Can't do pull ups

[Atty]

I can do dips in sets for hours, I can bench 185, I weigh about 205 but my BF% is only 11%, why can't I do pull ups? I understand its primarily a bicep work out but I've got pretty strong bi's, why can't I do them? Anyone know a way to work up to them?

I've been adding assisted pull ups to my Bi/Tri's day(s) and they seem to be helping a bit but is there any other way?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: iAtticus
I can do dips in sets for hours, I can bench 185, I weigh about 205 but my BF% is only 11%, why can't I do pull ups? I understand its primarily a bicep work out but I've got pretty strong bi's, why can't I do them? Anyone know a way to work up to them?

I've been adding assisted pull ups to my Bi/Tri's day(s) and they seem to be helping a bit but is there any other way?

Dips work tri's, shoulders, and a bit of chest; bench works chest, tri's, and shoulders. These aren't really involved in the pullup. Your lats/back are mainly involved in pullups. Pullups really don't engage biceps very much (unless you meant chinups) and almost completely back. You need to do rows and assisted pullups to help you out. That's pretty much all you can do. You aren't working your back enough So do it!

 

[Atty]

Well I can't do either and my back is my weakest set. What are some good back work outs? I do Dumbell rows, vomit rows (I call them that because they kill my stomach, you lay down and pull the weight up from beneath you), various sit down rows, lat pull downs, and there is a hammer strength machine that also does back at my gym, don't know its name either. Other then those are there any other good back work outs?

 

[brikis98]

pull-ups use a lot of muscles: lats, traps, rhomboids, biceps, and forearms. if you're convinced your biceps and forearms are strong enough, then you need to train your back. my guess is that your lats are weak.

In general, when strength training, you'll want these two exercises as part of your regiment:

* Squat - builds awesome overall body strength and should be the core of every real strength training routine. also reasonably good for pull-ups as it uses a lot of back muscles to hold the weight.
* Deadlift - again builds overall body strength, but this uses even more back muscles to keep your spine rigid against a heavy load.

As for pull-ups specifically, you can try:

* Pull downs: very similar motion to pull-ups, except you can start with a lower weight and work your way up.
* assisted pull-ups: lets you do pull-ups, but provides some counter weight if you can't do your body weight. if you gradually decrease the amount of counterweight, you'll be doing pull-ups in no time.
* You can also change your grip on pull-ups to see if one of the alternatives is easier so again you can work your way up. You can try pull-ups with your palms facing you (aka chin-ups) or even put your arms parallel to each other. There is no "bad" pull-up and if you can get strong at any one of these, the others will develop too.

 

[Java Cafe]

These things happen. I am a novice and on day one, I could do six pull-ups and five chin-ups. But dips . . . I could barely get one done. Go figure. But, there's one thing I know . . . you keep at it, and you are going to get better. A whole lot better.

 

[presidentender]

Do lat pull-downs. They're not worthwhile once you can do pull-ups under most circumstances, but they're the best way to get strong enough.

 

[MegaVovaN]

If you want to get stronger at pullups, do assisted/momentum/jump/kick pullups. Not lat pulldowns.
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-...with-proper-technique/

 

[l6873]

I highly doubt you're 11% at 205 with those numbers.

 

[crt1530]

You can't do pull-ups because you aren't strong enough.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: l6873
I highly doubt you're 11% at 205 with those numbers.

Body fat % really doesn't mean anything when it comes to strength. It has to do with nutrition more than anything. I've been 8% and weak.

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: l6873
I highly doubt you're 11% at 205 with those numbers.

Body fat % really doesn't mean anything when it comes to strength. It has to do with nutrition more than anything. I've been 8% and weak.

205 at 11% is a good amount of muscle mass unless the OP is 6'6" or something.

 

[Howard]

What can you row?

 

[Atty]

Originally posted by: Howard
What can you row?

I think the highest I row is around 80 on a low cable row. Like I said, my back is my weakest area.

 

[presidentender]

In OP you said you've added assisted pull-ups to your bis-tris day. What's your total program look like? Do you have a specific "back day"?

 

[Atty]

I do Chest, Bis/Tris, Back/Shoulders, and then legs.

 

[Jgtdragon]

Just keep on doing it. Ween I first started I can barely able to do one. Now I can do like 10 easily. I can do the front and back pull-ups.

 

[gramboh]

Look at the article on Stronglifts that Mega posted. I'm around your size (5'10 205, but my BF is probably higher, no idea what it is but I have a small gut still so I'd guess high teens?). Anyway, I couldn't do a single pull-up/chin-up, starting trying with assistance bands and can now do a bunch (7 pull-ups, 9 chins in my first set at bodyweight). Doing the exercise with assistance bands and doing negatives will be WAY more beneficial than lat pulldowns.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: iAtticus
I can do dips in sets for hours, I can bench 185, I weigh about 205 but my BF% is only 11%, why can't I do pull ups? I understand its primarily a bicep work out but I've got pretty strong bi's, why can't I do them? Anyone know a way to work up to them?

I've been adding assisted pull ups to my Bi/Tri's day(s) and they seem to be helping a bit but is there any other way?

I could only do maybe one when I was in jr high. Now, around 9-10 good ones. It's not just your biceps, but moreso your lattisimus dorsi ("lats"), your back muscles. I used to be a big swimmer (2 miles/day, 7d/wk), and this gave me strong lats. I would swim 2 miles somewhere between 50 and 55 minutes, depending. At the same time I was going into the weight room every day and I did a lot of lat pulldowns. Do these a lot and you will be able to do pullups. I don't swim now because I actually got a labrum tear from being such a terror in the pool. A lot of those other lap swimmers feared and/or hated me, I'm sure. I tried not to be rude but I had an attitude - I need to swim at my level, please let me by. The ironic thing was that when they finally built and opened their big new pool, I couldn't swim anymore.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Lat pull downs until you can reach your own weight. Then switch to pull ups.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
Lat pull downs until you can reach your own weight. Then switch to pull ups.

I always work my way up when doing lat pulldowns, moreso than any other exercise. I start light (70 lb), and bump 20 lb each set until I reach 130 lb, where I up my reps, too. Later, after chest, I come back and do one set of pullups. By then I'm good and warm.

 

[spamsk8r]

Originally posted by: gramboh
Look at the article on Stronglifts that Mega posted. I'm around your size (5'10 205, but my BF is probably higher, no idea what it is but I have a small gut still so I'd guess high teens?). Anyway, I couldn't do a single pull-up/chin-up, starting trying with assistance bands and can now do a bunch (7 pull-ups, 9 chins in my first set at bodyweight). Doing the exercise with assistance bands and doing negatives will be WAY more beneficial than lat pulldowns.

This is good advice. When I first started doing CrossFit (after doing some BB-style weight training prior) I could not do any pullups. Now, by starting out with jumping pullups, then moving onto progressively lighter resistance bands, I can do a good 11 pullups unassisted @ 205 lb body weight (5'10, 18% body fat). I've done 80 in 20 minutes before as well. This has taken me 4 months. No lat pulldowns required. To get stronger at any exercise, you need to do that exercise, over and over and over, with as much assistance as you need, and then reduce the assistance as you are able.

 

[presidentender]

Originally posted by: iAtticus
I do Chest, Bis/Tris, Back/Shoulders, and then legs.

If you have a body part that's recognizably "by far your weakest," you should dedicate more time to it. Squeeze chest, arms, and shoulders into a single day, and dedicate another day solely to back. Once you're more well-rounded, your split can change again.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: presidentender

Originally posted by: iAtticus
I do Chest, Bis/Tris, Back/Shoulders, and then legs.

If you have a body part that's recognizably "by far your weakest," you should dedicate more time to it. Squeeze chest, arms, and shoulders into a single day, and dedicate another day solely to back. Once you're more well-rounded, your split can change again.

Even Arnold Schwarzenegger had his weakness early on, and it was legs. I have his giant bodybuilding book and he includes a picture of him when he had his relatively spindly legs (especially his calves). Of course, he focused on them and they too became tremendous.

 

[gramboh]

If you are going to do lat pulldowns, make sure you warm up well on them. I tweaked my shoulder a few times doing them last year (I never do them anymore). I'm not sure if I had bad technique (likely) or I just tried too heavy weight without warming up, but it did not feel good. I was pulling the weight to my chest while leaning back a bit.

 

[presidentender]

Originally posted by: gramboh
If you are going to do lat pulldowns, make sure you warm up well on them. I tweaked my shoulder a few times doing them last year (I never do them anymore). I'm not sure if I had bad technique (likely) or I just tried too heavy weight without warming up, but it did not feel good. I was pulling the weight to my chest while leaning back a bit.

I was in love with a wider grip for a long time, because it made the exercise harder. However, you can bork your shoulder pretty badly, especially if you go "all the way" down with the bar with a very wide grip on heavy weight. Wide grip is okay, pulling the bar down past your chin is advisable, and heavy weight is great. Just not all at the same time, please.