The Journey to a Pull-up

Now that marathon training is behind me, I'm working on finally reaching my goal of performing unassisted pullups.  I dream of the day I can actually pull my head above the bar from a hanging position, but that dream won't be a reality without some hard work.

So, does my dream sound familiar? Is it something that you've always wanted to do as well, but don't know the road to get there?  Well, I'm on the journey and if you are up to the challenge, you are free to join me in my journey.  I have the benefit of having my hubby train me and we've already started, but I will be sharing with you what I'm doing to get to me my goal.  My wish is that I have pictures sent to me with tons of people performing unassisted pull ups for the first time.

The workouts I post for this training is specifically meant to get you to your goal of the pullup and can/should be done in conjunction with your normal workout routine.  These exercises will be specifically targets to strengthening the muscles need to get your chin above that bar...that damn bar!

So, here is the first workout.  It's simple, but tough.  It left me sore for days and I loved it.

We are doing 20-15-10.  That means the first set consists of 20 reps, the second 15, and the last 10.  You may think this is crazy because doing 10 pushups for beginners is hard, but you can take breaks in between the reps.  However, keep those breaks SHORT.  Below you will find pictures of some of the exercises to help you understand what I am looking for and/or how you can use what you have around you to complete the exercises.

Once you have completed this workout, leave me a comment and let me know how it went and also how you felt the next day.  I love hearing experiences.

Assisted Pull-ups 
You will need access to a pull up bar.  There is no way around this when training for pull ups.  Monkey bars will do as well.  Get created and think outside the box.

• Chair

You can use a chair, bench or stool to help remove some of your body weight.  Do not use your legs to pull you up, but try to use your arms as much as possible.

• Rubber band

You can also use a large exercise band.  There are different size bands that are out there so you can progress using those as well.

• Machine

If you have access to a weighted pull up machine, you can use that for the assisted pull-ups, however, I strongly encourage you to make sure you are challenging yourself and ensure your weights are not assisting you too much.

Inverted Pull-ups

• Low bar 

You can use a weighted barbell at the gym or find one at your local park.  Any bar will work as long as it's low and you can extend your legs.

 

• TRX/Olympic Rings

These can be performed on a TRX or Olympic Rings, as well.  If you look at the pictures below, your elbows come out wide, they should not be close to your body. 

Let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment here or contacting me on my website www.andidornelas.com

Together, we will get there.

Your Personal Trainer,
Coach Andi