19 Comments
User's avatar
Michael's avatar

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am 6 foot 3 and 290 and I doubt I can do a pull up so I will work on 1a and 1b until I can do 2 and progress from there. I have recently lost 10 lbs from rucking, strength training, and running. My goal is do do a pull up by the end of the year. 🤞🏻

Paul Harper's avatar

I'm 64. My maximum is 9 at the moment because I was slacking. Trying to get back to 13.

Pam Karkow's avatar

Damn straight girls can do pull-ups! 💪🏻. I set a goal to do 10 by my 49th birthday and with a lot of hard work and grit, I did! Love this post!

Alison's avatar

Thoughts on those assisted pull-up machines at the gym for training?

Dom Sutton's avatar

What not to do is the kipping pull-ups from CrossFit. Injured my shoulder with those.

Kent Wheeler's avatar

I need a good place to do pull-ups. My basement where I work out a lot has a low ceiling. Any have a creative idea for a pull up bar?

Katena's avatar

I've had a long standing goal to get my first pull up, but admittedly I haven't been putting in the work. This is good motivation!

Kevin Bowman's avatar

Imagine someone could do 10 pull-ups at 15% body fat. How much could they do at 20,25,…,35% body fat? That might help normalize what 1 pull-up means.

Robert Oyster's avatar

The inverted row-never thought much about it until my trainer introduced it to me. It has helped my posture and upper back, especially since I sit most of the day.

Pam Karkow's avatar

Inverted rows are a great way to work toward pull-ups!

Trevin Cowman's avatar

the recon ron pullup program is a pretty good one to use for building up your max once you comfortably have a few.

Kelly Patchet's avatar

Huh... Interesting. I've been doing assisted pull ups with *cough* 2 bands. But trying not to use momentum from the bands.

Pat VanGalen's avatar

A mixed grip also spares the elbows.

👍⛰️

Pat VanGalen's avatar

For women, another huge BONUS of PULLS, especially vertical ones [pull-ups, chin-ups, mixed grip, etc.] is the magnitude of the stress and strain placed on the vertebrae ....for bone strength, geometric shape, and density.

👍⛰️

Mark Encell's avatar

If I can do 6 pull-ups but the last couple I’m flailing around a bit to complete should I focus more on these exercises or is it ok to do the pull ups without great form?

BK's avatar

I get pain in my rotator cuff when I try to do a pull up (which to me is palms facing out). But, for some reason, I can do chin-ups (palms facing in). Are these as good, or half as good?