Written By: Arnav Sarkar | Updated : January 9, 2015 3:55 PM IST
Despite working out for the last 3 months and being in decent shape - not too thin, not too fat, I have not been able to do pull-ups. I have seen people do it, and think it is a really cool exercise, which I should do. However, I have never been able to do it myself. What could be the possible reasons for this?
Answered by strength coach and fitness trainer Arnav Sarkar
There can be many reasons for it. First of all, decent shape does not guarantee being able to do pull-ups. There are many overweight men who can do pull ups, and yet there are skinny guys who can't. It's hard to say the exact reason you are failing to do pull-ups without knowing more about your exercise history. From what you have said, I am guessing it is due to lack of strength in moving your bodyweight that is the likely reason. The way, to work on it, is to practice pull-ups more often. Read about whether women should do pull-ups.
I would suggest that you start by practising pull-ups as often as you can, even multiple times a day, if possible. So instead of trying to bang out a set of 10, do just one rep or even half a rep for a total of 10 reps every time you begin a workout. Yes, do it when you are fresh at the beginning rather than later when you are tired. If you have a place in your house where you can do a pull-up, then bang out a couple of sets of one rep multiple times a day. The basic idea is that you practice the move often in minuscule doses to teach your body how to do it efficiently. The frequency will teach you to learn the pull-up faster and be able to do it. Once you can do one full rep for 10 sets, cut it down to 5 sets of 2 reps and progress accordingly. Here is a video featuring 35 best pull-up exercises.
Image source: Getty Images
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