About a year ago I could do around 10pullups for my first set. Then I started adding weight and ended up doing about 8 with 30lbs. Now I can hardly do 6 without weight. I don't know what I'm doing differently, form wise. I'm not on cycle. My bench press sucks too but I'm more interested in the pullups right now. Any tips?
I can't do more than a few pullups. What gives?
- Thread starter Ashikabi
- Start date
KngShisa
New member
Could be a number of things, but when I started doing pull-ups in my early 20's, I was using a lot of lower body momentum which allowed me to perform way more pull-ups than I can now. I was also much lighter then. How has your diet been lately? Are you eating as much now as when you were pulling 8 w/30 lbs? Has your body weight increased significantly since then? Another possibility would be if you changed the order of exercises. If you used to do them first and now do them after some other pulling or grip-intensive exercise that would definitely reduce your output on the pull-up bar.
Last edited:
My diet isn't as good but it's not complete trash either. Always do pullups first. No lower body momentum. Body weight maybe 10lbs heavier
There are a lot of bb'ers that can't do that many pull-ups. It's mainly the much heavier bodyweight. Personally, I also think some people are just much stronger in that exercise. I was never good at it when I was little either, could maybe do 5-6 when I was 8 years old, but there were some thin wiry kids who could just pump them out. These days, I can do about 10 in a set, but that was after building up to it using the lat pull first then moving on to the actual exercise.
Iron Game
Veteran
Back is one of my stronger body parts but not pull ups. Its always been that way for me. Pull downs no problem but no matter what my weight I have never been that strong at pull ups. 16 weeks at Paris Island I was finally able to get 20 without a kip 40 with a kip. Now days in the real world 6-8 prob. but I start my workout with pull downs.
Muscle mechanic
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
I warm up with pull ups 4 sets of 10 wide gripe palms out of coarse.
Sometimes I finish workout with hammer grip supersetting leg raises from same position.
When I get bigger I can do them forever so my weight as long as it's muscle isn't a factor.
Before I workout as a kid and teenager I could only do 2 or 3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Sometimes I finish workout with hammer grip supersetting leg raises from same position.
When I get bigger I can do them forever so my weight as long as it's muscle isn't a factor.
Before I workout as a kid and teenager I could only do 2 or 3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Man I wish I could do that
Muscle mechanic
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
I worked with lat pulldown. And really focus on using back not arms u gotta get the motion correct to use the right muscles. It can be tricky.
Also sit on ground on cable rack and pull a row with bar connected to it. U will be at am angle pulling down instead of late pull of cable rows. The thing that holds your legs on pullup machine won't help if u using your arms. When I gotta use that machine I pin the leg peg thing down
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Also sit on ground on cable rack and pull a row with bar connected to it. U will be at am angle pulling down instead of late pull of cable rows. The thing that holds your legs on pullup machine won't help if u using your arms. When I gotta use that machine I pin the leg peg thing down
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
LeatherHead
New member
No kipping during a PFT. In fact, after first phase, there was no kipping at all.
Muscle mechanic
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
What is Kipping? Is that the foot things? If it is I put them down out my way and pin it that way. Lol. Or I use the racks
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
LeatherHead
New member
Kipping is when you swing your lower body and actually kick up, using inirtia and momentum to help you pull up. Think Cross-fit pullups. Basically cheating the pull up. Like Iron-Game was talking about, in boot camp, to get a perfect score, you have to have 20 pull ups. Some units would let you kip to reach those numbers. Mine, unfortunately did not. We had to do dead hang pull ups. Your arms are straight out at the bottom, and your chin is above the bar at the top. If you can do 20 dead hang pull ups, you could probably kip 40-50.
Muscle mechanic
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
I can do 20. Lol! Hang feet straight down or behind me. I do 20 all the time with 12 lbs medicine ball between my ankles. Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Muscle mechanic
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
That's possible for the OP, but myself cycle makes no difference except more aggression doing them. Now on my squats, bench press there is a difference on cycle but my pull ups are same.
I believe it's a particular movement and muscles using that needs to be developed and practiced. Just like experience lifters can get better muscle pumps from experience. It all about knowing how to contract muscles
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Never been on cycle
I think you're referring to the 'Gravitron' machines. They have a pad for the knees to rest on to take some of the weight off. I agree, you'd want to make sure you're using full bodyweight so pin the pad at the bottom so you aren't using it.
You reminded me of when I was in elementary school. There was this black kod, can't remember his name... When we were in 3rd or 4th grade he had this "V" shaped back - nobody else did, not even close. Tiny waist, skinny legs... This kid could do pullups in gym class until they told him to stop. I think I could do 10, maybe a few more, but this kid could do them effortlessly.
Similar threads
