# Pull-ups and long arms



## Geat (Apr 22, 2013)

Simple question, I find pull-ups very difficult, and I wondered if anyone on here can talk from experience on how they improved their ability to do them.

To give you an idea of what I'm up against, I'm 6'2" with a 6'5" wingspan - probably bordering on freak territory!


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## Reddo (Feb 3, 2013)

Geat said:


> Simple question, I find pull-ups very difficult, and I wondered if anyone on here can talk from experience on how they improved their ability to do them.
> 
> To give you an idea of what I'm up against, I'm 6'2" with a 6'5" wingspan - probably bordering on freak territory!


do you pick your legs up when doing them?


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## Geat (Apr 22, 2013)

Reddo said:


> do you pick your legs up when doing them?


I do. In fact, I have to - I use a door gym and I'd be standing on the floor if I didn't.


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## Reddo (Feb 3, 2013)

Geat said:


> I do. In fact, I have to - I use a door gym and I'd be standing on the floor if I didn't.


Yeah I can see how that can be limiting your ability to do pull ups. My gym has a pull up station with quite a lot of room to tuck your legs in front so I don't have much of a problem. Unless you can put your bar higher then I'm not sure how you could improve it


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## Greenspin (Dec 27, 2010)

Geat said:


> I do. In fact, I have to - I use a door gym and I'd be standing on the floor if I didn't.


I don't like them door mounted pull-up bars. They bend and have limited room about them. The gym ones are solid, and much nicer to use. Not sure how long you been training, but pull-ups seem to be one of those things people find pretty hard in the beginning, from my experience. Might just be you need to get stronger, after-all, it's not like you can start lifting a lighter body (unless you have an assisted machine), you're lifting however many kg of body weight you have...


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## bigtoe900 (Jul 26, 2012)

Keep doing them every day, place your feet on a box take some weight on your legs and pull up as far as you can. Do 20 reps, you may feel silly standing on a box but how do you work up to a 100kg bench ?. You start at 50kg and build up. This is the same thing, each day reduce the amount you support yourself on the box and by week 3 you should have built up to a good 10 unassisted pulups.


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

Longer limbs can carry more muscle .


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## Geat (Apr 22, 2013)

Thanks guys. I used to be able to do just one push-up, but after getting a weights bench in January and doing flat/incline bench presses and chest flyes I can now do 10, so I guess this is the same principal as you say, Greenspin.

And cheers, Toe - I'll give that a whirl!


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## stuey99 (Nov 30, 2012)

Geat said:


> Thanks guys. I used to be able to do just one push-up, but after getting a weights bench in January and doing flat/incline bench presses and chest flyes I can now do 10, so I guess this is the same principal as you say, Greenspin.
> 
> And cheers, Toe - I'll give that a whirl!


Do you train at home mate?


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## resten (Apr 4, 2012)

Better stop doing the pull ups mate, you might stretch your freak arms even more mg:


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## anabolik (Aug 19, 2010)

ewen said:


> Longer limbs can carry more muscle .


But smaller limbs will look much more impressive with the same amount of muscle mass.


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

anabolik said:


> But smaller limbs will look much more impressive with the same amount of muscle mass.


What has that got to do with long limbs doing pull ups ?


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## madmuscles (Mar 10, 2011)

Greenspin said:


> I don't like them door mounted pull-up bars. They bend and have limited room about them. The gym ones are solid, and much nicer to use. Not sure how long you been training, but pull-ups seem to be one of those things people find pretty hard in the beginning, from my experience. Might just be you need to get stronger, after-all, it's not like you can start lifting a lighter body (unless you have an assisted machine), you're lifting however many kg of body weight you have...


Agreed, i wouldn't trust those door mounted ones as far as i could throw one as if it slips you're the new happy owner of broken bones or twisted spine so f*ck that!

Op which pullups are you talking about, underarm or over are wide grip?


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## anabolik (Aug 19, 2010)

ewen said:


> What has that got to do with long limbs doing pull ups ?


Nothing really. Thought you were trying to make op feel better about having long monkey arms by saying at least he can build more muscle than a normal person.


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

anabolik said:


> Nothing really. Thought you were trying to make op feel better about having long monkey arms by saying at least he can build more muscle than a normal person.


No hes a freak .


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

As asked mate are you doing close grip or wide? I find wide grip harder but getting there with them

My brother's nailed them and does one handed pull ups the bastard but fair play to him he loves pull ups


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## PaulB (Jun 6, 2010)

Do negatives. Start at the top of the movement then slowly and in control, let yourself down. You'll find your strength will improve using this technique.


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## Geat (Apr 22, 2013)

stuey99 said:


> Do you train at home mate?


I do, yes mate.



chris6383 said:


> As asked mate are you doing close grip or wide? I find wide grip harder but getting there with them
> 
> My brother's nailed them and does one handed pull ups the bastard but fair play to him he loves pull ups


I do (or at least try to do) wide grip chin-ups and narrow grip pull-ups. I find the ones where your palms are facing by far the easiest.



anabolik said:


> Nothing really. Thought you were trying to make op feel better about having long monkey arms by saying at least he can build more muscle than a normal person.


Thanks, mate!



ewen said:


> No hes a freak .


Extra special thanks... ;-)


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## bobbydrake (Nov 19, 2012)

As paulb says - jump up and lower yourself slowly - you will build yourself up that way.


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

Mate just stick to palms facing pull ups for now (narrow hands inline with shoulders) for now and then when you can do 7-10 then start trying wide grips think that's better as wide grip are a lot harder


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## Geat (Apr 22, 2013)

chris6383 said:


> Mate just stick to palms facing pull ups for now (narrow hands inline with shoulders) for now and then when you can do 7-10 then start trying wide grips think that's better as wide grip are a lot harder


Good advice. I'll start with narrow-grip negatives as has been suggested, and move on from there.


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## K-Rod (Sep 10, 2012)

How about getting hold of some of that Theraband that you get from a physio, or some other type of resistance band, tie each end to the pull up bar and hook your feet in the loop to give you some assistance? Start with a thick/high resistance and as you get stronger, change the thickness/resistance.


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## Big_Al13 (May 2, 2013)

I've got similar problems, I use a chin rack at my gym and stick a resistance band around my knee alternately. It means you can do a full range of movement and you have a little bit of help on the initial pull, but have to really squeeze your back to get up to the top. It's definitely not easy, and I've got 120kg of me to pull up, but am closing in on doing 3 sets of 10 each time I do them. Look at getting some rows (single arm and bent over) going as well, as they will help you gain strength in your back.


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## Geat (Apr 22, 2013)

K-Rod said:


> How about getting hold of some of that Theraband that you get from a physio, or some other type of resistance band, tie each end to the pull up bar and hook your feet in the loop to give you some assistance? Start with a thick/high resistance and as you get stronger, change the thickness/resistance.


I do actually own one, but I find it pretty uncomfortable to use - as I do them in a door frame, the vertical space is limited and so having the loop the band around my knees seems to hamper my form...


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## MattGriff (Aug 21, 2012)

Get stronger


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## AlcoFunk (Jul 2, 2012)

Well, I'm 5ft 8 with an armspan of just over 6ft...shhh lol and I weight 11 n half stone, 12 percent bf. I find pull ups very easy, I can do 20 no problem and after about 5 sets it drops to around 8 ect ect, don't worry man just work on it and grip that bar like your life depends on it haha, if you go to do pull ups and believe you will only mannage 5 then that's all you will do mate, don't think just do, works for me, all the best.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

I'm sure everyone finds wide grip pull ups hard at first, i don't do inwards palm facing ones as it feels like my biceps are gonna detach!

Just keep doing them, the more you do the easier it will get, it's not gonna happen overnight though.


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## Xbigdave79 (Mar 30, 2012)

I have very long limbs . I'm good at pull ups but crap at squats .i can do weighted pull ups with 20 kg

For reps ,but it took me a long time to get to this


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## muaythai (Feb 10, 2013)

Scrap the weightlifting and get into boxing with that sort of reach!


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2013)

Geat said:


> Simple question, I find pull-ups very difficult, and I wondered if anyone on here can talk from experience on how they improved their ability to do them.
> 
> To give you an idea of what I'm up against, I'm 6'2" with a 6'5" wingspan - probably bordering on freak territory!


Treading thin ice here pal!! :lol:

I dont think height hinders you at all, its weight.

Im tall and literally the only thing you can do to help them is keep doing it.


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## AlcoFunk (Jul 2, 2012)

I often find that if I wrap my penis around the top of the pull up bar and secure it in place with a shoe lace....its a great insentive 2 not let go


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