Using these pull up station techniques, you’ll soon be able to do more bodyweight pull ups and chin ups than you ever thought you could!
Want to be able to do chin ups and pull ups but not strong enough yet?
You soon will be!
After the embarrassing
pull up workout
that made me realise I wasn’t very strong, I used these very techniques to go from less than a handful of bodyweight chin ups to being able to do weighted chin ups with added weight strapped to my waist.
Nothing says strength more than being able to pull yourself up again and again.
The ordinary person can’t do many chin ups or pull ups at all, well that’s not you! We don’t want to be ordinary, we want to be extraordinary and being strong enough to lift yourself over a bar will set you apart from your peers!
How To Do Pull Ups and Chin Ups When You’re Not Strong Enough?
The trick is to break the movement down into small chunks and get good at each part individually. You then knit them together and you’ll be able to do a full range of motion pull up or chin up.
To allow us to focus on either the upward or the downward part of the exercise and make the exercise easier, we need to use additional equipment or a helping hand.
What Do You Need To Break The Movement Down?
The ideal scenario is having someone else there with you whilst you train. This person, known as a spotter, is there to help you out.
It could be a training partner or a trainer at your gym, even a member of your family if you train at home.
There are a number of benefits to having an attentive spotter:
- They allow you to complete full range of motion reps by helping as much or as little as you need
- They can provide encouragement and motivation to keep progressing
What If You Workout Alone?
You won’t always have a spotter on hand so you need a technique which you can do on your own.
A bench or any stable platform can be used to start you at a higher position; this reduces the distance you have to travel.
Cutting off the range of motion isn’t as beneficial as the full range a spotter can provide, however, if you train alone it’s your best alternative.
A Step-By-Step Guide To Using Your Tools To Improve Your Strength
Regardless of which tool you use, your current level of strength will dictate how you should start training.
Before we decide the best starting point for you we need to access your strength, here’s an easy way to do it:
- Place a bench in the pull up station or under the pull up bar
- Try to do a chin up (palms facing your face)
Were you able do a complete chin up?
No – Start at Step one.
Yes – Skip Step one and go straight to Step Two.
Step One: Fight Gravity!
If you couldn’t do a complete chin up where your chin is higher than the pull up station bar, you should work on the downward half of the movement. This is called a negative pull up.
To do this we need to start at the top and try to stay there as long as possible.
Using the bench you need to jump from the bench into the top position and hold it there.
If you have a spotter they can help you get to the top position.Stay there as long as you can, as you get fatigued you will start the descent; try to stay holding the pull up station bar for as long as possible.
Time yourself (with a watch or in your head) and try to beat your record each workout.
Do this for 3-4 workouts and then try to do the strength test again. As long as your diet is adequate you’ll soon be moving onto step two.
Step Two: Use A Bench To Shorten Your Journey Skywards
If you were able to do a chin up from the bench then you have a good base of strength and your focus will be building on that strength.
Your goal is to try to do 5 chin ups from the bench:
- Stand on the bench in the pull up station
- Grip the bar and pull yourself up
- Lower yourself in a controlled fashion
- Finish in the starting position standing on the bench
- Rest for one minute
- Do another rep
- Use a spotter to help you as needed
- Use a pull up machine which allows you to adjust the difficulty and slowly build your strength (Click the link to find a separate guide using this piece of equipment.)
Your goal is to be able to do 5 reps and try to progress this each workout.
Once you can do 5 reps move onto Step Three.
Step Three: Assisted Full Range of Motion
If you can do 5 bodyweight chin ups from a bench then the next step is to begin training through the full range of motion.
There are two ways to do this:
If you don’t have access to a pull up machine or there are no spotters available, I recommend you start working on single rep chin ups.
Start at the bottom with your arms straight and pull yourself up to the pull up station bar. Descend in a controlled manner and return to the floor. Rest for 1-2 minutes and repeat.
Keep trying to improve every time you workout.
Get Started Today!
Start working on these steps and stick with them.
It might be difficult at first but think of how amazing you’ll feel once you can do chin ups and pull ups unassisted!
My better half, Lucie is currently using this very system to try to achieve body weight pull ups by June 2011. I’ll be sure to let you know how she gets on; I’d love to hear how you do too.
Contact me
and let me know how this system has worked for you!
Return from Pull Up Station to Back Exercises
Return from Pull Up Station to the Homepage
