Back
,

Do Pull ups

Learn to do pull ups with Training Aspects Personal training

How to do more pull ups

Problem: I want to do more pull ups!

Do more pull ups

I was sitting in a public area the other day and overheard a young woman asking a guy who, sounded like a fitness enthusiast “ I am very strong and slim, but for some reason I can’t do a pull up, what do you think I should do?”.  His answer was pretty straight forward “it’s a back exercise so you must have a weak back. Just increase your strength by doing rows and pull downs.  That should do the trick”. Now though it is true that the major muscle involved in the exercise, if done properly, are the muscles of the back. However, your body must work in unison as well as begin processing the movement. The kinetic chain, in the body, is a cycle between the muscular, skeletal and neurological systems. If all three systems are unable to do their jobs, no matter how strong you are, you will not be able to complete the exercise.  The body does not move one muscle at a time. There are a number of muscles firing with any motion performed, especially during a pull up.

Solution:

Now the follow up to the approach “just keep trying” is.. “so  I should just hang there?”  Yes… & no! As you hang there  for as long as your grip allows, try to pull yourself up as much as you can (anything is better than nothing). Hang and pump! Activate the muscles that should be pulling you up, this way your body gets a taste of what is to come. There are also modified exercises which must be done to accompany hanging there.   Begin doing a “control down” or eccentric pull up. Begin at the top of the pull up, your arms at 90 degrees or chin to bar (use a step, plyo box, or just jump up into the pull up position.) Then control the motion from the top down as slow as possible.  To add another exercise into it, you can also use an assisted pull up machine. Make sure to challenge yourself when performing assisted pull-ups. If you can do more than 4 reps, decrease the assisted weight until you are doing them on your own.

If you can do a pull up. Do as many as you can and then perform the exercises mentioned in the previous paragraph. This will increase your total pull up reps as well as overall strength!

For other tips, questions or comments feel free to email!

 By: Kirill Vaks
Fitness and exercise specialist
BA, CSCS, ACSM-cpt, NFPT-sns 

Take action… Now!

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance:

Training Aspects’  personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals!  Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Visit us:
Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Recent posts
  • Know When to Readjust Your Performance Goals!
    Cherry Hill sports performance, Hockey Performance, Personal trainer tips, Sports performance
    Know When to Readjust Your Performance Goals!

    Know When to Readjust Your Performance Goals! Recently we have been creating 6 week challenges where we create goals that we want to progress at and that will improve strength, endurance and willpower while creating great habits! The first 6 weeks went great, I crushed it every week! Although the challenge was definitely tough, the…

  • 3 ways to eat healthier on a sports road trip
    Assess Your Goals, Cherry Hill sports performance, Fitness, Hockey Performance, Personal trainer tips, Sports performance
    3 ways to eat healthier on a sports road trip

    3 Ways to Be Healthier on Sports Road Trips September is an exciting time! sports road trips are on the rise and will stay strong for the next 4-6 months. If you’re a parent, keeping kids healthy (and avoiding inflated prices on the road) is the goal. Here are three ways to make it happen:…

  • Top 3 Exercises to Master Your First Muscle Up
    Cherry Hill sports performance, Hockey Performance, Personal trainer tips, Sports performance
    Top 3 Exercises to Master Your First Muscle Up

    Top 3 Exercises to Master Your First Muscle Up A muscle up is no easy feat! It can take time and careful planning to understand how to do one and ultimately master it! Luckily we’ll save you some time and show you the top 3 exercises that will get you closer to doing your first…

Subscribe to our newsletter
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.