need help with pullups

[kenneth]

I haven't been on this site in quite some time. But in the past, the people here have always been extremely helpful.

I have fallen out of the fitness world for about a year, due to many personal problems, and injuries. Right now I'm trying to get back into the weight lifting world. When I had stopped, I was in the middle of steady progression with the 5x5 program. I'd go right back to using that since I've had so much success with it in the past, but I had a knee injury and it still doesn't feel 100%, so I don't want to risk re-injurying it with all those squats. Obviously if I can't squat, I sure as hell can't do the 5 x 5, hell it's going to be tough to progress with anything until I feel my knee is ready to squat again.

Aside from the knee injury that is keeping me from squatting, I have lost tremendous strength where pullups are concerned. Sadly, and surprisingly, the last few times I did pullups I was only able to do 2 full reps. That's with a shoulder width grip. My question is, does anyone know of a substitute for pullups that is actually worthwhile? I don't see how I'm going to progress when I'm only capable of doing 2 lousy pullups right now. I need something that will work on strengthening my pullup ability without actually doing pullups, unless you guys think I can actually start with 2 reps and slowly build up using legit pullups.

I'm coming back into the game really slow for a few weeks, I don't intent on getting hardcore for about 3-4 weeks of training. I've really fallen apart over the past year, my current stats are 5'11, 182.5 pounds, with a disgusting 22.3% bodyfat. Hell, I'm not sure if I want to concentrate on putting some muscle mass back on, or burning away some fat first. That may be a coin flip. I started back up a week ago and made a weight lifting plan based on single factor training, for now. Any opinions on whether I should worry about burning off some bodyfat first, or bulking up a bit first would be appreciated. I'm kinda leaning towards knocking off like 4-5% bodyfat before I worry about strength and size, mostly because after I knock off a few %'s, obviously in turn that will help solve my problem of not being able to do pullups.

If my post is long winded, I apologize, but usually it's hard for people to give good advice without a solid backround on the person, and hard to receive legit advice if the person giving it does not have enough information.

Any and all responses are highly appreciated!

Ken

 

[kenneth]

hmm... looks like the board isn't rockin like it used to be.. oh well I'll figure it out. Still if anyone has any information to offer, it's appreciated

 

[tailhold]

Right on bro, because 2 pull ups are better than 1.
I would do as many sets of 2 as I could with just enough time to recoup for 2 more..
It won't take any time at all and you will be gaining reps.
Pull up's are hard I am at 10 reps looking for 12. Now if i can at 41yo 16%bf 6'3 262 pounds
so can you.

 

[kenneth]

6'3, 262lbs, that is definately an awkward pullup

Thanks for your help man, that's pretty much all I needed to know. I wasn't sure if I would be able to gain reps while I can only do 2 reps. Thought I might have to do some assistance work to get the reps up first, before I could even progress with pullups. It'd be alot worse if I couldn't do any pullups, hah.

Thanks again, I'll bang out a few sets of 2 and hopefully i'll start to increase reps quick enough!

 

[hatman]

I am 6'1" and about 234lbs, and I can only get 4 or 5 at a time. 6 Months ago, I could barely get 1. I had my buddy just give me a little boost, and in no time, I was getting them on my own. As long as you are doing most of the work, you will see improvements.

 

[bigguns1903]

Assisted pullups seem to help me. When I can't do anymore on my own, I'll hit the assisted pullup machine. try doing pullups and holding the contraction as long as you can and lower yourself slowly. Jump back up and do negatives as slow as you can. You'll build strength up in no time!

 

[Thickneck]

I would not worry about pullups . Most of back size for me has come from heavy bent rows . See so many guys do set after set of pulldowns . Thinking there back will get big . What is better doing 315 for rows or pulling down 150 . Concentrate on rows and some deads and do a pulldown as your last exercise . Once you get back into pulling down some weight , try some chins . I would go 2/3's thickness exercises to 1/3 width exercises . If you can squat without much pain in the higher rep range it will help big time with bodyfat also . opcorn:

 

[kenneth]

thanks, I solved this problem by dropping bodyfat and just working with as many as I could do at first... , which was basically 1 or 2, ..and don't worry, I'll never do a workout plan that doesn't involve barbell rows, I think I finally got the JS Style down right. I spent that summer, July 09 and August 09 getting my nephew into running, so I dropped my bodyfat down and was also lifting.. Then started the 5x5 in January and no problems anymore at this point... 5x5 is rather easy, I could probably do like 12 pullups at once now which to me is a huge thing because I spent my entire life not being able to do them, even when I was serious with the weights back in 2000-2002, pullups were not a part of the deal. So I just didn't want them to lag. Right now I am actually extremely disappointed and pissed off, everything was going so well, progress every week and every workout (5x5), then I got sick to my stomach for an entire week, I couldn't eat at all, alot less could I eat enough to keep up with the calorie requirements to grow or even maintain, so the past week or so has been extremely frustrating, major major set backs, and it feels like it's going to take another week atleast just to get to the level I was at before I got sick. I could handle any other type of sickness, but getting sick to my stomach for a straight week? I don't know about anyone else but to me that is the worst thing in the fucking world. Watching myself get depleted day after day ....ahhh.. whatever...just venting, it's just really pissing me off that of all things it had to be my stomach and mess up my calories in the worst way, any other sickness and I could atleast get the calories in and maintain............. right in the mid of a 5x5 what the fuck.........................

Ken

 

[kenneth]

oh, just to clear this up, I just read my own post and where it says "5x5 is rather easy", I'm just referring to doing 5x5 pullups with bodyweight, not the 5x5 program itself.. 5x5 is NOT easy by any means...