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Bodyweight Pullups program for a lady that does 0

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NathanO

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Hi everyone.
Im new to the forum, just finished the StrongEndurance seminar yesterday.

I am working with a client that really wants to do 2 pullups(its her dream).

We have been trying several different programs for about 7 months but without success.

Any ideas(I believe it's also a mental barrier)?
Thank you
 
Hi @NathanO, welcome to the forum. I am also just home from Strong Endurance seminar yesterday, too. It was great, yes? Did we meet?

A few questions about your client: Can she do assisted pull-ups (body angled under a bar, or with a band, or with you holding her foot)? Can she do a chin-up? Can she initiate the pull from the lats? Can she get partway up and just struggle with the top part? What sort of programs have you worked on for the past few months?

If you think she is strong enough and it's a mental barrier, have her try visualization. That's how I did my first pull-up. I had been struggling to do one for a while and was close but it wasn't happening. One day I just stood under the bar, visualized doing a perfect pull-up, and then bam - did one!
 
@Anna C also poses some very good questions. And I second @Maine-ah KB 's point about the hollow position.

Also, "ACE" can be quite helpful... Artificial Controlling Environment is often used by gymnasts to help them learn a movement that they can't yet do (it's basically a fancy term for a "coach-assisted movement").

The trick is in doing it correctly... For pull-ups, pushing her up with pressure to her mid-back (not her ankles or with bands like most people do) is the best way. Give enough assistance so that she can successfully do the movement and make it look like it's the first rep of a 3RM. Do 3-5 singles/session to start, and gradually increase that to 2-5 sets of 2-3.
 
Hi @NathanO, welcome to the forum. I am also just home from Strong Endurance seminar yesterday, too. It was great, yes? Did we meet?

A few questions about your client: Can she do assisted pull-ups (body angled under a bar, or with a band, or with you holding her foot)? Can she do a chin-up? Can she initiate the pull from the lats? Can she get partway up and just struggle with the top part? What sort of programs have you worked on for the past few months?

If you think she is strong enough and it's a mental barrier, have her try visualization. That's how I did my first pull-up. I had been struggling to do one for a while and was close but it wasn't happening. One day I just stood under the bar, visualized doing a perfect pull-up, and then bam - did one!
Hey Ana,
Yeah we met, I'm the guy that demostrsted the pullups :).
She is able to do all of above besides a chin-up.
 
Oh yes, of course. Awesome job on that :) Met so many cool people there, good to see you again here!
 
Nathan
You can also have her decrease the load by lowering the bar. Have her sit on the ground with arms overhead with her legs bent. Set a bar at a height that she can reach from this seated position. Think about how people set a bar up to do rows, but instead do not lean back and row rather pull straight up like a pull up or chin up when she hits her sticking point she can use her feet to finish the movement. This is another form of ACEing the movement. I will do a video for you if this doesn't make sense.
Also having her work flexed hangs with slow negative can help as well as heavy military press with slow negative.

BUT first, where is the sticking point, is it at the start where you is needing to connect and pull from lats or is it later on as she is halfway or nearing the top?
 
Hey Karen.
Thank you for answering.
She is able to slightly bend her elbows(to about 170 degrees).

We have tried Australian pullups but we havn't tried the option you are suggesting.
I will try it as well as the other options offered above.

Thanks
 
Hey Nathan, I have tried 2 methods that both worked. The first method, 2-3 days a week, I would just grab the chin-up bar and pull myself up as far as possible and release. Just enough to tire my muscles without exhausting them. I'd repeat 2 more times and then I was done for the day. After several weeks, one day I pulled and bam, up I went, full Chin-up. The second method is what Karen described. I kind of favor the second method because by changing the resistance level through adjusting the placement of your feet, you can do sets of several reps.
 
One tool that comes to my mind is aresitance band. It will take away some of the load while still mimicking the move. Once she can do multiple singles she is on a good way.
 
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