Im still haunted by my 6 grade gym class !t the beginning
o" the semester# all the students took part in a physical "itness test Part o" the test included a $isit to the old chin-up bar I remember standing in line ner$ously kno%ing I %as about to embarrass mysel" &ou see# I %as a "at kid My mom tried to tell me I %as big boned '(od bless you# mom)# but I kne% I %as "at !nd looking at that bar# I kne% there %as no %ay I %as going to be able to pull up my pudgy *6+- pound body %ith my %impy **-year-old arms I %atched all the skinny kids bust out pull-ups like they %ere nothing ,&eah#- I thought# ,pull-ups are easy %hen you only %eigh ./ pounds- Maybe (od %as trying to humble me that day because the person right in "ront o" me in line %as a girl 0ot only that# she %as a prepubescent athletic machine I stood and %atched her crank out pull-up a"ter pull-up I lost count o" ho% many she did th ,Okay# Mc1ay#- the coach said# ,youre up- I summoned all the positi$e thinking I could at that moment I con$inced mysel" that I could actually bust out 2 or / pull-ups 3ith my ne%"ound con"idence# I 4umped and grabbed the bar It %as o$er be"ore it e$en started I put up a good "ight# but gra$ity and my "at middle school body beat me that day I couldnt e$en do one stinking pull-up 5$er since then# I$e made it a goal in li"e to be able to do pull-ups 6ots o" them To me# the pull-up represents the ultimate test in "itness The Benefits of Pull-Ups The pull-up is a strength-building dynamo In 4ust one pull-up# your body calls upon the "ollo%ing muscles7 8ingers 8orearms 9iceps Triceps Shoulders 9ack :ore 0ot only %ill your strength increase dramatically "rom pull- ups# but your upper body %ill become bigger and more de"ined Moreo$er# the strength you deri$e "rom doing pull- ups %ill help you impro$e your per"ormance in other e;ercises like the bench press or o$erhead press How Not to Do Pull-Ups Many men %ho ha$e trouble doing pull-ups go to the assisted pull-up machine to help them crank the pull-ups out Dont do it< its a useless crutch I" your goal is to do se$eral unassisted pull-ups# youre %asting your time %ith these machines "or a couple o" reasons7 8irst# a mental "actor e;ists %hen doing pull-ups 9ecause you kno% the machine is helping you up# you probably %ont e;ert as much e""ort as you %ould i" doing pull-ups unassisted 3hen you "inally make the s%itch to unassisted pull-ups# you may still "ind yoursel" unable to do any Second# you dont use all the muscles needed "or real pull- ups %hen using the machine 3hen doing real pull-ups# your body has to call upon larger and smaller muscle groups all throughout your body "or you to pull yoursel" up ! machine %ont recruit as many o" these muscles Thus# %hen you make the s%itch to doing unassisted pull-ups# you %ont ha$e the strength needed to complete them The Do More Than One Stinking Pull-Up Routine ! "riend recommended this pull-up routine to help turn me into a machine !nd guess %hat= It %orked In a month# I %ent "rom doing one stinking pull-up to cranking out *+ reps in multiple sets So i" youre ready to start cranking out pull-ups# heres your routine I" you currently can only do one pull-up# start out by doing *> sets o" * pull-up %ith a 2/ second break bet%een sets Do the routine t%o times a %eek Once you can do t%o pull-ups# begin this routine7 eek !" 6 sets o" > reps 2/ second break in bet%een sets T%ice a %eek eek #" / sets o" ? reps T%ice a %eek eek $" 2 Sets o" 2 reps T%ice a %eek eek %" ? Sets o" 6 reps T%ice a %eek I" youre able to do more# go ahead 6ike I said# by this time I %as able to increase my reps to *+ 3hen you get to the point that youre able to do more than *># its time to start adding %eight to your pull-up routine# like the bad ass guy in the picture at the top here to Do Pull-Ups Many men dont do pull-ups because they dont ha$e access to a pull-up bar @ere are some options7 Tree limb Some trees ha$e limbs that are per"ect "or pull-ups 3hen youre out "or a run# 4ump up# grab on# and start cranking some out Outdoor gyms During the *AB+s# many parks installed outdoor gyms along 4ogging trails The idea %as that you could get a complete strength %orkout %hile 4ogging Usually a pull-up bar is one o" the stations (et a pull-up bar "or your house The last# and most con$enient option# is to get a pull-up bar "or your door "rame I recently bought the Iron (ym Pull-up bar and ha$e been completely happy %ith it It 4ust "its right in your door "rame and you dont ha$e to drill holes or do any installation 3hats great about ha$ing a pull-up bar in your door "rame is that e$ery time you %alk by it you can crank a "e% out !"ter doing this a couple o" %eeks# youll be doing more than one stinking pull-up