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Old 10-26-12, 08:45 AM  
mrsyancy
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
I think ur body weight has a something to do with it but I also believe ur core strength and upper body strength is the biggest determining factor b/c when I was doing p90x I could do a couple pull ups and I was still around 150# and I'm 5'3 but I had gotten very strong in my upper body and core and could crank out about 35 push ups at that time on my toes....

Of course I probably could have done more if I was lighter but I was pretty strong at that time......now I can't even pull myself up half way....lol....but I do agree that with most people (especially females) if ur not doing them on a regular basis u will lose that ability(except if ur my husband)....aarrrrrrgh.....makes me so mad....lol
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Old 10-26-12, 09:30 AM  
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At the end of my first P90X round I could do 8 chin-ups and 4 pull-ups - when I started I could do 1 chin up and move my body up about 1/4 inch when attempted a pull up, so I was VERY VERY happy with my progress! I worked REALLY hard on them and did extra sets whenever I could.

I think the best way to build is to do something similar to the 100 push-up challenge - do small sets **often**. And build up using an assist band or by doing negatives (I did a combination of both of these things).

FWIW, I'm 5'9" and 135#.
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Old 10-26-12, 09:33 AM  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gymmom View Post
I was surprised as well that that article did not mention core strength. Being the mother of a gymnast I've watched countless girls progress on the uneven bars - building core strength first, and then upper body - and all without lifting a single weight - other than their own body weight. As the girls move through the levels they work on skills that use the muscles beginning at the base of the core and later moving up the trunk. Without that solid base they simply can't progress to the harder skills. I would think it would be the same progression for a non-gymnast as well. What a flawed study methodology.

At 13 my daughter did more pull-ups than any student in her 8th grade class of 300 students (boys and girls) - in fact they made her stop before she even fatigued. She is my inspiration!
The entire premise of the article turns me off. Although the best way to get me to do something is to tell me that I can't, so perhaps she's trying some reverse psychology here?

My 10 year old daughter is the same way - she can pump out 5 pull-ups like it's nothing, and is working on getting to 10 by the new year.
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Old 10-26-12, 09:37 AM  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lannette View Post
Three days a week for three months, the women focused on exercises that would strengthen the biceps and the latissimus dorsi — the large back muscle that is activated during the exercise. They lifted weights and used an incline to practice a modified pull-up, raising themselves up to a bar, over and over, in hopes of strengthening the muscles they would use to perform the real thing. They also focused on aerobic training to lower body fat.

If you want to be able to do pull-ups you need to practice pull-ups. Seems to me that they approximated pull-ups without ever having them practice the upright true and honest movement.

I can't help but wonder if the outcome would have been different had they actually incorporated modified upright pull-ups progressing to less and less assistance. Three weeks is also not a very long time to build up the kind of upper body and core strength you need for a pull-up.
Oh, good grief. This article is ridiculous. 3 *weeks* of *non-specific* training and it concludes that women can't do pull-ups?????????

My advice is to ignore this drivel. If you want to do a pull-up, do some Google searches at how to work up to doing unassisted pull-ups. There are a lot of good materials out there that will get you there.
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Old 10-26-12, 09:58 AM  
Sue B
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One thing for sure, NYT knows how to headline something to make it go viral.

This article was shared on Facebook by a bunch of people and pages I'm following, and it's kind of funny to see their reactions - the kettlebell people insist that kettlebell training will make you a pullup champ, the Crossfit people insist that the study should've used Crossfit, and no doubt a yoga instructor out there somewhere is saying yoga is the magic pullup formula.

At my lightest several years ago, I was able to do one pullup but never any more than one. I agree that bodyweight is a huge factor.
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Old 10-26-12, 12:45 PM  
RedPanda
 
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Speaking of building up to pullups...

... I'm using this system with my TRX.

If you read the science behind it, you'll see that it's pretty solid.
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Old 10-26-12, 01:19 PM  
alisoncooks
 
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I've never been able to do a pull-up. Ever.
I'm just glad that there *may* be a "scientific" explanation for it -- other than the fact that I'm just weak.

DH & I have been using the Lifeline Pullup Revolution. (**In fact, we have several brand new ones -- DH bought multiples to get free shipping -- so if you wanna work out a trade, PM me!**) But anyway, I *can* do a pullup with that, but it's still tough. I told DH that I was just going to use 1 per foot (2 total).
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Old 10-26-12, 01:34 PM  
Castella
 
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I approve of any article that says that at least some women can't do pullups and also that being able to do a pullup is not an excellent measure of fitness.

I've tried all the build-up slowly approaches, I have good core strength, I can do all kinds of straight-leg pushups but my body hates pullups. No amount of pro pullup propaganda will convince me that the pullup is a necessary exercise! I hate pushups but I'll grudgingly do them and acknowledge that they are fairly essential. Team Ban The Pullup!

Also pullups put too much weight and strain on the shoulder and elbow joints.
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Old 10-26-12, 02:48 PM  
Kellie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tanja View Post
I am 5 ft 10 with long, skinny limbs. I have a very hard time with push ups and pull ups. However, simple physics (levers) explains why long levers have less force than short levers.

I am not worried about it and focus more on endurance training. I am going to the gym for machine weight lifting (Cybex machines) and I can pump out pretty good sets. For example, I am rotating every month between 4 sets of 8 - 12 reps, and 2 sets of 30 reps. Currently, when I am doing a chest press for 4 sets, I am using 90 pounds and if I do the 2 sets, I am using 60 lbs. I am fried after my workout and I am having good muscle endurance with sufficient strength gain.

Long and lean body types are better for endurance and I have to accept it.
This is me to a T! I have given up on them, but I use my TRX for modified pullups, and even that is no easy. I lay back almost flat and pull up. One of these days I'm going to graduate to putting my feet in a chair and doing it parallel to the ground. That's as close as I'll ever get...
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Old 11-05-12, 02:51 PM  
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Katy Bowman (Aligned & Well) has some interesting views on the article:

http://www.alignedandwell.com/katysays/palm-reader/

After I had completed Cathe's STS and had many strength gains, I still could not do unassisted pull-ups (or, more than a few push-ups).

I did get really good being able to hang from the bar for a long time, which is good for hand and wrist strength.

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