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I've visited this site a couple times before and have found some good advice, especially only losing weight. I used to weigh 310lbs, now I'm at about 201lbs. Tood about 1.5yrs to knock out though. Lots of work and dedication.
But anyways, I need some major help ASAP. I leave to the Marines in about just a bit over a month and I'm having the most difficult time doing pull ups. I have to at LEAST do 3. Right now I'm able to do about 1/2 of one. What I have started doing since Thursday is 120+ push ups (through out the day) and so stand up along a wall with my back straight against the wall and do curls. I'm doing only about 20lbs on the db plus 2-3 lbs for the bar. I need some advice, don't worry about me overdoing it cause I will regret it in boot camp if I can't at least do the minimum. I can put more weights on the db if needed and do less reps/sets and do more push-ups. Whatever it takes except using any supplements. I have a standard bench it the basic weights on it. Thanks all for any advice.
When doing pull ups, you are pullling up your body weight using your biceps and shoulders.....my advice to you would be to lose some weight and build up your upper body strength.....the less weight you are pulling up the easier it will be for you to complete a pull up....then build on what you have. One day do one pull up, the next day--try two, and so on.
depending on the grip of the pullup, you are going to use either your bicep or tricep, and your back. So I'd recommend working out your back and arms, and try to lose more fat until then like gcl911 said. Swim every morning and eat a lot to gain some muscle on your back and arms and youll be able to do pullups. Swimming is really good for your back as well. Also keep trying to do pullups, using a stepstone at first and just hanging off for 10 seconds, then adding more every 4 days. Good luck.
Well I just came back from running a couple of laps after I've been doing weights and well, for the hell of it there was a bar that I could to just hang there (as if I were getting ready to do pull-ups). I think I might have found the problem as to why I'm so weak in my pull-up area. When I tried to just hang there, I paid attention to what muscles I was using. Well it felt as if my arms wanted to become dislocated from shoulders.
Example of what I mean, have you ever wrestled/played/fought a person that whenever you've tried to pick them up they just let thems selfs go. Bascially there not trying at all which makes it many times harder for the person trying to lift them up. That's exactly how it felt today, I felt like my arms were the only ones that were hanging on. I didn't even try to use any muscles this time around because I got tired of just hanging around (no pun intended) . Sorry I don't know the muscles groups/names, but I need to learn how to activate my upper back which to me seems like all the shoulder area and also my front and back muscles on my arms. Sorry, Im still a newbie at the names. I got less then a month before I leave so I need to learn QUICK!
Like before I need advice ASAP as in the mourning I'm going to the track and I'm going to get on the pull up bar and try to see if I can activate some muscles or something.
Also for the guys that said lose some weight, that's what I've been trying to do as well. But I don't know how much weight I can lose within 1 month to make that much of a difference. I'm going to aim for 10lbs off, max 15lbs cause I think 10 is going to be very difficult as it is. But every bit is going to help so wish me luck. Thanks everyone for the advice and any more is deeply appreciated.
congrats on ur weight less and choice on joing the marines. u should be very proud of urself. My best friend just left for the marine core about a month ago. He could bust out about 26 chin ups (i feel like a mom bragging about her son). He did them every day several times a day. U may only be able to do half a chin up at time but what u want is to do about ten half a chin ups every day. give ur body a rest then hit it up again. eventually ull see u can do a full one. then a little later ull be able to do two.
There are a few ways you can go. First, you will be finding it difficult because of your body weight. My husband can barely do 2 pull ups and he is one of the strongest men I know. His legs weigh too much and maybe he will never get there.
When I was learning to do pull ups two things helped. 1) I used a pull up machine for about a month. 2) I did pull downs with close to max weight (2-3 reps at a time).
Strength is a skill and its very important to build that skill before you can do many pull ups. Start on the pull downs, then start doing pull ups or chin ups on a machine, then move on to the real thing. If your gym doesnt have a pull up support machine, just move on to the bar. Moving on to a bar was hard for me, so at first I started with negative reps (someone helps you up there, or you just jump up there using momentum and then you lower yourself slowly). Negative reps have helped some other girls get there in about one month (and its real difficult for us girls).
Just don't forget-always do pull ups or chin ups fresh, first thing. Do one, but do it well, the one hour later do one more. Be fresh and don't expect to be able to do any at the end or middle of your regular w/out.
Once you can do a good 1, then you can move on to ladders.
You do 1, then 2, 3, 4 then back to 4, 3, 2 ,1...that helped me a lot too. I add weight now and don't go for a number so I don't really kow how many I could do to failure but it gets easier every time.
Well as I see it I'm going to have to lose weight extremely quick in order to make it easier for me. At the same time I'm busting my ass off to do pulls ups. Right now I'm at 200lbs flat, which I haven't been for about almost 3 yrs. If I lose another 15 lbs maybe that I might help out a good amount, along with me doing lots of curls, pushups and also getting up on the pullup bar.
Also can someone tell me if those pullup bars that you can buy and install at home work, as in do you think it would hold me? Remember I weigh in at 200lbs right now.
Also I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone for your support and for all the advice you've guys have given me.
Just an update, I'm at about 2 1/2 pull ups now. hehe
What I think might helping me is that I'm doing about 250 pushups every other day, along with the pull up bar that I installed in my doorway to my room. I make myself get up on it everytime I walk through that door. It's funny actually, especically when I forgot something in my room and I have to go back. LOL Along with some of HuffTraining's advice I'm doing pretty well. Now if I could have at least 5 pull ups then I'll be set.
well done mate, you're testimony to the fact that a bit of determination can get you anywhere - let that spill over into the rest of your life and you'll be a happy and satisfied person (unlike the average person). Good luck in the marines; I'd keep up the running if I were you too, you'll be doing quite a lot of it!
What I have started doing since Thursday is 120+ push ups (through out the day) and so stand up along a wall with my back straight against the wall and do curls. I'm doing only about 20lbs on the db plus 2-3 lbs for the bar. I need some advice, don't worry about me overdoing it cause I will regret it in boot camp if I can't at least do the minimum. I can put more weights on the db if needed and do less reps/sets and do more push-ups. Whatever it takes except using any supplements. I have a standard bench it the basic weights on it. Thanks all for any advice. 
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