for transitioning from the final muscle up position- doing a reverse down to the start pull up position.  that transition from OVER to under is super hard for me.

 

My friend is going to lend me her TRX set to let me keep working it- hoping to make a date with my boyfriend for the park on Wednesday!!! 

[Waldo]

I don't know much about the ring muscle up, but on a bar a negative is WAY harder than the positive.  On the way up you pull as explosively as possible and make the transition in a near weightless state (at least for the easier variations).  On the way down that isn't possible

[spezzy]

Realistically it took me about 3 years. Or a year and a half of consistent trying.

(If this post seems brief or anything like that it's because I'm using my phone and don't want to type a lot )

[sunshinegirl4816]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.....  Yesterday I used a step and jumped up over the bar and held as long as I could.  The good news is - I held it longer than before - the bad news - it isn't very long.    I am going to try the chair and keep working on strength....   I will not be defeated...I will beat the bar!

[sunshinegirl4816]

I can't tell you really- I've been doing them since I was a child.

 

BUT I can tell you- it takes time and consistent practice.  I haven't always been active at practicing mine- but even when I haven't been working out- I can still muscle my way up to the bar at least once.

 

With more consistent work I can do several sets of 5 (usually 3 depending on how long my break is between sets)   

 

I find two things to be incredibly helpful

 

1. doing ACTUAL pull ups- (not on the assisted pull up machine- that thing is pure rubbish) they are assited- but not on a cable mechanism.

 

If you work out at a gym- use the stepper risers- put them up high enough you can reach out with your foot and touch them when you are on the bar.  use a chair to get up to the bar- and then use the raisers with your foot on them to assist yourself up.

 

If you work out at home- and you have a pull up bar thing- use a chair- I like to put it out front so you can jump down w/o worrying about hitting it- you have to control the amount of assist you give yourself through the use of your leg.  

 

I actually can use the frame of the machine to help myself out with my foot- I'll have someone take some pictures tonight if you need a visual. It makes a huge difference. 

 

 

 

2.) use the lat pull down cable machine- I found that invaluable in helping me really dig deep into my lat muscles. 

 

identifying those muscles and learning to use them are CRUCIAL.

 

that and consistent consistent consistent work.  that's what it takes.  

Visual would help a ton!  Thanks so much for all your advice.  You have no idea how important this is to me ..... ...