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Bodyweight Have not done pull-ups in long time due weight gain.

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AlexBarnett

AlexBarnett

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I have gained alot weight over the years since I was in marines and i want to start doing them again. I got pull-up bar and went to try to do one and I could do one. I am 260lbs. I am currently in the process of getting rid of the extra weight. The question is there anything I can do as program to progress up to doing pull-ups or should I wait until I have got rid of my extra weight?
 
Hello,

Do you know this program: The Fighter Pull-up Program Revisited

It is very progressive. You will increase training volume while losing weight. If you want to accelerate your weight loss, and if you have enough time, you can do some cardio (running, jumping rope, Tabata intervals, swimming, biking...)

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Chinese Food for Rapid Pressing Gains
Use that but with pullups. You can do one, that's all you need for the routine.
See it like that, if you can increase your pullups from 1rep to 5reps @260lbs, how many would you be able to do when you drop some weight?
If you simultaneously increase your strength and loose some pounds, your repcount will skyrocket.
 
Terry McCarthy said:
In 2015, I lost 50 pounds. Early in the process, I could barely do 1 pull up. Band assisted pull ups helped me get reps in until my weight loss got to the point where I could get 5 good reps in without the band. At that point I weaned myself off of the band completely.
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Congrats.
 
AlexBarnett said:
I have gained alot weight over the years since I was in marines and i want to start doing them again. I got pull-up bar and went to try to do one and I could do one. I am 260lbs. I am currently in the process of getting rid of the extra weight. The question is there anything I can do as program to progress up to doing pull-ups or should I wait until I have got rid of my extra weight?
Click to expand...

You can do one in GTG style - try to do one every day, then try to do two on some days spaced at least 30 minutes apart, and so on to increase your volume.

If you want more training volume, follow @Pavel Macek's suggestion to add bar hangs.

-S-
 
How tall are you Alex ?

I see you've been a marine and you would have been capable of pullups at that time, so it should be possible again if you can trim down a bit. I'm just trying to get an idea of what sort build you would be if you did lose some weight.

I've noticed a lot of taller guys struggle with pullups, even some of the thinner built people, but heavier set guys have the toughest time in general.

Maybe you could find another pulling movement to take the place of pullups until you trim down and rebuild some strength. Horizontal (Australian) pullups could be a place to start and help you get some quality reps in. As you get stronger in the horizontal position you can start raising the bar and progress to a full pullup. Not everyone has a bar that can accommodate that sort of progression though. A set of suspension trainers could be easily adapted for that purpose.

Finding another big pulling movement you can do in the interim should be of some assistance.

I'm not discounting the other advice above about hangs and negatives though, that's still solid advice. It's just that negatives on the pullup can be very taxing for big guys without a bit of pre conditioning beforehand.
 
I also say no to band assisted pull-ups. If you want to work on pull-ups try some of the other advice given:
Negatives
GTG
Fighter Pull up ladders
Aussie Pull-ups

And one I can't say enough about... Rig a pulley counterweight system. Yes, it's a bit complicated, but well worth the effort. I rehabbed from a serious and major shoulder reconstruction using this method. I couldn't even consider doing a single body weight pull-up at the time. Now I do heavy weighted pull-ups
 
I recently spent two months focusing on a pull-up goal and part of my strategy included using a band for assistance. If you know what you're trying to do and use the correct size band they can be useful. I'll tell you exactly what I did. My goal was in two parts, a weighted pull up of 68 lbs which I ultimately exceeded and also 20 reps of BW which I achieved. When I started my max reps was around 12-14. I used GTG starting at 9-10 reps 5-6 sets 3 times a week. On Sunday I did a heavy day: warm up with 24Kg, then progressively higher weight for one rep, all weighted pull ups included a several second hold at the top. I then did 10 reps with a medium weight, in the beginning 8 Kg, the last couple of weeks, 10 Kg. Then a max BW effort, in the beginning with band assist. The purpose was to acclimate myself to the reps, I was able to do 20 reps with the light blue band. The resistance band also gives progressively less assistance at the top which is desirable. After a couple of weeks I tested the band to see how much assistance it was giving by noting the beginning and end length of the band and loading it appropriately to those lengths and noting the weight required. It took about 25 lbs to stretch it to ~ my knee height hanging on the bar and about 8 lbs to my knee height with my chin over the bar (I inserted my knee into the band, I did not stand on it). I then started loading my assistance pull ups to compensate partially at the bottom and completely at the top. I abandoned the band when I could easily get over 20 reps. The last three weeks I either achieved 20 reps or close to it without the band. The point was to acclimate to the desired number of repetitions without ever going to failure. I found the band useful and helpful and would include it again, say if I ever decide to try to get to 30 reps.
 
some good info. I am 5'9'' I will check out the fighter pull-up program. I was doing some research and I found out starting with some reverse pushups, or ring rows changing the elevation will get me on my way while I am losing the weight. It shouldn't take to long since I am doing S&S and 5X5 barbell program. I just want to be ready when I reach the simple goal and go on to ROP to be able to the pull ups. Still a ways off yet so I have time. Thanks for all the info.
 
MattM said:
@Steve Freides I thought GTG style stuff was supposed to be done in sets of less than half of your max?
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Yes but life isn't perfect. :).

When I first started with kettlebells, I got a 16 kg, which felt very heavy at first but with a few days, I wanted a heavier bell and the next choice was a 24 kg. I'm 150 lbs and, prior to discovering Pavel's work, I'd never lifted. This was 2002, I think. That 24 kg was _way_ heavy for me,m.

I first learned to clean it, and then I learned to jerk it overhead and worked on the yielding press, which is a controlled negative. And finally, I was able to press it for a single.

So, what to do with a weight you can only move for a single? GTG - I did a single once a day as long as I felt ready to get it, and I skipped days when I felt tired. Eventually, I found I could do it almost every day, and on some days, I tried one rep in the morning followed by another in the afternoon, and took the next day off - I first increased the "density" or "intensity" of some days without increasing my weekly volume, and then worked up to 2 widely separated singles on some days and 1 on others and still some off days, and I just kept building from there. I'd add more singles on some days, and eventually, I could do a double, and so on, and I worked up to pressing the 24 pretty well and went on to higher weights.

It's not "by the book" but it can be done as long as you listen to your body, pushing when you can and
resting when you can't.

-S-
 
MattM said:
@Terry McCarthy I would suggest NOT doing those.

Successful Pull Ups for Beginners: Say No to Bands

You may recognize the author, @CMarker
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Just read the article and I respectfully disagree with it. To summarize, the author gives 3 reasons for not using bands:
1) Inconsistent assistance. This is true in that bands provide different amounts of assistance throughout (as opposed to, say, a pulley that provides the same throughout). I don't think this is bad because it assists where you need the most, and helps less where you don't. This makes perfect sense to me. The alternative the author suggests is using a spotter (?) which I think is just as unreliable as a band (or more so) since the assistance is inconsistent rep to rep, and even throughout the rep. Most spotters make you struggle from rep one.

2) Opposite of Compulsory Acceleration Training. The author argues that chains are good in a squat because they make you explode from the bottom (since the top has more resistance), but argues bands do the opposite. The help where you need to build strength. This is just confused thinking. Having bands assist you and chains weigh you down is the exact same. The top becomes harder than the bottom, so you learn to explode more out of the bottom. It is the exact same, except one "helps more at the bottom than it helps at the top", while the other one "weighs less at the bottom but weighs more at the top". So bands don't do the opposite. They do the exact same and hence, are worthwhile just like chains are.

3) Don't let you build strength at the bottom. This is obviously a matter of being diligent about using weaker bands as time goes by. If you're using weaker bands every month, I PROMISE you, you're strengthening your pull-up throughout.

Hopefully the author chimes in to clarify these points. I for one do think bands are great for Pull-up assistance. I've seen plenty of people get their pull-ups from it, and it's good for getting good volume. I'll take a pulley over it any day, but certainly not a spotter (it's also much less inconvenient than either of those though).

I recommend the OP tries some assistance method. And do work in Bodyweight Rows. They're an important step. Just how you must do Push-ups before Handstand Push-ups.

Just my 2 cents.
 
One other point, made here often but not recently, is to focus on the StrongFirst way of pressing. Many people find their Pullups improve with no pullup training just because of the way we teach the press, especially the active negative.

-S-
 
sorry to be a bit late to this party...You have been given some great advise above!

Personally, I would recommend the following:
If you have a single pullup, I would use the GTG training method. You have a few options for GTG at your current level.
1. You could do single pulls throughout the day with a least 15-30 min rest between each rep, however this may end up being very low volume at the moment due to it being your 1RM.
2. You could also GTG either your Hollow Hangs (straight arm strength) or Flexed Arm Hangs (bent arm strength)...So throughout the day jump up on the bar and hang for time, long rest between each hang. Your hang time will begin to increase and this will allow for more volume/more time on the bar.

and as Pavel would say "on a day you are feeling unusually strong, try a harder progression"

So as your Hollow and Flexed hangs become easier, you could also do weighted hangs which will make you stronger and make your BW pullups feel easier. I also agree what Steve mentioned about using our SF principles for the Active Negative when doing your military pressing.

Best of Luck and keep us posted. :)
 
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