Need Chin Up & Pull Up Alternatives

O.P.H · 10-07-2009 10:35PM #1

I'm pretty bad at chin ups and pull ups so I do assited ones where I stand on a small stool thats below the bar.

Its ok and I do get a good burn in my back etc but its impossible to keep it constant.

Also for some odd reason, when doing the chin ups, the strain of them causes this awful pain in the back of my neck and head, like a severe headache, it stops when I stop doing the chin ups and dosent really linger.

If it wasent for that pain i get from them, I'd keep doing them. I think it has something to do with my form. Using a stool kind of effect the form of the pull ups. Probly best to just stop them.

Anyway I need alternative for these. My back routines always consisted of chin up, pull ups, bent over barbell row and deadlift in that order. I have a pull down machine but the weights are too light and cant add to them.

Any suggestions.

cardio,shoot me · 10-07-2009 11:00PM

maybe try inverted rows on a smith machine?

Remmy · 10-07-2009 11:26PM

O.P.H wrote: »

Any suggestions.

yep,get that pain in the back of your head checked out.It could be from you straining to get up to the bar but it doesn't sound normal.

10-07-2009 11:51PM

Try some Plyometrics. Works for me. Like thrusting a medicine ball.

spiral · 11-07-2009 12:09AM

look up

band assisted pullups

O.P.H · 11-07-2009 12:15AM

Remmy wrote: »

yep,get that pain in the back of your head checked out.It could be from you straining to get up to the bar but it doesn't sound normal.

Ya, I will get it checked out if I get it again.

As for the exercises, these are the ones I'm thinkin, by the way, I train at home so limited to a degree.

- deadlift
- bent over barbell row
- pull downs (can use chin up or pull up grip)
- bent over dumbell reverse flys
- t bar row (for this I just straddle my deadlift barbell and lift one side of the bar, bit crude but it works)

Am I leaving any important ones out

Remmy · 11-07-2009 12:35AM

Squats,overhead press and floorpress I would add in aswell.Do you have a bench?

O.P.H · 11-07-2009 12:50AM

Remmy wrote: »

Squats,overhead press and floorpress I would add in aswell.Do you have a bench?

Ya

Will Heffernan · 11-07-2009 09:27AM

O.P.H wrote: »

I'm pretty bad at chin ups and pull ups so I do assited ones where I stand on a small stool thats below the bar.

Its ok and I do get a good burn in my back etc but its impossible to keep it constant.

Also for some odd reason, when doing the chin ups, the strain of them causes this awful pain in the back of my neck and head, like a severe headache, it stops when I stop doing the chin ups and dosent really linger.

If it wasent for that pain i get from them, I'd keep doing them. I think it has something to do with my form. Using a stool kind of effect the form of the pull ups. Probly best to just stop them.

Anyway I need alternative for these. My back routines always consisted of chin up, pull ups, bent over barbell row and deadlift in that order. I have a pull down machine but the weights are too light and cant add to them.

Any suggestions.

Last thing first...I don't think you program progression is the best. Giving your back a good working over before deadlifting isn't what I'd consider to be the brightest or best long term strategy.

I'd suggest that you try some band assisted pull ups/chins and see if the pain persists.

Roper · 11-07-2009 09:43AM

Remmy wrote: »

Squats,overhead press and floorpress I would add in aswell.Do you have a bench?

Are you saying add them in in general, or as an alternative to chins?

BrianD3 · 11-07-2009 01:01PM

If you are reducing the ROM by standing on a stool you're doing a part of the chinup where you have poor leverage i.e. the top part.

What happens if you attempt a chinup from a full dead hang, do you get any movement at all, a few inches etc. It mightn't take a whole lot of work to fix this. If you have a sticking point, say 3 inches from the bottom, if you were to train this 3 inches with weighted chinups, when you go back to unweighted chins you could fly through the sticking point

O.P.H · 11-07-2009 01:38PM

I used to be able to do sets of like 10 pull ups but never really did chin ups. Got lazy put on a bit of weight and now I can do like 5 pull ups and 0 chin ups, maybe one, its embarrising

But when I think about it, it makes sence. Compared to my other lifts, its alot of weight. I bench 7 to 9 reps of like 60kg, so chin ups of my body weight being 85kg is just too heavy. Suppose I just need to get stronger and lose a little weight.

rubadub · 11-07-2009 03:11PM

O.P.H wrote: »

now I can do like 5 pull ups and 0 chin ups, maybe one,

That sounds very odd, most can do more chinups than pullups, but I have never heard of somebody with such a difference. Maybe try commando pullups/mixed grip pullups, one palm facing you, one away. Maybe you have some sort of injury though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RYJ9CTtS0I

The commando ones are more twisted to one side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zKTSYqiYu0

NFH · 11-07-2009 04:10PM

Sorry, I mixed up chin ups and pull ups.

ocianain · 11-07-2009 05:19PM

Sorry if someone else posted this, I didn't read all the posts, but tr this, drop the number of chins per set to 1 or 2 and do lots and lots of sets. My son wanted to do chins so I put a chin up bar in my kitchen door and told him to do 1 or 2 everytime he walked into the kitchen, after a couple months of this he tested himself and did 33! Got this idea from a fella named Pavel Tsatloine (sp).

billyhead · 11-07-2009 05:21PM

Op,

You shouldn't be embarrased or just give up on pull ups. They are one of the hardest exercises you can do but if you keep working on them you will eventually get up to sets of 10 reps and more. The reason people don't do them is becasue they are hard. No pain no gain. There a great exercise however working your lats primary and biceps secondary. The best alternative would be heavy pull downs

Remmy · 11-07-2009 07:44PM

Roper wrote: »

Are you saying add them in in general, or as an alternative to chins?

I meant that he should add these in aswell as.I would readily ask the Mods to ban me if I was suggesting to drop pullups in lieu of the pressing movements.:D

squod · 11-07-2009 08:01PM

There are machines which assit you doing pull-ups/chin-ups, with plates to load against your bodyweight making you lighter the more plates you load.

There's one in the Markevich in Tara st. Looks expensive to buy one.
You could try using a stirrup, some rope and plates with a pullup bar to give the same effect.

BrianD3 · 11-07-2009 08:20PM

You could try using a stirrup, some rope and plates with a pullup bar to give the same effect.

Yep, like the video below. The video is about one arm chinups but the apparatus would work the same for a two arm chinup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJf8My3wzfk

O.P.H · 11-07-2009 08:25PM

BrianD3 wrote: »

Yep, like the video below. The video is about one arm chinups but the apparatus would work the same for a two arm chinup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJf8My3wzfk

LOL

The Woody Allen of bodybuilding.

Cheers for tips

squod · 11-07-2009 08:26PM

That's a great video. My garage is getting one of those setups in the future.

rubadub · 12-07-2009 04:43PM

O.P.H wrote: »

The Woody Allen of bodybuilding.

Interview with the same guy
http://www.beastskills.com/Arnow.htm

I used a more basic version of that once. I got my dip belt and sat it it like a swing. I had 30kg of plates on an adjustable webbing strap and just hung it over the chinup bar, so it was assisting me upwards, no pulley just slid on the smooth bar. I have also used webbing straps like stirrups.

If you have gymnastic rings you can lower them so your feet are still on the ground when doing pullups, now you can just assist yourself with your legs as little as possible.

Gymnast Yuri Van Gelder uses an assisted ring device at exhibitions, this guy made a similar one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk2KgFv7daw

Skip to 3mins in to see him using it, his looks far more simple and painful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jzN3UcKIlE

Need Chin Up & Pull Up Alternatives

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