When were you able to do your first pull up?

[iamcalledtom]

I've been working out for a few weeks in order to do a pull up, which I'd really like to do before I talk to a recruiter. The one thing this forum has shown me is that I'm not alone in being unable to do a pull up, but I'm still quite embarrassed about it.

Right now, I can get just over half way up, but I've been stuck at that point for a while. In order to be able to do a pull up, I've been doing curls, pull downs, push ups, and flexed arm hangs. My question is to those of you who were in the spot I'm in: when you pulled off your first pull up, how my reps of some of those exercises were you able to do (approximately)?

I'm hoping that any replies will give me some indication of how far away I am.

[jimrod83]

I'm nowhere near being able to do a pull-up(especially with my shoulder in it's current condition), but from everything I know about fitness and have seen, it's easier to do them overhand instead of underhand, and something else you can try adding to your workout to prep for pullups is dips.

That's all I had to say.(I could get halfway myself before the shoulder injury, granted I haven't gotten into gear in the last year and still weigh up around 320lbs.)

[Nate catlett]

I couldn't do pull-ups wortha s*** when I first got in, but now that I have been in the DEP for 6 months I can do 6 without stopping. I think the thing that helped me the most were pull downs, but I would put my hands like a pull-up bar. Then I would try to do as many pull-ups as I could everyday then try to get someone to help you do more. Depending on where you are at with your pull-up situation it looks like you need to do the hang and pull downs, and then rep out some pull-ups. When you get done with pull-ups have someone help you do 5 or so and I promise you you do those 3 things and your pull-up number will come up. The secret is practice pull-ups are one thing that dont come with just time its practice.

[ZSKI]

lol i always been able to do them. If you can't lift your body up you have a problem gents.

[bstewar09]

I've been able to them since I was about 13, but some of my football coach said if you want to improve your pull ups, go swim some laps everyday. I never tried it, but I figure it makes sense.

[SlingerDun]

When were you able to do your first pull up?

age10 middle school summer wrestling camp, rope, peg-board, pull-ups

[iamcalledtom]

lol i always been able to do them. If you can't lift your body up you have a problem gents.

Unfortunately, I know.

But what I was asking is for the people that had to work in able to do one, what kind of shape were they in when they pulled off their first pull up. For example, how many push ups could you do, and what was your arm hang time? My arm hang time is at 35 seconds--what would be the best guess of how much higher that needs to go in order to do a pull up?

[jimrod83]

I know I have serious issues, I've always been big, and never been able to do pullups. While it stops me from being able to join the Marines, at present, my size doesn't slow me down in any of the jobs I've ever done(from catching rabid animals to at present-delivering electrical supplies), if anything, it makes me work harder so that nobody can say 'look at fattie, he's lazy and doesn't like to work'.

I will be in shape, sooner rather than later, no excuses for not having done it already.

[SlingerDun]

can you all find a stout rope to climb? it's good cross training for pull-ups and you can 'cheat' using legs while tuning up arms. As i recall you'll need to climb and slide and repel rope in boot camp also...

--->Dave

[ZSKI]

The rope is more learning how to do it then strength. Repealing is just over coming fear and maintaining a calm state of mind. But one thing they had us do in boot is eather have a buddy help you do them with a stated goal of how many to do. Or Use what amounts the a huge rubber band that gives you a little umph. Somethings you can do when you go for score doing pull ups. Is drop like a rock, don't go slow down thats just doing negatives, get into a rhythm.

[futuremarine129]

A recruiter who I was talking to about pull-ups told us all to do them overhand because it works out more muscles. He said if you can do 20 overhand pull-ups, you can do a hell of a lot more chin-ups. This is good advice if you're not already on a schedule getting ready to ship out. To get my first pull-up I just did a bunch of push-ups everyday, and after a rest I would go over to the bar and lower myself down from the bar over and over again, not to mention everyday I would practice pull-ups, regardless of whether or not I could even lift myself up. Then one day, It just happened and after about 3 months of practice I got my first pull-up.

[Phantom Blooper]

When were you able to do your first pull up?


Depends on how far the reach was and how much I had to grab on to.

Now on the day I was born
The nurses all got around
And they gazed the wild wonder
At the joy they had found

The head nurse spoke up
Said, "Leave this one alone"
She could tell right away
That I was bad to the bone

Bad to the bone
Bad to the bone
Ba ba ba ba ba ba bad
Ba ba ba ba ba ba bad
Bad to the bone

[Try2CatchMike]

Do some negatives and sets of 5 assisted. If you dont know what a negative is just have someone assist you over the bar then slowly lower yourself down a slow as possible.

[rktect3j]

I'm 40 years old. My wife of about 12 years and I went on a walk and saw this pullup bar at the park about a week ago. True story here. She asked if I thought I could still do a pullup. Of course I told her. Marines have to be able to do 3 minimum. I hadn't done a pull up in about 15 years, since I got out of the Corps. Now having said what I had said and her obviously knowing that I am a Marine called my bluff and said prove it and that she wanted to see 3 real Marine pullups. I really didn't even think twice though. I just got on that bar, pulled myself up with chin above the bar,waited about 1 second, lowered myself and repeated 2 more times, dropped off the bar and said, no problem. Then I asked her to show me some of that Army stuff she is made of. Hell I don't even think they have a flex hang in the Army. She got up to the bar and pulled with all her might. Got about half way. Well for an Army administrator I suppose that was satisfactory.

Remember, it's all in your head gents. Step up to that bar, tell yourself "no problem" and get it done. Having your women around might help motivate you as well. Damm did my arms hurt after that.

[Marine84]

You've already done them, you've just gotten bigger and haven't had to do it much - how did you pull yourself up when you were learning to walk? You grabbed onto it and you pulled yourself UP!