I’ve had to reteach myself from scratch the year before last – got really bad tennis elbow (or the other one, Golfers – can’t recall) and couldn’t pull anything at all. Had to start with just bent arm isometric holds leaning back about 20 degrees and build up from that to slowly increase the tendon’s tolerance. Being old, it took nearly a year with several set backs, but now back to doing chin ups / pull ups fine.

The general advice I’ve seen in Cross Fit gyms for chin up regressions is start at the top and lower yourself down. Just stand on a box to get up there and then step off it once locked onto the bar.

I have the same problem with pull up bars and barbells, gives me golfers elbow due to needing to slightly over rotate my joint to grip the bar. I switched to a set of gym rings and an ez barbell which solved the issue.

Golfers elbow is the tendons attached to the bony bit on the inside of the joint, tennis elbow is the tendons on the outside of the joint.

Golfers elbow is the tendons attached to the bony bit on the inside of the joint, tennis elbow is the tendons on the outside of the joint.

Good to have that cleared up. But still doesn’t explain precisely what washerwoman’s elbow is 😀

What everyone else has said about bands etc, but also worth looking at getting some rings that you can attach to the pull up bar, then set them at different heights, and lean back and pull yourself upright.
Then set them lower, and repeat. Will help build arms and shoulders.
This type of thing –

It genuinely supprises me that there are people on a sports forum that can’t do one pull up.

Imagine how easy pulling back and down on seated climbs will be when you get a few in the bag. It will feel like cheating.

sports forum

What is this sports forum of which you speak?

…….Imagine how easy pulling back and down on seated climbs will be when you get a few in the bag. It will feel like cheating

would have to be a pretty steep gradient / long steerer / high stem angle surely?
…actually my local gym has indoor bike parking with high up wall hooks for the front wheel…will keep me eyes open for cyclists arriving hanging up their bike and knocking off some reps

sports forum

[Manuel] Que? [/Manuel]

Lets not over complicate things here.

Walk up to the bar
Put your hands on the bar.
Take a deep breath.
Pull like f***. Maximum Effort. Seriously – like your peeing out a golf ball.

Don’t worry about ‘good form’ when your starting. Its very hard to hurt yourself doing a couple of pullups. Just get that 1/2/3 reps done. Embrace failure.

I tend to agree with Earl though it’s many years since I did a single pull up. I don’t recall it being difficult to learn back in my climbing days, though admittedly I had different arms, not these puny cyclist’s appendages.

My top tip is to wear shoes with big grips or a decent heel if you are using a band for help, because that band sure hurts when it slaps you on the arse followed by the back of your head!

Lets not over complicate things here.

Walk up to the bar
Put your hands on the bar.
Take a deep breath.
Pull like f***. Maximum Effort. Seriously – like your peeing out a golf ball.

Don’t worry about ‘good form’ when your starting. Its very hard to hurt yourself doing a couple of pullups. Just get that 1/2/3 reps done. Embrace failure.

Lots of people won’t get more than a couple of inches off the ground!

Pull ups are pretty challenging if you’re not active. Women, especially, don’t tend to have much upper body strength and really struggle at first. Hence the start at the top and lower yourself down approach which makes it much more accessible.

I got a hang board recently to help with climbing strength and I’ve been building up my pull ups. Up to four controlled, no jerking from dead hang (or close, I tend to lower to just before locked elbows) off the jugs.

Mixing that with seven second dead hang reps in various different hold combos to build finger strength, plus press ups and squat jumps to mix it up.

Definitely seems to be having an effect after a few weeks. Don’t ask about my sloper dead hangs though.

Anyone else have problems from their jab?
Could probably do 6 – 10 each time I tried around about a year ago.
After being triple jabbed this year, it’s a struggle to do 1, with any attempt at pull-ups or press ups producing pain on left shoulder muscle.

don’t get injured. Palms facing is strongest (easiest) position
Ultimate safetey guide:

I’ve got plastic ‘olympic rings’ haging off my confifer. Can do 6 slow ones now, 10s per pull up.

Humans are up to 2.5x stronger in the negative motion of muscles than positive…so thats why you can start at the top and work on lowering slowly first.

@loum. Yes I had the AZ jab 6 months ago. It effected the nerves in the shoulder. I now have a dead spot in my pull and push. Arm seams to take the scenic route.

Thanks for that. At least I know it’s not just me. Will give it another go, but without worrying to much.

Grip strength is number 1 if you have massive grip strength then everything becomes a lot easier, my moto is if you can’t grip it you can’t rip it.
Try single arm hang toes to bar, makes pull ups look like a walk in the park.
The gym i used to go to had an 85 year old who could do full ab wheel roll outs.

I do pull ups on my hang board. With them and fingerboard work it def helps on the bike. Seems to help core too

Getting a bit far away from the op’s questions but for all you pull junkies – try Win Hoff’s 40 breaths technique. Add 20-30% to what you currently have. It’s free and it’s magic.

Haven’t read it all, but elastic to get you to 1. And then you are good. Not done any for a few months but still good for a few on the finger board.

Bitd we used to practice lock-offs and all that nonsense. Also plyometrics on campus boards. But then the last time I was in a room with a campus board I was leaving the city and donated my stereo to the climbing wall. Double tape deck and a graphic equaliser no less.

I have an axe handle suspended between two loops of chain hanging from the gantry of my big shed door. The idea is that I do pull ups from it every time I pass, and the chain means it works the core a bit more to keep things stable.
… Sometimes I remember. Can do 8 underhand grip ones (whatever they’re called) but tried the ‘strict’ overhand ones today and could just do two.

Try ‘greasing the groove’ method.

Every time you pass your pull up stand, do one pull up (or negative as slow as you can).

Trying to do multiple pull ups (unless you don’t weigh much and have short strong hands) is very demoralizing at the beginning.

This way you will be able to do 5-10 per day, just spread out over it.

I can do 3 sets of 8 at the moment.

Before I went on my diet I could do three sets of 12.

If you are struggling with grip strength, try some lifting straps. I use them for heavy deadlifts and rows.