{"id":2623,"date":"2013-01-30T12:17:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T17:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fatlossaccelerators.com\/?p=2623"},"modified":"2014-04-10T21:22:51","modified_gmt":"2014-04-11T01:22:51","slug":"3-tricks-to-make-pull-ups-easier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/fatlossaccelerators.com\/site\/3-tricks-to-make-pull-ups-easier\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Tricks to Make Pull-ups Easier"},"content":{"rendered":"

I don’t condone cheating. Whether it’s a test at school, resistance training, your partner or even your hairdresser, cheating is not cool. However, there is one instance that cheating is beneficial.<\/p>\n

You might have read an article in the New York Times last year about \u201cWhy women can\u2019t do pull ups.\u201d If you missed it, you can check it out\u00a0here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Frankly, I think it\u2019s a load of bull.<\/p>\n

My buddy Shawna Kaminski agrees. Shawna is fitness expert from Canada and she is an absolute machine when it comes to pull ups and push ups!<\/p>\n

To be honest, she totally kicks my butt in this department.<\/p>\n

In the guest article today, she will share her secret tips for dominating pull ups and talk about the controversial cheating method of kipping (which I\u2019ll point out now for those in the UK or Australia, it\u2019s NOT the same as taking a nap).<\/p>\n

Take it away Shawna!<\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Okay to Cheat\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

By Shawna Kaminski<\/p>\n

Author: ChallengeWorkouts.com<\/a><\/p>\n

I can do a LOT of pull-ups\u2026 that\u2019s not a big deal for most men\u2026 at least it shouldn’t be.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m a woman so that changes everything.\"shawna<\/p>\n

I’m often asked how I learned to do so many effortless pull ups. I mean I have every reason NOT to be able to do pull ups.<\/p>\n

First, like I said, I\u2019m a woman. And if you saw the recent article in the New York Times and Globe and Mail, researchers \u2018proved\u2019 that women \u2018can\u2019t do pull ups\u2019. Nonsense.<\/p>\n

Next I\u2019m almost 50 and a mother of two and I can knock out 25 pull-ups in a row. So the whole \u201cwomen can\u2019t do pull-ups\u201d business is a load of crap if you ask me.<\/p>\n

Now, not only can I do a bunch of pull-ups\u2026 I can also teach anyone to do the same.<\/p>\n

I know, that\u2019s a bold claim, but I\u2019ll prove it to you.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s my secret? I\u2019ll share a few tips with you here.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

I don\u2019t advocate cheating with anything other than movement (especially loaded moves), but I\u2019m cool with cheating to help with the pull up. The reason for this is you can\u2019t train the pull up as you do traditional progressive resistance moves. You can either do them or you can\u2019t. I allow myself to use some \u2018controlled cheating\u2019 techniques.<\/p>\n

These ways to \u2018cheat\u2019 won\u2019t cause injury either. One way is to use a resistance band to assist you and the second is to use a \u2018kip\u2019<\/p>\n

First of all<\/strong>, the band assist\u2026<\/p>\n

The best way to use a band is to place it around the knee(s) and hook it to the pull up bar. The band assist helps support you on the way \u2018up\u2019 to the bar and allows you to take as much of your weight on the way \u2018down\u2019 from the bar. Controlling the eccentric contraction, which is the strengthening portion of the movement.<\/p>\n

Secondly<\/strong>, the kip\u2026<\/p>\n

Many people seem to think that using the kip is cheating BIG time with the pull up. The kip allows you to use a bit of momentum to \u2018cheat\u2019 just like the band assist helps you \u2018cheat\u2019. Once you get up to the bar, you can work on the eccentric lowering of your body to increase strength. The kip is also sort of like a \u2018forced rep\u2019, once you\u2019re fatigued, you can get a few more reps and continue to work on the eccentric strengthening contraction.<\/p>\n

Of course the only way to be successful at pull ups is to be able to get in the correct body position in the first place. Remember your goal with the pull up is to get the upper chest to the bottom of the pull up bar, versus getting the chin up and over the bar. With the latter, many people tend to inwardly rotate the shoulders, which is not a position of strength. Look upwards, roll the shoulders down and back and squeeze the shoulder blades together.<\/p>\n

It all starts with a scapular retraction (I teach you how to do this in my program too).<\/p>\n

This video gives three of my best tips on how to do better pull ups.<\/p>\n

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