Share“What’s wrong with this image?” – said Professor Stephen Boutcher (world famous fat loss researcher), during our first lecture at UNSW in 2003.
We all sat and analyzed this for a good five minutes, intently studying the image and trying to figure out what was wrong.
- Her back was overarched?
- Wrong hand position?
- Was her elbow at the wrong angle?
We were completely stumped.
“Ha, nothing is wrong with her form. It’s just RARE sight to see women doing pull ups.”
Trickster!
But it’s true. It’s uncommon to walk into a gym and see a woman rocking out multiple reps and sets of unassisted bodyweight pull ups – or chin ups for that matter.
So let’s change that, NOW. Starting with you.
You already know pulling exercises are THE most important ones to include in your routine.
Why?
Because most of us are suffering computer syndrome, from being hunched over keyboards and steering wheels all day long.
And the “Hunchback of Notre Dame look” is NOT a sexy.
Pull ups and other upper body pulling exercises can help to reshape your shoulders back into natural balance. It’s a gem for training the upper body.
Hang on…
“What the difference between a pull up and a chin up, KV?”
Very good question.
In the chin up, your palms are facing you (supinated/undergrip) and will allow you to recruit more involvement from the biceps.
For the pull up, your palms are facing away (pronated/overgrip) and you remove some of that assistance from the biceps and the movement targets the muscles of the back (especially the lats) to a greater degree. It’s harder to do this version.
And that’s why starting with chin ups can be a good idea if you can’t do a pull up yet.
Here are my top 5 tips to getting your first pull up:
1: Activate the right muscles FIRST
Since we’re sitting hunched over, most folks have very tight chest muscles and weak upper back muscles. Ideally, these muscles should be neutral. If you have extremely rounded shoulders, try the exercise ratio of 3:1 (pull:push) to correct your posture.
Note: It is SO important to incorporate exercises that focus on the trapezius, particularly the middle and lower fibers. These middle and lower traps help to pull the shoulder blade down and back, opening up your chest and improving your posture.
So remember my secret formula for sexy results?
Activate – Strengthen – Fatigue
If the lats and upper back muscles are not activated before you try to strengthen, it’s likely you’ll overcompensate and use the WRONG muscle groups to perform the movement (in this case, using the chest and biceps to pull yourself up).
So make sure you add these 2 activation exercises in your warm up:
Start with these two moves. Do 10-15 reps, for 2 sets. Warming up on the treadmill for 5 minutes will not help you improve your pull ups.
2: Get Your Nutrition in Order
This is NEVER what people want to hear.
But the cold hard truth is that, if you lose the extra fat and weigh less, you will find it easier to pull your chin over the bar.
And the fastest way to sexy results is eliminating ALL processed foods from your diet. Stick with lean proteins and green veggies and you’ll be rocking in not time.
3: Pull Your Elbows Down & Back
The power comes from your lats, so make sure you initiate and fire this muscle first. Don’t simply pull with your biceps.
Use this cue: concentrate on pulling your elbows down and back, into your torso. Squeeze your lats hard. You want to imagine pulling the bar down to the floor, rather than trying to pull yourself up.
If you’re having trouble activating and firing your lats, try doing the HardStyle Plank for 30-60s.
4: Start from the right position
Too often I see people start by grabbing the bar in dead hang position, with their shoulders touching their ears and scapula (aka shoulder blades) elevated.
This is dangerous. Not to mention incorrect.
When you do this, you’re putting a ton of stress on your traps, joints and ligaments instead of your muscles.
So when you start, make sure your shoulder blades are down and lock your shoulders into their socket. This will put you in a far safer position. And you’ll activate and pull up using your lats – not your traps.
You also want to make sure you maintain a slight elbow bend throughout the set.
5: Practice Every Day
If you want to improve, you need to practice every day.
So here’s your next challenge:
Every day, do a single set of as many pull ups as you can. Even if you can only do one. Keep trying. Concentrate on your form – every rep must be perfect, otherwise the set is over! Aim to do the best reps possible.
Write down that number. Track it everyday. With consistent practice, you will get better.
Do you want to take your pull ups to the next level? And build an incredibly strong and defined arms and shoulders while you’re at it?
==> Here’s a 28-Day Step-By-Step Plan
Get a sculpted upper body, be awesome and dominate your pull ups!
Your Coach and Friend,
KV
PS. Here’s what other cool cats are saying about the program…
“Hi Kate. Thought you might like to hear how your help has helped me. I’m happy to report that on Nov. 13th I was doing scapular retractions, and Dec. 12th I did 3 sets of 4 reps (unassisted) pullups. Woop woop.
Yay woman power! – KC, Avid Follower of KV
How to OMG Arms in 28 Days <= On Sale Now
