Pullups for Beginners

Pullups for Beginners

A pullups (pull-ups) tutorial to help beginners who can’t even manage one rep yet, to eventually achieve a pullup—men or women.

Can’t Do A Pullup yet?

Neither can most people! I find that women think that all men can do a pullup, and they themselves are “weak” for not being able to do one. Whilst a large proportion of men can do a push up, the reality is that very few of those men can also do a pullup. Pullups are hard!! They can also leave you panting like you’ve just sprinted.

Most people use the lat pulldown machine in the gym to work their upper back—they congratulate themselves on the large amount of weight they are apparently lifting, but when they try do a pullup they soon realise it’s nothing like the lat pulldown machine.

Which Muscles Does A Pullup Work?

Pullups mainly work the lats (latissimus dorsi). This is the large broad part of your back. Developing it can make your waist appear smaller, by creating a “V-shape”, instead of a torso that’s flat at the sides…so it’s a fantastic exercise for both men and women.

Pullups also work other muscles such as the middle back, biceps, and more surprisingly your abs.

How To Do Pullups

Atticus Joggers — Tar Black and Nova Tank — Cobalt Blue, from Gainz Fitness

To get started, you’ll of course need a pullup bar; also a selection of different strength resistance loop bands. The bands take some of the load, so you can move through the full range of motion when you exercise.

Always start your workout with a dynamic warm up routine.

Firstly tie a thick (strong resistance) band to the bar and put your knees through it. To reduce the chance of injury, it’s best to start with a large one and work your way down to a smaller one, so you can work out which one is best for you.

Caution: when you’ve finished your set of pullups, try not to pull both knees out at the same time, otherwise the band could hit you in the face.

Watch the pullups video to see:

• Scapula pulls
• Pullup technique

Stick around unti the end of the video to see some advanced pullups, such as high, clapping and muscle ups…something to work towards

These are the resistance loop bands I used in the pull up video tutorial.

Let me know when you’ve achieved your first pullup. It’ll be a great achievement to celebrate.

George

George D. Choy

Personal Trainer & Calisthenics Instructor

Gymnacity in Oxted, Surrey, United Kingdom

I was gifted Atticus Joggers — Tar Black by Gainz Fitness. All views and opinions are my own. For more information about my collaborations, please refer to my DISCLOSURE page on the ABOUT tab. I was not paid to write this post.

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Original article and pictures take busyparentfitness.com site