# the legendary over grasp pull ups



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

The pull up bar is the loneliest piece of equipment in my gym, why???

I love pull ups, weighted ones even more so

Hits my lats, biceps, triceps a little, I think its one of the best exercises you can do.

Yet I don't see all that many chaps doing them, not in my gym, and if I do, its in my opinion crap form.

Anyone else feeling the pull up love? Or is the post gonna be as lonely as the pull up bar in my gym...


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## TELBOR (Feb 20, 2012)

I think every cnut bar me was doing them at my gym today


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Haha....

I see one guy doing them, and he must move up and down all of two inches


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## AK-26 (May 29, 2011)

i love pull ups and chin ups. but agree they have to be done with good form, if your not at a full hang then you're cheating. and none of that swinging boll0cks, it has to be a controlled movement.


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## Mighty.Panda (Oct 5, 2011)

Most bodybuilders cant do them from what I've seen. I'm sure theres a fvcking ton who will post in here and say they can and thats great but from what I've seen not many can. Little principle I like to go by is if you cant lift your own bodyweight then you're *too big*.


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## maxie (Jan 31, 2011)

I reckon some people are just designed to be good at them,whereas i was never much good at them,it feels like my shoulder joints are gonna pull out nowadays if i try them,so why do an exercise thats gonna hurt me just because its supposed to be good?

Be a bit stupid if you ask me! if an exercise doesnt feel right to me i dont do it.


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## Hoddsy (Oct 9, 2008)

I love pullups. But agreed, only 1 other person i seen at my gym does them, and then only goes half way down each rep.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

maxie said:


> I reckon some people are just designed to be good at them,whereas i was never much good at them,it *feels like my shoulder joints are gonna pull out* nowadays if i try them,so why do an exercise thats gonna hurt me just because its supposed to be good?
> 
> Be a bit stupid if you ask me! if an exercise doesnt feel right to me i dont do it.


Doing them wrong then mate.

Try pulling your elbows back as you do them.


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## Graham-jack (Apr 7, 2010)

I find these difficult but I still do them. I *ONLY* do compound movments, Squats, Deadlifts, Pull ups, Dips, Flat dumbell press, Press ups etc...


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## Mighty Sparrow (Apr 10, 2011)

I love pull ups! Wide on back/lats day and narrow for the biceps. Would love to be able to do muscle ups!


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## NitroJoe (Mar 10, 2012)

I do 5 sets of wide grip and 5 set of close gorilla grip to start my Back & Bicep day. I love them!


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

I do em straight after deadlifts then onto bent over rows.


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## mikemull (Oct 23, 2011)

Great exercise, the best for back width. Agreed very hard though, I normally start ok 8-10 reps but after first set I struggle and normally it drops like 10,8,6,5 haha. But I make sure I do them! Quite a lot in my gym do them but no one at work does them as there hard!

As for the comments about some people being suited to them that's bull****, so is it about being to big for them. Your either not strong enough to lift your own body weight or your to lazy to do hard compound exercises!

I'd say once you can lift your body weight for 10-12 strict reps on the lat pull downs then move on to wide chins.


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## onthebuild (Sep 3, 2011)

Theres a fella at my gym who does the hardest looking variation ever! he uses wide grip, palms facing away. He pulls his body up, with his head facing forward so the bar is behind his head and holds for a few seconds, then back down and repeats. Like behind the neck lat pull downs but on the pull up bar. I tried it... managed zero with the form he has!


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## maxie (Jan 31, 2011)

mikemull said:


> Great exercise, the best for back width. Agreed very hard though, I normally start ok 8-10 reps but after first set I struggle and normally it drops like 10,8,6,5 haha. But I make sure I do them! Quite a lot in my gym do them but no one at work does them as there hard!
> 
> As for the comments about some people being suited to them that's bull****, so is it about being to big for them. Your either not strong enough to lift your own body weight or your to lazy to do hard compound exercises!
> 
> I'd say once you can lift your body weight for 10-12 strict reps on the lat pull downs then move on to wide chins.


Lol so im a lazy bull****ting weak cnut who doesnt know what im doing and is scared of compound exercises cos i dont do chins,


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## David2012 (Feb 29, 2012)

yes i love them

i think i started the craze for doing them at my gym

im still the best at them though, i can strap a 20kilo plate to me and knock out 5 sets of 5 very easily tbh i am only 11 stone 10 though

does impress other gym goers though most cant even do a normal bodyweight pull up

ive got bodyweight pull ups for days

done them for years, my dad put a pull up bar in my doorframe when i was about 16 been doing them every since


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

The pull ups are easily one of my favourite exercises (probably top 5). The simplicity of them, their effectiveness and the slightly smug feeling you get when other people in the gym watch you busting out sets with envy on their face


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

I agree, Its a superb movement, always do them at the start of my back workout.

Set to failure with no weight, then increase weight and go to failure until I can't do anymore weight or reps.

Really concentrating on bringing the back of the shoulders in and squeeze.

I used to hate them, but when I did the all arms commando course they did pull ups to death...learned to love them.


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

tbf i ought to do them more, but my form is sh1t because i weigh 17 stone, im sure if i was 11 stone i could be better than them


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## mikemull (Oct 23, 2011)

maxie said:


> Lol so im a lazy bull****ting weak cnut who doesnt know what im doing and is scared of compound exercises cos i dont do chins,


Touch a nerve?


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## maxie (Jan 31, 2011)

mikemull said:


> Touch a nerve?


 :yawn:


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## Need2Grow (Jun 4, 2011)

Mighty.Panda said:


> Most bodybuilders cant do them from what I've seen. I'm sure theres a fvcking ton who will post in here and say they can and thats great but from what I've seen not many can. Little principle I like to go by is if you cant lift your own bodyweight then you're *too big*.


Or just too weak!

Phil Heath does them loads, bet theres not many on here as big as him :lol:


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## Tassotti (Feb 27, 2011)

I think I'm too big as I can't do them . I weigh 19 stone !


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

I imagine for the bigger chaps it must hard shifting 18/20 stone, so maybe that's why I don't see many bigger guys doing pull ups


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## Tassotti (Feb 27, 2011)

I've seen Terry Hollands do pull ups and he is a mere 28 stone (lightweight)


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## F.M.J (Mar 23, 2009)

When I was prepping for Marines I was doing them between every set... it's safe to say pullups were my strongest area, I was like a bloody monkey in my old gym. I mostly forget to do them now. Always one of them things where I'm sitting on the train on the way home from the gym I have a moment "Ah ffs I forgot to do pullups!!!"


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## H22civic (Oct 6, 2009)

Hadnt done them in years so decided to try them one day, wide grip overhand, and was pretty embarassed when I could barely do two. Ive worked my way up to 10 full reps again now with good form which im happy with. Going to do them every week from now on and try to keep to at least 10reps as I get heavier.


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Hit pull ups today.

15 full reps just body weight

12 reps with 10kg

9 reps with 15kg

5 reps with 20kg

Lats scream after...starts the back workout a reet treat!


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## George-Bean (Sep 8, 2010)

Your born to do pull ups! Click the video! kid does 6 sets of 3 reps lol


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## Ballin (Aug 24, 2011)

LOL my problem is my chin up bar is too low in my gym, so I can reach the bar and still have my feet flat on the floor easily.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

There are two guys who do assisted chins, by grabbing each other round the waist and giving them a boost. Looks more like he is gaining to extra leverage whilst getting head!


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

ive got arms like an orangutan but am stil sh!t at them. underhand on the otherhand :thumb:


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## JANIKvonD (Jul 7, 2011)

maxie said:


> Lol so im a lazy bull****ting weak cnut who doesnt know what im doing and is scared of compound exercises cos i dont do chins,


pretty much mate :turned:


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## Jayboogie (Mar 23, 2012)

I can do 3 x 10 chins wide and tight and 5 x 5 weighted with 10kg.

I can also do 2 x 10 wide pull up then usually about 6-7 on my third set, also 5 x 5 as above.

I have a bar across my back door, best bit of home equipment I've bought.

13 stone and counting.


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

I've done as many as 25reps in a set and as much as 40kg+ bodyweight for a few reps.

I'm 6' 2 and been up to just under 18st when I could pull up more(reps and kg's) oddly enough and yes,i have arms like an orangutang(they stop just short of knuckles dragging the floor!!)


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

BLUE(UK):3086844 said:


> I've done as many as 25reps in a set and as much as 40kg+ bodyweight for a few reps.
> 
> I'm 6' 2 and been up to just under 18st when I could pull up more(reps and kg's) oddly enough and yes,i have arms like an orangutang(they stop just short of knuckles dragging the floor!!)


40 kg?!? Jesus, good effort!!!


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## Slater8486 (Jul 14, 2010)

Has anyone seen Hannibal from New York doing chin ups, this guy is sick!






I think anyone can do pull ups if you just work at them, I struggled at first but started off overhand grip quite close and now and banging sets of 5 for 8 reps


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

alan_wilson said:


> 40 kg?!? Jesus, good effort!!!


Not a bad effort. 

BTW, my bench press is shi'ite!!


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## Robbie (Dec 31, 2007)

Best use of a smith machine


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

BLUE(UK):3093517 said:


> Not a bad effort.
> 
> BTW, my bench press is shi'ite!!


Really? How is that then, cus them pull ups your doing, I'd be over the moon if I could do that.


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

Generally 3 plates a side(140kg) on the bench press is where I max out,some weeks i manage another 10kg and some weeks less than 3 plates a side.

I find pulling easy,before i knacked my lower back, i could row stupid amounts of weight. This could be because my shoulders struggle with the pressing.

I don't stress over it,i just try and lift what i can really, i think i am too old to be stressing on such matters.


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