Pull-ups for girls: step-by-step instructions. How to teach a girl to do pull-ups at home How to teach a girl to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar
My own observations/thoughts about pull-ups (applies mainly to girls). Quite obvious things, but can be useful.
1. They say that only 5% of women can do pull-ups. It's simple, 95% of it is simply not necessary - other interests in sports or in life in general. The only limitation is excess weight. Your body type also matters. If specifically for women (hips wider than shoulders), it will take more time and work.
2. Hard exercise for girls. It is better not to set a specific deadline. It might happen in a couple of months, or maybe in six months. But it will work out 100% if pull-ups are your priority.
3. Australian pull-ups prepare the muscles for regular pull-ups, but not the head. As soon as something starts to work out in the vertical plane (negative, partial, pull-ups with an elastic band), it’s better to move the Australian pull-ups to the end of the workout, and in the meantime, use fresh energy to do what you can do on the horizontal bar.
4. The key point is crossing the right angle at the elbows. Then it’s just an increase in amplitude, things will go faster and more fun.
5. Rubber loops are very good helpers. The elastic band allows you to fully feel the movement, understand what and how to include at a particular moment, this helps in the transition from elastic pull-ups to independent ones.
6. Elastic is a rather insidious thing. With its help, do things that the body is not yet ready for, especially ligaments. You can get injured, or rather get an accumulated injury. All you have to do is listen to your body’s signals.
7. By choice of elastic band. Two main options -
Green - 100% guarantee of pull-ups for a more or less trained girl. But there may be problems with getting into the loop; it is very tight, and there may not be enough strength to pull it back to the level where you can put your foot down. It’s better to look for a place where you can climb into the loop from above (wall bars + horizontal bar design).
The downside may be that you outgrow it quite quickly; it does too much for you. Ways to reduce support are to stand in the loop with two feet, one foot, two knees, then one knee.
The purple one gives much less support, it is possible that you won’t be able to pull yourself up right away; shortening the loop will help here - two or three turns around the crossbar before threading the long part into the short one. Then remove the additional revolutions, and then, as in the case of the green one - two legs, one leg, etc.
The downside is disappointment at the first unsuccessful pull-up attempts.
8. Amplitude. There was a mistake when transitioning from rubber band pull-ups to independent ones - incomplete straightening of the arms below. If it weren't for the video, I would not have understood sooner.
9. Statics to help. Statics helps - fixation on the arms bent at the elbows on a horizontal bar or under a low crossbar. Several approaches for maximum time at the end of the workout, before the cool-down.
If you are a girl, reading this article, want to learn how to do pull-ups, but you still have questions, then be sure to write them in the comments. We will try to help!
A man and a horizontal bar - are there any components more suitable for each other? When used correctly, the horizontal bar guarantees pumping of the biceps, knitting muscles, abs and a number of other stabilizing muscles. Moreover, for many, the horizontal bar even becomes the center of a subculture of a sports lifestyle. What about the girls? It would seem that here everything is strictly the opposite, because not everyone can imagine a girl rhythmically performing an approach on the horizontal bar in the park. However, times are changing, and right now the interest of girls in sports is steadily increasing.
Where to begin?
Well, first of all, you should come to terms with the idea that there is nothing extraordinary in pull-ups, both for guys and girls. It's just an exercise that requires a little more prepared physical condition and basic execution techniques. Secondly, no matter how hard you persist, you are unlikely to be able to get a male figure without the use of special drugs, so there is no need to worry about it. Girls just have a different physiology. So, here you are, alone with the horizontal bar, in a courtyard forgotten by everyone, making your first desperate attempt. It’s good if you succeeded at least something, but what if your expectations weren’t met at all? First, accept the fact that pull-ups are a gradual process that require some persistence.
And in order to gain persistence and prepare your body for pull-ups, there are a number of not too difficult auxiliary exercises:
1. "Boat". An exercise for the back, which, as you know, plays an important role in pull-ups. The equipment you will need is a gymnastic mat or a regular towel. Lie on your stomach, bend your legs at the knees and clasp them with your arms. Fix the position, and for greater stretching, perform small rocking movements back and forth. Perform for 20-30 seconds in each of three approaches.
2. Strengthening your wrists. Here, as in the next exercise, the horizontal bar itself will be useful to us. As you know, most girls have weak and tender wrists. Well, it's time to fix that a little. The essence of the exercise is very simple - just hang on the horizontal bar for as long as possible. Start with 15-20 seconds, gradually work your way up to a minute. Next, you can use small weights on your belt, this will significantly increase efficiency.
4. Many eminent trainers advise starting to learn how to do pull-ups with a reverse grip.. This is somewhat easier, because any average girl has at least a little developed biceps. The technique is traditional - straining the muscles of your arms, lift your body to the bar, trying to touch the upper point of your chest. Everything is done smoothly, slowly, without jerking or pushing the body. Try to work evenly with both hands. For starters, 4 times is enough, in each of 4 approaches. You can make it slightly more difficult by making the grip a little narrower, so you can also use the chest muscles.
5. Swedish wall. If you manage to get your hands on this projectile somewhere, it would be a good idea to try this exercise. Place your feet on the lowest bar, and clasp the top bar with outstretched arms, holding your body suspended. Next, perform the so-called “horizontal pull-ups”, reaching for the bar with your chin. Do it about 20 times. If the exercise seems too easy, feel free to increase the number of repetitions.
Looking for the perfect way to teach a girl how to do pull-ups from scratch
Once your body is sufficiently prepared, you can return to trying to overcome the horizontal bar. Let's look at the most popular ways to do this:
1.Partial repetition method. To start, try using only your hands. You pull yourself up with all your might, trying to put your chin on the bar. Do several sets, ideally you should reach the 6-8 rep mark. If it’s very difficult, you can choose a lower horizontal bar to start with in order to slightly reduce the amplitude. If this is also difficult, start by hanging on bent arms, keeping your body in the maximum raised position for you. As soon as you feel that you can’t stand it any longer, begin to slowly straighten your arms, trying to stretch out this process as much as possible over time.
You can also ask for the help of a partner (or just use a chair) who will lift you up and push you slightly at a critical moment. It is important that he puts in exactly as much effort as you need. As soon as you can complete 4 approaches, each of which will have 6-8 repetitions, move on to the more complex method described above. Progress will not be long in coming.
2. Second way simple and at the same time uncompromising. Just go to the bar and do as many reps as you can, up to a maximum of 4 sets. Repeat the procedure at your next workout. Don't be discouraged if your score is zero or one at first. The main thing here is persistence and the desire to add at least one pull-up to your current result. Of course, all of this will work if you do other muscle-strengthening exercises, particularly those described above.
Conclusion
It is logical that it is unlawful to divide sports into women's and men's, at least in most of its varieties. However, the beauty standards of both men and women are still different, which means that there is also a difference in approaches to the formation of muscle relief. A girl’s beautiful back, arms and shoulders will always look incredibly attractive; a horizontal bar, in particular, can highlight their beauty and complement any training set. Regular exercises on the horizontal bar will allow you to improve your posture and make it easier to carry heavy bags from the supermarket, all without harming your heart, since, unlike with a barbell, you will only be lifting your own weight. The main thing is not to overdo it and not beat your guy in the number of repetitions.
First of all, you should remember that the training should be as varied as possible. This does not mean that you should perform a large number of movements in one session. You just need to change them periodically so that the body does not get used to the load. This is one of the advantages.
Although today we are talking about how to teach a girl to do pull-ups, not all guys can perform this movement. For them, the advantage of pull-ups, in addition to the above, is the opportunity to pump up and become more attractive in the eyes of women. The final benefit of exercise is your health. Since you work with your own weight, you do not overload this organ.
Why is it harder for girls to do pull-ups?
Today’s article, although it should show how a girl can learn to do pull-ups, will also be interesting for guys. According to available statistics, every third young man cannot do even one pull-up. This is completely unacceptable, but you shouldn’t despair.
The main reason why you can't do pull-ups is definitely laziness. You just don't want to learn how to perform this movement. The second reason is the person's body weight. The more you weigh, the more difficult it is to pull yourself up, as you need to apply more effort.
In such a situation, you first need to get rid of excess weight. Use jogging and other strength movements for this. As a result, you will build a foundation for performing pull-ups, prepare your heart for high loads, and lose fat.
If your body weight does not exceed the norm, then your muscles are underdeveloped. Start exercising and change the way you think about nutrition. Let's note that sometimes there are guys who look pumped up, but they also fail to pull themselves up. But upon closer examination of this issue, you will not find anything special in this. To perform pull-ups, you must have practice working on the horizontal bar.
First of all, this concerns muscle strength and neuromuscular connections. When performing this movement, all your muscles must work in harmony, and this is achieved by triering the brain as well. The brain controls all our actions, and if you have sufficient strength, but have not worked on the horizontal bar before, then it is quite possible that you will not be able to pull yourself up.
What muscles work when doing pull-ups?
Pull-ups are a compound movement, which means that a large number of muscles are involved. These are the biceps, latissimus dorsi, chest, forearms, abs, triceps.
By changing your grip, you can shift the emphasis on different muscles. For example, for maximum load on the biceps, you should use a reverse grip. Such variability can also be considered one of the advantages of this exercise.
How to learn to do pull-ups?
If you haven't done strength training before, start with push-ups. This will allow you to prepare your muscles and get them used to physical activity. It is also very important that any activity you do begins with a warm-up. It is enough to perform various swing movements, squat and stretch your muscles for ten minutes.
The next step towards mastering pull-ups is the correct grip. The fingers should be pointed towards you, and the thumb should grip the bar from below. There are several types of grip that can be used when performing the movement, but you should start with the classic one.
Beginners should use negative repetitions. To do this, you need to lift it above the horizontal bar using, say, a chair. When you have taken the starting position, begin to slowly lower down. After this, rise again to the starting position and perform the next repetition. Perform 3 to 5 repetitions in this mode, 5–7 repetitions each.
Train every second day to give your body time to rest. As soon as you feel strength in your hands, begin to pull yourself up in the usual way. Most often, several lessons are required for the pull-up technique to be mastered. By the way, a repetition is considered valid when the chin rises above the level of the crossbar.
To learn how to do ten pull-ups or more, you will need to put in maximum effort. But your reward will be self-satisfaction and the opportunity to pump up your body, making it more attractive. Today, most people have completely forgotten the importance of physical activity. As a result, the number of various diseases is constantly increasing.
Learn how a girl can learn to do pull-ups from this video:
Reading time: 28 minutes
Pull-ups are one of the key bodyweight exercises that are important to perform for developing upper body muscles. Being able to do a pull-up is a good assessment of your fitness and strength.
In this article, we will look at an important issue: how to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch on a horizontal bar for men and women, and we will also look at the technique of doing pull-ups and useful tips on how to learn how to do pull-ups.
Why do you need to learn how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar?
Anyone can learn to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar, regardless of whether they have had successful pull-up experience in the past. This exercise helps to simultaneously work all the muscles of the arms and torso: pectoral muscles, back and shoulder muscles, biceps and triceps. At the same time, to perform pull-ups, you only need a horizontal bar, which can be easily installed at home or found on the sports field. Pull-ups count most effective exercise with your own body weight to develop the muscles of the arms and back.
Benefits of pull-ups:
- Pull-ups on the horizontal bar develop the muscles of the upper body and form a beautiful relief of the muscles of the arms, shoulders, chest and back.
- Regular pull-ups help strengthen joints and ligaments.
- Pull-ups can be done at home or outdoors; all you need is a horizontal bar or bar.
- Pull-ups strengthen the muscle corset and help maintain a healthy and functional spine.
- The ability to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar is a good demonstration of your physical strength and endurance.
- If you learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar, it will be easier for you to master exercises such as handstands, as well as exercises on parallel bars and rings.
Many people wonder how quickly you can learn to do pull-ups from scratch? It completely depends on your physical fitness and training experience. If you previously knew how to do pull-ups, then it will be much easier for your body to “remember” the load than to learn a new skill from scratch. Usually 3-5 weeks are enough to start doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar at least several times. If you have never done a pull-up before, you can learn how to do this exercise well in 6-9 weeks.
What can prevent you from performing pull-ups:
- Excess weight and large body mass
- Poorly developed upper body muscles
- Lack of pull-up practice in the past
- Unproven technology
- Trying pull-ups without prep work
- Weak functional training
- Ignorance of exercises leading up to pull-ups
To learn how to do a pull-up from scratch, you must prepare not only your major muscle groups, but also your stabilizing muscles, joints, and ligaments. Even if you are strong enough to perform barbell rows or heavy dumbbell lifts, it is not at all certain that you will be able to do a pull-up. That is why it is not enough to simply pump up the main muscle groups that are involved in pull-ups (arms and latissimus dorsi). You will need fully prepare your body to pull-ups using lead-up exercises - they will be discussed below.
Contraindications for performing pull-ups:
- Scoliosis
- Herniated discs
- Osteochondrosis
- Spinal protrusion
- Arthrosis
In some cases, regular pull-ups or even just hanging on a horizontal bar help get rid of spinal diseases. But if you already If you have back problems, be sure to consult your doctor before you start doing pull-ups. Exercises on the horizontal bar can aggravate existing spinal diseases.
4. Leg-supported pull-ups
Another lead-up exercise is pull-ups on a low bar with your feet resting on the floor. To practice this exercise, it is not necessary to have a low bar; you can place a box or chair under a regular horizontal bar and rest your feet completely on it. This is much simpler than regular pull-ups, but is ideal for muscle training.
5. Chair pull-ups
A slightly more complex version of the previous exercise is a pull-up with one leg resting on a chair. At first, you can completely rest one leg on the chair, but gradually try to support your weight with the muscles of your arms and back, leaning less and less on the chair.
Another simple but very effective exercise that will help you learn how to do pull-ups from scratch is hanging from a horizontal bar. If you cannot hang on the horizontal bar for at least 2-3 minutes, then it will be difficult for you to pull yourself up. Hanging on a horizontal bar is useful for strengthening your wrists, developing your back muscles, and straightening your spine. This exercise will also help your ligaments get used to the weight of your body.
Please note that when hanging on the horizontal bar, your shoulders should be down, your neck should be extended and not pressed into your shoulders. The body should remain free, the spine elongated, the stomach tucked. You can perform the exercise in several approaches for 1-2 minutes.
If you calmly hang on the horizontal bar for several minutes, then you can move on to the next stage - pull-ups with an expander. One end of the rubber band is attached to the crossbar, and the other secures the leg. The expander will take on some of your weight and pull your body up. Rubber loops can be purchased on Aliexpress; details with links to the product are in the second part of the article. By the way, this type of expander is suitable not only for pull-ups, but also for many strength exercises.
8. Jumping pull-ups
Another basic exercise that will help you learn how to do pull-ups from scratch is the jumping pull-up. If you've never done a pull-up before, you may not be able to do it, so it's best to start by practicing the exercises presented above. If your muscle strength allows you to perform a jumping pull-up, then this exercise will perfectly prepare you for regular pull-ups.
Its essence is as follows: you jump as high as possible to the horizontal bar, hold yourself for a few seconds and slowly lower down. This is one of the options negative pull-up.
9. Negative pull-ups
Any exercise has two phases: positive (when the muscles tense) and negative (when the muscles relax). If you can't handle both pull-up phases yet (that is, pull yourself up on the horizontal bar and lower yourself down), then perform only the second phase of the exercise or the so-called negative pull-up.
For a negative pull-up, you need to hold the position with your arms bent over the bar (as if you had already done a pull-up), using a chair or the help of a partner. Your task is to stay at the top as long as possible and then very slowly lower down, tensing the muscles of your arms and back as much as possible. The negative pull-up is another great exercise to help you learn how to do a pull-up from scratch.
Number of repetitions per last three exercises depends on your capabilities. At first, you will probably do only 3-5 repetitions in 2 sets. But with each lesson you need to increase your results. Aim for the following numbers: 10-15 repetitions, 3-4 sets. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
Pull-up training diagram for beginners
We offer you a ready-made diagram of how to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch for men and women. The scheme is universal and suitable for all beginners, but you can adapt it to your capabilities by slightly lengthening or shortening the plan. Train 2-3 times a week. Before doing pull-ups, be sure to warm up and at the end, stretch the muscles of your back, arms, and chest:
Ideally, start your workout with back exercises. (barbell row, vertical and horizontal rows), but if this is not possible, you can only train on the horizontal bar. If you are faced with the task of learning how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar from scratch in a short time, then you can practice 5 times a week. But not more often, otherwise the muscles will not have time to recover and there will be no progress.
The plan below is designed for beginners. If you are already a fairly experienced practitioner, then feel free to start with 3-4 weeks. The diagram indicates only the approximate number of repetitions; it is always better to focus on your physical capabilities. Be sure to record how many reps and sets you did to track your progress. You can rest for 2-3 minutes between sets or dilute the pull-ups with other exercises.
First week:
- 5-8 reps 3-4 sets
Second week:
- Leg-supported pull-ups: 10-15 reps 3-4 sets 30-60 seconds in 2 sets
Third week:
- 5-8 reps 3-4 sets45-90 seconds in 3 sets
Fourth week:
- 10-15 reps 3-4 sets90-120 seconds in 3 sets
Fifth week:
- 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets 10-15 reps 3-4 sets90-120 seconds in 3 sets
Sixth week:
- 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
- Pull-ups with a chair (leaning on one leg): 5-7 reps in 2-3 sets
Seventh week:
- Pull-ups with rubber loops: 5-7 reps in 2-3 sets
- Pull-ups with a chair (leaning on one leg): 5-7 reps in 2-3 sets
Eighth week:
- Negative pull-ups: 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
- Pull-ups with rubber loops:
Ninth week
- Jump Pull-Up: 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
- Pull-ups with rubber loops: 7-10 reps in 2-3 sets
Tenth week
- Classic pull-up: 2-3 reps in 2-3 sets
- Jump Pull-Up: 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
You can speed up your training plan if you are experiencing more progress than what is indicated in the plan. Or vice versa, slow down the pace of increasing the number of repetitions if you are not yet able to achieve the desired result. Don't worry, sooner or later you will be able to achieve your goal!
- Do not make jerks or sudden movements while doing pull-ups. Exercises should be performed only using muscle strength; do not make it easier for yourself by swaying and inertia.
- Don't force your training on the horizontal bar, especially if you're trying to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch. Hasty, fast movements and excessive stress can damage joints and ligaments. Always strive to improve the quality of your exercises, not to increase the quantity.
- The lower your initial weight, the easier it is for you to learn how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar from scratch. Therefore, work on pull-ups should go in parallel with the process of getting rid of excess fat.
- Do not hold your breath while doing exercises, otherwise this will lead to rapid fatigue.
- Whatever lead-up exercise you do on the horizontal bar or bar, try to gradually increase the number of repetitions and approaches. For example, if at first you can only perform 3-4 Australian pull-ups, then gradually increase their number to 15-20 repetitions and increase the difficulty of the inclination angle.
- In order to progress in the quantity and quality of pull-ups, you should perform not only lead-up exercises, but also train your whole body. Work with, barbell, machines and do push-ups for better results.
On the horizontal bar, the girl will use a standard straight grip (knuckles facing her), it would be a good idea to work out some muscles in advance. Push-ups and simply hanging on the horizontal bar will help you a lot with this. It is enough to do these exercises for five approaches for a week or two, trying to do as many push-ups as possible in each attempt. After this, having warmed up well, you can proceed to the horizontal bar itself. Perhaps after a week of push-ups you will be able to do one or two pull-ups, even if you could not do a single pull-up before. If you still don’t achieve this result, then you can simply hang on the horizontal bar for as long as possible and do this several times during the workout. Another way: using a chair or something else, climb onto the horizontal bar, fix yourself as if you had already pulled yourself up (chin above the horizontal bar), and hang in this position for as long as possible, and when you have practically no strength left to hang, it’s very slowly lower yourself down, slowly straightening your arms. All of these exercises will strengthen your muscles and joints and prepare you for your first pull-up.
Sooner or later the moment will come when you can do one pull-up! The first time may seem difficult, with jerks and a lot of effort. At first this is acceptable, but the main thing here is that in the future you do not forget to perform pull-ups correctly, calmly, fully bending and straightening your arms. It is better to stretch your body correctly once, without jerking, than to jerk three times. Once you reach the point where you can do one perfect pull-up, you will need to increase the number of pull-ups. It will help to go to the horizontal bar as often as possible and train as much as possible. Pull yourself once, try again. At the same time, pulling up can be complicated by the fact that when you pull your chin behind the horizontal bar, you will freeze in this position and slowly lower yourself, or try to pull yourself up as high as possible - to the chest, and not to the neck. If it doesn’t work, then get off the horizontal bar, rest for thirty seconds or a little more and try to pull yourself up again. This should be done as often as possible. It is recommended to visit the horizontal bar, if you are just starting to learn the basics of how to learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar for a girl, five days a week, and the remaining two you can rest.
What to do besides pull-ups?
In addition to the horizontal bar, it would be nice to do push-ups on the uneven bars, and since the abdominal muscles, although not much, are still involved when doing pull-ups. This also helps to understand how to teach a girl. But most of all, when exercising on the horizontal bar, the muscles of the upper body develop. Depending on the width of your hand grip on the bar, the load goes on different muscles - the latissimus dorsi, arm flexor muscles, chest muscles, this is why exercises on the horizontal bar are good for girls. Once you've done seven or eight reps and done multiple sets, you can start doing different pull-up programs. And when you can do ten or fifteen pull-ups, you are allowed to use weights, for example, hang a small load on yourself (up to five kilograms) and do pull-ups with it. Most often you need to hang with an overhand grip, since it uses the most muscles, but sometimes you need to pull yourself up with a reverse grip (knuckles facing you) for variety. For example, for development, trainers recommend doing pull-ups with a straight wide grip, but not spreading your arms too wide, so as not to slow down muscle development by reducing the amplitude. But the latter is more suitable for those athletes who already know how to teach a girl to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar and want to improve their results. They should remember that it is not recommended to use a reverse grip for wide pull-ups due to the risk of tearing the ligaments. Despite the fact that you need to go to the horizontal bar often, do not forget that the muscles need rest to recover. So if you feel like your muscles are tired and sore, give yourself a day or two off from training. The main thing is desire and perseverance, and if you start doing pull-ups, then don’t stop and don’t give up visiting this exercise, and then you will achieve good results.
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