It's going to take FOREVER for a full pull up isn't it

[CuriousRunner]

51 and a half years. I've been lifting heavy for 2 years twice a week. (Running 3 times a week.) 18 months I was working with a PT at a little private gym with no machines. So anything working towards a pull up was body weight.

I now see a PT at a full on gym and use the assisted pull up machine.

I weigh 64 kg. This morning my pull ups were 1 x 12, 55kg then 2 x 12 x 50kg.

I know progress is slow. (Other exercises move a bit faster). But I'm going to be 100 before I can do a full body weight pull up aren't it?!!!

I'm a bit further along than you, and in my 40s, but I agree - it's very slow progress! Women simply don't build upper body strength in the same way as men.

I am persevering though...

Are you reading the guides? Look up on YouTube, or Google.

Free hanging, scapula retraction, lat pulldowns, etc, are pretty essential before you even consider a full pull up.

Reverse pull ups are a good way to speed the process up.

I've heard that those machines are not the best way to actually get a full pull up

Apparently doing negatives is really useful
I do those and band assisted pull ups

But I can't do a full one either so no point asking me!

Pull ups are weird in that starting them is the hardest bit. Which is frustrating but does mean they suddenly come. I agree the assisted machines aren't great, better to focus on negatives or starting from slightly bent arms, plus lat pulldowns, all help with working the muscles. Core strength and body position is really important too and the assisted machines put you in a strange position. Also if you can do 12 assisted pull ups you may find you can already do one unassisted.

Are you adding creatine to your gym day meals? Creatine was a game changer for me, the only thing I changed. I leaned out and bulked up. I can lift far heavier now.

I'm doing a combination of negatives, chin holds, dead hangs, scapula shrugs, and assisted pull ups (with bands).

Interesting - is there a specific brand/type that you use?

I’m over 60 and can do pull ups. I train at home with free weights and a chin/pull up bar. I did slow negative reps - 10 second count down - to get the strength for positives. If you can build up to 10 x 10 second negatives, you should be able to do a positive.
It’s not just about arm strength, you need to become aware of your upper back and shoulder blades.
Imagine you have a pair of wings and try to pull them together to get the “firm grip” across your upper back correct.
Keep at it, it will happen!

@TarantinoIsAMisogynist - I just looked into this and spoke to a nutritionist about it. They're all the same. Read the packaging - they all say 100% creatine! You can get the cheapest brand.

Some people don't digest it well so benefit from the micro version (finer powder) and/or have to build up the amount they take a bit slower.

Very impressive

I heard that frequency of practice is important too so having the home bar would help with that.

My PT suggested just trying to do a few reps every time you pass by but as I don't wfh or have a convenient spot where a bar can easily be left up it doesn't work too well for me.

I started in the playground trying to pull up on the monkey bars while my son was on the slide!

I can do 3 or 4. It did take a lot of practice to get there. Agree with others, the best practice is actually using a bar for negatives/dead hands/assisteds etc.

Yes it takes a while. But if you make it your training focus you can get there. You'd need to do much more focused work than the assisted pull up machine though. I see that as something that lets you work similar muscles rather than get you to do an independent pull up which is about skill too. Does your PT know it's a goal and have they programmed exercises to help you get there?

It took me yeeeeaaaaars of adding pull up specific drills to my work outs to get there but I did!

It was disheartening, but I promise you it’s worth it. One day you’ll try and you’ll just pop up - and you won’t believe it so you’ll try again and fail

Lat pull downs, rows, over the bar holds, negatives, jumping pull ups, banded pull ups all really helped me but you have to keep doing them regularly!

I can do about 6-8 first set depending how I am training, am in late 50s, weight 70kg. Taken a long time!!

I agree about the machine not being the best, and you need at least some of the training to be at lower reps and harder progressions anyway.

Look up Meghan Callaway on insta.

Do scapular pulls (I warm up with these), negatives, holds (eg hold at the top, then forehead to bar, then 90deg etc), inverted rows for volume with different grips, band assisted, lat pull downs, cable rows, grip strength, hollow body holds. Start with harder progressions and low reps/longer rests and finish with easier progressions/higher reps/short rests.

The machine may help but it is a different and very specific path to the bar and less whole body involvement too. And you can't change grip easily. Doing a range of exercises will help you progress to your first pull up but will also build strength and power.

(If your PT gave you that machine programme to progress to a pull up, I'd be questioning their calisthenics expertise tbh. I have instructors who win competitions and none of them have ever suggested that other than as rehab after injury to build back slowly. They may be great on the more traditional gym stuff tho.)

Keep going - you will get there!!

I didn’t use the pull-up machine. I’ve also heard that it is not that helpful. Instead I worked with my PT and used a combination of resistance bands, jumping pull-ups and negative pull-ups.

I trained weights three times per week, with pull-ups once per week. To get one pull-up took me eleven months. A little longer to get 2-3. That’s as far as I got. I trained underhand grip (some people call these chin-ups) and overhand grip as well because I wanted to be able to do both. I got them at roughly the same time, I think chin-ups slightly earlier.

It can be done but it really does take time.

I think so much of this is to do with technique and core. I can almost always do one pull up no matter how unfit I am because I know how. So I think concentrating on the technique is the biggest issue.
I read about women who can do crazy heavy weights in my eyes who can't do a pull up.
I can currently do 6 pull ups but imagine my general weights stats will be considerably lower than yours.

I think you're right @mamapants - you can do what train for. It's a running joke that powerlifters suck at pull ups (some can do them obviously). I can deadlift twice my body weight but I can't do a single pull up, I'm sure I could if I put my time into training for them.

Yes you definitely could. Perfect example there. I think my max deadlift is 60% bodyweight. You must be so strong to be able to deadlift x 2 body weight

I don't get what you mean? What counter weight are you using to your 64kg?

@BigSilly she's using an assisted pull up machine where you can choose how much weight to 'take off'

Well that's what I thought, but if the 'offset' weights are 55kg ams she weighs 64, that's only 11kg of her weight she is lifting. That doesn't seem right after 2 years of weights?

I can lift etc but can't do a pull up. I think it's to do with your strength to weight ratio. In my case i think i need to lose weight .......

Calisthenics athletes do often have very lean, tapered physiques and often don’t train legs much so they aren’t lifting extra weight there.

i agree - you can do what you train for. It took me three months after I could squat and deadlift my bodyweight to get my first pull up (in my early 50s). After a couple of year of doing mainly cali training, I’ve switched back to more lifting and am seeing progress on both fronts now.

back to the OP - I’ve re-read and do think those reps and weights aren’t right. If you want a pull up you need to train hard for them, not high reps on effectively a light weight. And as I said below none of my cali instructors recommend the assist machine for anything other than rehab/starting out.