Problems with Pull Ups

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dr_janitor

New Member
I struggle to get more than 5 pull ups in a set. I'm used to being about 170-180, but i've been about 190 for a couple of months as I've been bulking. Needless to say my sorry attempts at pull ups are even worse.

I'm currently in my second week of 15's would like to do pull ups for my 10's and would like some feed back.

Should I start with pull ups, and just before failure do the remaining reps with lat pull dows?

Should I cluster the reps to I get 20 reps per w/o?

Any other suggestions? If it helps, all my gym has is a bar, no weight assisted machine.

Thanks
 
try max stim style pull ups for a while until your strength improves enough to do 10.
max stim style would be.....1 pull up, let go of bar....1-3 seconds.....re-grasp bar, 1 pull up, let go of bar....1-3 seconds......etc etc. until you do about 10-15 total. work towards getting 20 total reps this way and then next w/o test how many you can do in a row conventional style.

good luck
 
Bands are the greatest!
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1 pull up, let go of bar....1-3 seconds.....re-grasp bar, 1 pull up, let go of bar....1-3 seconds''

More like 5-30 seconds.

ps Max-Stim has helped a lot with my pull ups
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(style @ Feb. 15 2007,09:20)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">1 pull up, let go of bar....1-3 seconds.....re-grasp bar, 1 pull up, let go of bar....1-3 seconds''

More like 5-30 seconds.

ps Max-Stim has helped a lot with my pull ups  
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you go 5-30 seconds in between pullups/chins/lifts/whatever when you do max stim! i must have missed something.

now ill grant you the let go of bar is about a sec or 2 and re-grasp bar is also about a sec or 2 so your probably looking at about 4-6 seconds between reps to start and when fatique sets in maybe 10 or so.

we are still talking about pullups/chins here. yes they can be hard but they are not squats/deadl where just from a cardio standpoint you may need longer (over 10 secs) between reps as you approach 20.

i could walk over and get a drink from the water fountain and say hi to the gals at front desk and still make it back to the bar for my next pullup in 30 seconds.

im certainly no expert on max-stim but i thought the idea was fatigue management not fatigue elimination.
 
IME, whatever rests you use get longer and longer or you don't make it to 20 reps. I'd think if you can do 20 reps with only say, 5 seconds between, the weight isn't heavy enough. Maybe I'm just a masochist, I dunno...
 
<div>
(dr_janitor @ Feb. 14 2007,16:30)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I struggle to get more than 5 pull ups in a set. I'm used to being about 170-180, but i've been about 190 for a couple of months as I've been bulking. Needless to say my sorry attempts at pull ups are even worse.

I'm currently in my second week of 15's would like to do pull ups for my 10's and would like some feed back.

Should I start with pull ups, and just before failure do the remaining reps with lat pull dows?

Should I cluster the reps to I get 20 reps per w/o?

Any other suggestions? If it helps, all my gym has is a bar, no weight assisted machine.

Thanks</div>
Not sure this is much help but this time last year, weighing approx 155lbs, I could just about manage 5 chins straight off. Since then, I've alternated close grip chins and wide grip pullups and now, at 187lbs, I can squeeze out 10 with good form.

During the higher rep meso-cycles, I have clustered reps, usually stopping one rep before absolute failure. Sometimes, this meant I only did a couple of reps in one cluster..I still have to cluster my 2nd set during the 10s.

It doesn't seem much after a year but it's taken stubborn determination to get this far.....and that's the best advice I can offer.....don't let the b*^$^*d beat you
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Headaches
Does anyone get headaches when doing back excercises?  I'm on my 5th week and the last work out of my 3rd week I started to get a slight headache when I would do pull ups.  I usually hit about 10 or 11 and then I get a headache and usually do one or two more and then have to stop, take a break and then I do a second set of only 7 or 8...  I can do about 16 or 17, but when I get the headache I can't get past twelve. When I finish with the pull ups it subsides and doesn't come back during any other workouts?  any ideas?  thanks
 
Headaches
Sounds like a circulation issue, possibly cholesterol or something that clogs things up? You only get them on the pullups: what position is your head in?
 
It's just possible you are unconsciously tightening your neck muscles and clenching your jaw really hard whilst you are working your back. I used to do this when doing seated rows which could bring on a headache. Funny that is was back with me too and not deadlifts, squats or other heavy lifts.

You might want to check your breathing pattern too. What do you do at the moment?
 
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