I’m past my prime (60) on my way back and your channel is a very big part of the reason why, you have never given me any bad advice and I have had zero setbacks
On the pain point, when you get sick and you try again you suddenly feel pain. But even after resting it doesn't properly recover. Mainly my wrists.(this is unrelated I know but I can't find any way to recover my grip)
I am on the same road with my shoulder. You should strengthen it and work on the mobility. It will take time, at least couple of months, but implement such exercises
Thank you. Too many TH-camr videos seem to assume we are all young, fit, and built like a gymnast. You hit the nail on the head-pullups are not a beginner exercise.
In the 20 years I have had gym memberships, Always the Least used piece of equipment was Pull Up Bar. Pull ups are difficult and humbling. They require significant effort and time for virtually everyone.
As someone who only has room for a pull-up bar in my room, I hung rings so I could dip too. I know just how hard it is to jump straight into pull-ups and RING Dips before anything else. Regression was inevitable. However, progress happens pretty quickly with consistency. I started just hanging from the bar and doing lots of "negatives".
I’ve been doing my chin-ups with seated rows and along with close-grip neutral chest/shoulder press. 160lb chest/160lb seated row/140lb shoulder, bodyweight chin-ups/160lb. Just trying to be healthy, not body build.
this is so true, currently transitioning to intermediate stages and it took me almost a year to go from assisted dips to full bodyweight dips (i really wanted to do it with control and wanted to focus on technique so it took a bit of time)
Dips was frustrating in the beginning when I could only lower myself, but now I can do weighted dips. Never caused me any injuries, although I needed a lot of padding for my wrists. I kept at it and dips is one of my favorites.
Finally someone said it. I'm tired of the million videos of people asking for pull ups. If you are a fat or even a skinny fat guy at is out of shape you are not able to do this sht... Thank you so much sir!
I'm not a beginner but guys if you ever feel pain when training just stop I beg you. A while ago I slipped from the parallel bars while doing dips. Next morning I woke up with a minor pain in my right shoulder and didnt give it too much thought, that was in March I think. Went to the doctor 2 weeks ago because I couldn't sleep due to the pain in my shoulder. I was diagnosed with a partially thorn supraspinatus... Currently doing physiotherapy.
Unfortunately at my age when the pain happens it is already too late and it can come out of the blue doing an exercise that's been done many times before. For beginners though you have to distinguish the pain of exercise that is expected and the pain of injury.
To try to better phrase this: Any non muscular paid during training is a big red flag to tell you to stop it right now. Most people like my mum and sisters cannot differentiate between muscular and other kinds of pain.
I agree. I wish I had of known this before I started trying to do something about building my strength about 4 years ago. Gave myself some bad elbow tendonitis that still affects me to this day. Took me a long time to work out how to get around it, which I did by getting some consistency with dead hangs and bodyweight rows. I can do a few pullups these days but I'll never go back to just doing max pullups to failure every time I train again. Hangs, rows, and pullup singles have been worth gold.
As a calisthenics fitness instructor myself…I will never ever start with pull ups and dips. Too many people have injured themselves because of poor form.
It depends on the person. I could never do a ton of pullups (max ever was around 9) but I also never got severe soreness or injury from them. The biggest problem was hand blisters. Bench pressing my own body weight (225 lbs) for reps OTOH did my shoulders in. I was in pain for years afterwards. So, yea, if you’re lifting way less than your body wight it’s easier. For pull-ups you can use assistance bands to reduce the weight to something more reasonable than full body weight. I’m old and can’t even do one pull-up now, but I’m planning to start with assisted pull-ups. I can’t even bench press 100 lbs without issues now, so I just gave up on that exercise.
I used to be able to do dips and pull-ups when I was young and skinny but by the time I started hitting the gym in my mid 30s after putting on a fair bit of weight through my late 20s they were basically impossible
Consistency is key. Work out after waking up with or without a cup of coffee or tea. Keep track of your progress. Start with pushups 3 sets, 2 min rest between the sets 7 on 7. Forget discipline, they have to become part of your daily routine no matter what. After 6 months try the pull-ups. Don’t let it discourage you if you don’t succeed in one full pull up the first time. You will get there slow but steady.
Absolutely agree, pull-ups are the only exercise in my routine i still do in the assisted variant. If you're overweight they're much harder because you carry around extra weight. Really glad that people are starting to mention this.
I started pull ups and chin ups from total zero beginner, and took me 2 months from partial reps to full ROM. What i learned throughout the process i must keep my shoulder blades tight, engage my core/abs so the legs won't swing. To build strength, practice with negatives and iso hold. To increase the intensity, i can decrease rest time, slow down tempo of each rep and ultimately add weights. Trying out other variations can be a great idea. Always make sure correct form before making progress. Both pull ups & chin ups are like my staple food now. Last but not least eat sardines everyday!
@@jebby16 If it is sardines in olive oil yes straight outta the can with other meal, if it is in tomato sauce i make marinara sauce by adding onion, chili and oregano. Sardines are a superfood, they are packed with omega 3 to help with soreness, high quality protein & as a hormone booster. You can look up sardines bodybuilding.
I’m 65 and these have been my two core exercises for years. Now I loop a band over the pull-up bar to assist after several sets and loop across to the handles for assist dips at the end of numerous sets. Of all exercises these two have my vote for the best. Not easy but hard to beat.
Thank you for this. I’ve always struggled with both and felt like a weakling because of it. They’re actually very difficult, especially if you’re heavy or have long arms.
I actually started my journey of mastering pull-up around 2 years ago (February 2022). Along the way, I have tried a lot of progressions, listened to various tutorial videos, adjusted and corrected the forms, etc. It's a shame that I just recently - around 4 months ago - stumbled on your channel because your videos on pull-ups are really comprehensive. You have my gratitude and huge thanks. So far, I have only achieved 1 rep of standard, hollow body chest-to-bar and it's still not quite smooth yet. So yes, pull-up is really difficult and for good reasons; one of them is because pull-up is, as I would love to call it, the gateway to the other advanced bar/ring calisthenics skills. (I would also add that front lever is the gateway to beginner gymnastics skill; front lever is my immediate next goal if I finally perfected my pull-ups.)
Can you do a video on joint preparation for these exercises? I know that’s something that I’m missing and it’s holding me back from getting stronger on some of these exercises
I was very good in either pull-ups and dips in my school years. I was able to do around 30 of both, cos my weight was between 60-65 kgs. Now that I`m 25, and my weight is 85 - these exercises became my damnation. I can`t do them properly, they hurt my shoulders and wrists, and 8-12 repetitions seem to be a great result already. I wasn`t expecting this from growing up!
Very true. I’m 66 and trying to get to 10 strict pull-ups. I can do 4 and it’s slow going to get to 5. IF a get a little toe assist when in the hols it’s MUCH easier .. but .. that’s cheating .. however, it does highlight that the hard part is the first inch from the bottom of the hole. I can get my chin above the bar with normal head position … pull ups are just HARD and the progression SLOW. I figure it’ll take another 6 weeks to add 1 more.
When our kids were younger and my wife and I were interested in broadening their social network, my wife made lots of connections with groups of other moms. Most of them were ok, but a couple were exactly like the group that you described. In fact, one of the “lieutenants” once told her that she was B team when it came to the regular bunco get togethers. So, her and others who were also designated B team started getting together on their own, which turned into several years of fun and friendship. People can be so weird, and create painful drama where none really exists. I think you’re right, I think boredom is part of it. But I also think this weird need to feel important, and to fight for that is also part of it.
This video is a banger!!! Always review, practice the fundamentals, and level up with enough margin of error before jumping to the next stage! As someone who enjoys the cable lat pulldown machines, I can say a pull-up is far more challenging since all other muscles (besides the pull, such as balancing) is involved. With that being said, I had to start back with the fundamentals for pull-ups (Australian pull-ups, scapular control, negatives, etc…). One tool I generously exploited were resistance bands - snapped a few and shamelessly use 3-4 at a time. Now I’m at 1 band and hoping to get to full body weight in 1-2 months.
Not to mention the weight is beyond a 1 rep max which is way too heavy and can only lead to injury. Rotator cuffs on the pull up. (by experience) Good video and 100%
Very true, it takes several years of training to indeed master these exercises, and some more to add extra weight to really make them mass building. For beginners to intermediates they can be used a pre workout o warm up, and only after really having mastered at least 8-10 reps. If your joints (mainly the shoulder) hurt too much performing them, better avoid.
If your max on lat pull down is only 2/3 your bodyweight, don't jump to pull up. When you do start pull ups, remember that even if you're doing 1 or 2, that's still more than you were doing before.
This is correct and unfortunately I learned this the hard way. Despite being in top physical shape most of my adult life I had to take a 3 years off physical exercise where I lost all my gains. This is usually not a problem as returning to workouts is very enjoyable with fast results. I was a beginner again. I decided to start with bodyweight exercises like pullups and pushups and some light free weights. Long story short my body was not ready, pushups were very difficult and so were pullups and despite warming up correctly I tore muscle fibres in my triceps muscle in just a couple of weeks doing pushups. Start slower than you think is appropriate. Excellent video.
I would 100% agree that pull ups are not inherently natural. It's a lot like learning to walk, the child has access to this orientation through primary ancestry, but they need to observe their parents to know that they can do it You don't have the awareness of ligaments and effective contraction by heart. It's necessary to emphasize your understanding by investing time around it. It's going to take years I've been doing pushups since I was 10, but it's because I've invested in that foundation for that long that I can even push myself to failure as an adult. The ability perform rote functions in that area say nothing of variation on the exercise and conditioning In other words just because I can do a push up parallel doesn't mean I can max 200 reps or even be stable in a wide form. I'm now having to be mired in a world of training just to be toned The only way to build strength is to engage all the discomfort and discipline your form so that your body acclimates to the conditioning Few people have the time to be conscionable about upper body exercises, so we just carry on in ignorance. Not to disrespect anyone but if everyone could do it, we would all be reaping the benefits
I wish I have seen your video sooner. Pull ups definitely will cause you injury if you push yourself when you are not ready. For me, I started by hanging, follow by strengthening my shoulder and back muscles. Now I can finally do 1 pull up. More work to go but it's quite fulfilling. Currently I am trying to strengthen my muscles by push ups.
Hello, i really enjoyed watching this video. Where is your Gym in Hungary and could i come there to get training for few weeks ? Let me know please, thank you ! Namasté 🙏 Thierry
Thank you...i've been telling the "experts" this for years. Telling people that you need to use a gym/weights to build the strength to do calisthenics.
People also should try the negative motions of all these. You simply do a negative pull up and negative dip until you get to the point that you can hold it. Once you can start holding it longer and longer, then you can eventually go back up.
Exactly. Progressive overload with gym equipment is much more consistent and efficient to increase strength over time. @polletpower You can't tell a guy who's 50kg overweight to do negatives. He'll just fall down immediately and might tear his bicep or injure his shoulder. Overweight people should begin with assisted pull up or pulldown machine to build a base vertical pulling strength.
Man, I've been so frustrated at my pull up reps, I can barely do 3 or 4 in a row. Benn trying to improve them this summer, I did mostly negatives and band pull ups, and I saw no basically no increase in strenght.
Try doing static holds on pull-ups. Pick 3 different static points along the range of pull-ups and time your holds. You will see your pull-up counts increase drastically after 2 months.
If you can do 3-4 in a row. Try doing 1-2 weighted, with correct ROM. Then go back to non-weighted. Edit Also, are you eating enough protein? Toss in some creatine. I noticed significant improvements. Good luck!
I think lat pulldowns help, it's the same muscles targeted. But also I think you have to expect slow progress with pull-ups eg. I only add maybe 1 pull up rep every 2 months or so but my lat pulldown improves every week
As someone who recently recovered from golfer's elbow, I can tell you what I did to recover (which took a full 6 months) from improper pull up's (grips). I'm not a salesman for any of the following but what I used are: A) Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Advanced B) Athlean-X Mechan-X supplement C) Toniq Boswellia D) Toniq Cissus Quadrangularis E) Generic massage gun with ball/sphere attachment F) If you can tolerate localized heat, a low-dosage capsaicin pain reliever will increase blood-flow to the joint (use a cotton ball to apply instead of fingers; it's strong stuff and will irritate you if you get it near sensitive areas like your nose/eyes/etc). Completely avoid actual full bodyweight pull-up's for at least 3-4 months. Do massage around the joint with the soft ball attachment with the massage gun on a tolerable settings 2 times a day. If you can tolerate capsaicin cream, use it and it will increase blood flow in the area for better recovery. Also a good nitric oxide blood flow "pump" supplement can be beneficial. Get gymnastics rings and use a false grip to do *light* inverted rows with feet on the floor (even some bicep curls), with neutral grip and also pronated grip (palms facing away from you, kinda like pull-up's). Be absolutely sure you are not gripping the rings with your fingers with more than 20% of the effort; the majority of the effort of holding the rings should come from holding the ring within the palm of your hand closer to the wrist for 80% of the effort. It's tough on the forearm muscles if they are not used to it, but it is worth building them up this way because you actually avoid using the muscles that connect to the medial epicondylitis. Do your absolute best to curl your hand inward to force yourself to use it as a hook as much as possible. If you feel any wincing pain, you should either stop and really dial back the intensity. It's ok to feel a slight discomfort of around 2 or 3 out of 10, but not anything that would make you close to wincing. Limit sets to perhaps 2-4, depending on how your elbows feel. The weird thing is when the tendon heals, the re-built tendon fibers form a sort of "web" and are disoriented and not straight like they form when they are first formed at birth. So you have to have just a little bit of stress to kinda 'straighten them out' during the healing process. At least that is what I got from learning as much as I could from TH-cam University. Keep your diet clean, avoid sugar and useless carbs, keep protein high and high quality carbs. Good luck and let me know if you need anything.
I'm 58 , with SUPER long arms and weigh around 190-200 . Clean , proper pull-ups with a full hang are my benchmark for progress. I will add, getting deep tissue massage work every 6 months or so can also help avoid injuries if you have any adhesions going on .
I would say: I don't known any person capable to do butterfly pull ups being unable to do stric pull ups. Also: comparing stric pull ups with butterfly pull ups used in CrossFit and saying that they are wrong or bad form is like saying that volleyball is wrondg and a bad form of handball or that canoing in C1 with a single paddle is wrong or a bad form of kayaking with double padlle in a K1 or rowing using oars: they are different sports with different goals and just because you're moving your body hanging from a bar or moving a ball or a paddle doesn't mean that the sport or the goal are the same. I do agree that butterfly pull ups are more stressing and injury prone than strict pull ups, the same that doing gymnastics in rings is more risky than doing deadlifts. Do that mean that they can't shouldn't be done? No, just means that you train for the goals you set. In cross training tournaments the most relevant output (in terms of score) is endurance under fatigue. You can do more butterfly pull ups that stric ones, but the other competitors can also, so instead of doing sets of 20 or 30 stric pull ups and having large recovery pauses you'll oftenly see sets of 30 to 50 butterfly pull ups in a superset with other exercises ans rowing or squatting, with the goal to known which competitors are able to perform best. That isn't better or worse to me, the same that baseballis not better or worse than tennis or golf: they are different sports and chase different goals.
Rings are gonna be a life saver! They allow your body to naturally find the best position but the inherent instability is more challenging, so expect to see a decrease of one or two repetitions every set.
As someone who recovered from golfer's elbow, the main cause is both related to pulling too much with your arms, and not enough with your back, but just as importantly it has to do with using the right grip. I was not focused on using the right grip. I used to grip too hard and with my fingers, instead of using an over-grip, aka false-grip. Once you learn to use your hand as a hook, you alleviate the muscles used to curl your fingers which are the ones connected to the medial epicondolytis joint. Have you developed golfer's elbow?
I used to be able to do pull ups in my 20's, now at 40 after several years of not working out I tried doing some pull ups (assisted) and hurt my elbows really bad, it will take months to heal.
I have been training for a long time and I am still not able to get my first chest to bar pull up. I am consistently doing scapula adductions and inverted rows (feet on the floor about 12 reps). What can I be doing wrong and what would you recommend?
You could hold your pull ups a couple of seconds 5 to 10 at the top. This will decrease your reps but the isometric hold will increase your strength at the top. An alternative is to use an elastic band to get your chest to the bar more easy and get some reps in. Helped me get there.
Try work on increasing grip strength, if you haven't already. Very underrated and neglected variable. Can make a huge difference in improving pull ups.
I've always had problems with pushups(chest complete touching the ground). For some reason my neck hurts(like even when I get in position my arms and shoulders start shaking, likely due to insomia mixed with my recent mosquito related disease I recently got which gave me huge weakness, wrists barely work anymore). Pull ups are great for me(having same problem due to weakness), I don't have the resources to do dips(I'm not using my pull up bar for that). Prior to getting weakness I did 25 push ups but the form was... well not the greatest, garbage range of motion.
Absolutely true. I have had this misconception myself, when I started resistance training. I thought that body-weight exercises are for beginners and working with weights is for experienced guys for whom body-weight is not enough - I could not be more wrong😂
I’m using pull ups as a measure of my overall strength gains over time. Right now I’m at zero. Training to get to one 😂 working on it. Just a week in to training.
I'm helping all the girls in my friend group hit a single strict form pushup, gotta respect how difficult it is to a true beginner without any former training. Body weight isnt no weight
I took two months to do my first pull up, and then that was the only exercises I keep doing for another three months, then I started to do more accessory exercises, now I'm training straight strength for several skills, elbows started to hurt due to some inflammation but we keep going... In the end two days ago I tried to get a chest to bar pull up and it's not there yet, just with a supinated grip
For God's sake thank you. I've always said that pull-ups are an intermediate exercise. I believe most people won't be able to do 1 proper pull-up before a whole year of training.
Ii was always getting frustrated about the pull up. But some telling me its an advanced exercise. Then i quit the gym thinking its a beginners. And even going to my doctor why no pull ups. To get in first month. Now told take like three years .
Pull ups get a chair and use it as a spotter. Try to do 10 with leg aupport. Fail at 7 or 8 then do 2 or 3 more. Repeat repeat repeat then as you progress. Do 1 or 2 no chair then chair to failure at 8 then 2 more and so on. Im 48 this was my strategy when i started 9 months ago. Im upto 9 perfect with one crappy 1 to get to 10
I can do 4 pull ups, getting my chin above the bar. But I noticed that, when I get to the top, my back is arched like a "c", and my chest concave. I try hard to do the opposite, but it's like my body has to, in order to finish the pull up. But the guys in your video doing pull ups pull all the way to the chest, and their movement seems more horizontal, or even at an angle, than my vertical pull. Is this because I haven't mastered rows yet, like you said? Appreciate any response
Yes, you should master horizontal rows. Do 10 reps of narrow, shoulder width and wide grip all one set after the other. Rest 3 minutes. Do 4 sets at least 2 times per week. Do them with your pull up training. Do the hardest one for you first. Another thing you can do before beginning your pull-ups is scapular pulls. Keep your arms straight and just move your shoulders to get your body off the ground. Try to get as high as you can with legs extended out in front. This will give you the Mind Body Connection you need to be able to execute your pull-ups correctly. Chris Heria. Fitness FAQs, Gabo Saturno, all have videos on scapluar pulls. Very important to get your shoulders down and back when performing pulling exercises. Once you get this movement pattern down you will get out of that c shape. Good luck!
I do 80kg assisted pull ups and dips, and they still hurt. I bench 90 kgs, 10 reps.ditto lat pull down, seated row, I'm up to 120 deadlifta and squats. Not crazy for my size, but you know, not nothing. Trying to do an unassisted dip is just not anywhere near my ability at this point
As for pull-ups, I don't agree. I just took my time doing partials from the bottom (an active hang) and partials from the top. I progressed range on both exercises, the ranges overlapped, the overlap increased, and eventually I got full reps. Progressing safe partials from top and bottom worked well for me.
Any full body weight exercises are not for beginners, and even more for people with extra weight around them. Edit: Strangely, one of the best exercice to help with pull-ups is doing dead-lift - it really worked for me. Also, you need to strenghten your shoulders, and grip which the dead-lift also help tremendously.
Pull ups are hard cause it’s not easy to find a place for this exercise everywhere you go in contrast to push ups. Same with deeps. I am still struggling with pull ups such that I can’t do many reps even after years. With push ups it’s way easier for me after years of exercising. Deeps were always easier for me by some reason. But deeps are more dangerous of causing a trauma if not enough focus is present during this exercise. You can accidentally injure your elbows.
1. You need a very Strong Lat to Do Pull Ups and Mind muscle connection 2. You need strong Shoulders and Triceps to do Dips. Saved You 6 Minutes of Your Life
I weigh 215 lbs, while I'm in decent shape for my age. I struggle with pull-ups. If you can't do pulling exercises like pull-downs or rows with your body weight, you can't do a pull with good technique and form.
You can call those beginner exercises, but people will need some strength of about 1 year before they begin. What people don't get is that people that go from 0 to 1 year of trainning may still be at beginner level.
I don't like bodyweight exercises because they're either way too hard or get way too easy, and there's a small window of time where it can actually help you progress
I'm almost 60, with ~25 pounds of overweight fat wrapped around my core and I can still do ~8-9 clean chin ups. But I've been doing them since I was a kid. Do my arms think I'm as light as back then? No, my back, shoulders, core, fingers and wrists are all strong enough, from the decades of the right technique. I never do them 'til failure and stop at the slightest twinge. But I can't do full pull ups without flaring up my elbow. So I don't do them.
Even if you have only done bench press and arm lifts (curls and tricep) you may still get hurt the first time you try pull ups and dips. Warm up first!
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
I’m past my prime (60) on my way back and your channel is a very big part of the reason why, you have never given me any bad advice and I have had zero setbacks
Respect man, keep going
never too late. stay consistent, don't compare yourself
Your just a baby don't give up
I'm 69 and getting ready to head to the gym again after @25years
Videos like this are crucial for beginners. If there is pain, there is something wrong - that is why the body try to warn you
On the pain point, when you get sick and you try again you suddenly feel pain. But even after resting it doesn't properly recover. Mainly my wrists.(this is unrelated I know but I can't find any way to recover my grip)
I am on the same road with my shoulder. You should strengthen it and work on the mobility. It will take time, at least couple of months, but implement such exercises
Thank you. Too many TH-camr videos seem to assume we are all young, fit, and built like a gymnast. You hit the nail on the head-pullups are not a beginner exercise.
Heck, most work out advice is aimed at people in their 20s who have never had an injury.
In the 20 years I have had gym memberships, Always the Least used piece of equipment was
Pull Up Bar. Pull ups are difficult and humbling. They require significant effort and time for virtually everyone.
Body weight has a big impact. If a beginner is overweight that makes them even harder.
As someone who only has room for a pull-up bar in my room, I hung rings so I could dip too. I know just how hard it is to jump straight into pull-ups and RING Dips before anything else. Regression was inevitable. However, progress happens pretty quickly with consistency. I started just hanging from the bar and doing lots of "negatives".
💯💯
Inverted rows should stay in the routine after you achieve pullups, a lot of folks phase them out which is a mistake :)
Inverted rows, done as scapula pull for warm-ups, is amazing.
Very true!
Rows in general. Different movement which hits the back way more and not the lats as much.
I m one of those guys, I really need to get em back in my sets
I’ve been doing my chin-ups with seated rows and along with close-grip neutral chest/shoulder press. 160lb chest/160lb seated row/140lb shoulder, bodyweight chin-ups/160lb. Just trying to be healthy, not body build.
I love the clip with the chest to bar pull up and the "ka-ching" sound!
It's literally how I feel every time I complete a chest to bar rep
😁😁
Assisted pullup/dip machine was fantastic for getting me to slowly progress to full range of motion pullup and dip injury free.
this is so true, currently transitioning to intermediate stages and it took me almost a year to go from assisted dips to full bodyweight dips (i really wanted to do it with control and wanted to focus on technique so it took a bit of time)
Dips was frustrating in the beginning when I could only lower myself, but now I can do weighted dips. Never caused me any injuries, although I needed a lot of padding for my wrists. I kept at it and dips is one of my favorites.
Did you find a lot of increased muscle mass went along with improvement in your dip?
@@supercal333 Of course. Triceps and chest.
Facts, they lead to injuries if you just start with them.
In many cases
@@GymnasticsMethodhow so?
Among the favorites of orthopedists
@@carlomariamosco 😂😂 can relate 🥲
@@GlenDeaton you think 100kg bench press is for beginners too?
The CrossFit example got me lol😂😂😂😂
It’s a good example
Finally someone said it. I'm tired of the million videos of people asking for pull ups. If you are a fat or even a skinny fat guy at is out of shape you are not able to do this sht...
Thank you so much sir!
I'm not a beginner but guys if you ever feel pain when training just stop I beg you.
A while ago I slipped from the parallel bars while doing dips. Next morning I woke up with a minor pain in my right shoulder and didnt give it too much thought, that was in March I think. Went to the doctor 2 weeks ago because I couldn't sleep due to the pain in my shoulder. I was diagnosed with a partially thorn supraspinatus...
Currently doing physiotherapy.
Unfortunately at my age when the pain happens it is already too late and it can come out of the blue doing an exercise that's been done many times before.
For beginners though you have to distinguish the pain of exercise that is expected and the pain of injury.
That sucks man. Hope you recover soon
To try to better phrase this: Any non muscular paid during training is a big red flag to tell you to stop it right now. Most people like my mum and sisters cannot differentiate between muscular and other kinds of pain.
I agree. I wish I had of known this before I started trying to do something about building my strength about 4 years ago. Gave myself some bad elbow tendonitis that still affects me to this day. Took me a long time to work out how to get around it, which I did by getting some consistency with dead hangs and bodyweight rows. I can do a few pullups these days but I'll never go back to just doing max pullups to failure every time I train again. Hangs, rows, and pullup singles have been worth gold.
As a calisthenics fitness instructor myself…I will never ever start with pull ups and dips. Too many people have injured themselves because of poor form.
Bodyweight exercies are generally harder than wei
ghtlifting for big people compare to the smaller ones
I mean if you start at 150, that's a lotta weight for a beginner lifter. Some people can just bench the 45lb bar, never mind 150lb self.
@@mikafoxx2717 exactly
It depends on the person. I could never do a ton of pullups (max ever was around 9) but I also never got severe soreness or injury from them. The biggest problem was hand blisters. Bench pressing my own body weight (225 lbs) for reps OTOH did my shoulders in. I was in pain for years afterwards. So, yea, if you’re lifting way less than your body wight it’s easier.
For pull-ups you can use assistance bands to reduce the weight to something more reasonable than full body weight. I’m old and can’t even do one pull-up now, but I’m planning to start with assisted pull-ups. I can’t even bench press 100 lbs without issues now, so I just gave up on that exercise.
I used to be able to do dips and pull-ups when I was young and skinny but by the time I started hitting the gym in my mid 30s after putting on a fair bit of weight through my late 20s they were basically impossible
66. Still doing 3 sets of 16-20 broad grip, correct executed pull ups before shoulder training.
That's very inspiring sir. I'm 24 years old and i wanted some tips so that i can progress and avoid injury.
Consistency is key. Work out after waking up with or without a cup of coffee or tea. Keep track of your progress. Start with pushups 3 sets, 2 min rest between the sets 7 on 7. Forget discipline, they have to become part of your daily routine no matter what. After 6 months try the pull-ups. Don’t let it discourage you if you don’t succeed in one full pull up the first time. You will get there slow but steady.
I LOVE YOU for posting this !!!🙏🎀🙏 needed .
Absolutely agree, pull-ups are the only exercise in my routine i still do in the assisted variant. If you're overweight they're much harder because you carry around extra weight. Really glad that people are starting to mention this.
I started pull ups and chin ups from total zero beginner, and took me 2 months from partial reps to full ROM. What i learned throughout the process i must keep my shoulder blades tight, engage my core/abs so the legs won't swing. To build strength, practice with negatives and iso hold. To increase the intensity, i can decrease rest time, slow down tempo of each rep and ultimately add weights. Trying out other variations can be a great idea. Always make sure correct form before making progress. Both pull ups & chin ups are like my staple food now. Last but not least eat sardines everyday!
You eat them right out of the can?
@@jebby16 If it is sardines in olive oil yes straight outta the can with other meal, if it is in tomato sauce i make marinara sauce by adding onion, chili and oregano. Sardines are a superfood, they are packed with omega 3 to help with soreness, high quality protein & as a hormone booster. You can look up sardines bodybuilding.
Now I understand why I'm unsuccessful!
I'm vegetarian!
@@carlomariamosco Lol for real? I never know diet is the one to blame 😁
@@henryToped obviously diet is responsible for how fast you progress after workout
I’m 65 and these have been my two core exercises for years. Now I loop a band over the pull-up bar to assist after several sets and loop across to the handles for assist dips at the end of numerous sets. Of all exercises these two have my vote for the best. Not easy but hard to beat.
Thank you for this. I’ve always struggled with both and felt like a weakling because of it. They’re actually very difficult, especially if you’re heavy or have long arms.
I do dips with 10kg wieighted vest and i just do a very short warm up never gotten injured.
I actually started my journey of mastering pull-up around 2 years ago (February 2022). Along the way, I have tried a lot of progressions, listened to various tutorial videos, adjusted and corrected the forms, etc. It's a shame that I just recently - around 4 months ago - stumbled on your channel because your videos on pull-ups are really comprehensive. You have my gratitude and huge thanks.
So far, I have only achieved 1 rep of standard, hollow body chest-to-bar and it's still not quite smooth yet. So yes, pull-up is really difficult and for good reasons; one of them is because pull-up is, as I would love to call it, the gateway to the other advanced bar/ring calisthenics skills. (I would also add that front lever is the gateway to beginner gymnastics skill; front lever is my immediate next goal if I finally perfected my pull-ups.)
Muscle ups should be your goal after pull ups not front lever
Finally, an opener video, too many misleading and misinformation out there where you end up lost
Good video and advice, but i still believe beginners can still start with those exercises with a safe but challenging workout
Problem is, strength and hype are faster than tendons time needed to get stronger.
My current 4 month elbow tendinitis caused by increased weight on hammer curls agrees with you😢
@@roadracerqx893 I got you. I had it once, it is gone. Try some isometrics wrist extensors.
This is a crucial piece of information.
Can you do a video on joint preparation for these exercises? I know that’s something that I’m missing and it’s holding me back from getting stronger on some of these exercises
I was very good in either pull-ups and dips in my school years. I was able to do around 30 of both, cos my weight was between 60-65 kgs.
Now that I`m 25, and my weight is 85 - these exercises became my damnation. I can`t do them properly, they hurt my shoulders and wrists, and 8-12 repetitions seem to be a great result already. I wasn`t expecting this from growing up!
I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on doing negative only pullups to get ready for the real thing.
Very true. I’m 66 and trying to get to 10 strict pull-ups. I can do 4 and it’s slow going to get to 5. IF a get a little toe assist when in the hols it’s MUCH easier .. but .. that’s cheating .. however, it does highlight that the hard part is the first inch from the bottom of the hole. I can get my chin above the bar with normal head position … pull ups are just HARD and the progression SLOW. I figure it’ll take another 6 weeks to add 1 more.
Great video! And the first time I’ve heard it. You have a new subscriber!
When our kids were younger and my wife and I were interested in broadening their social network, my wife made lots of connections with groups of other moms. Most of them were ok, but a couple were exactly like the group that you described. In fact, one of the “lieutenants” once told her that she was B team when it came to the regular bunco get togethers. So, her and others who were also designated B team started getting together on their own, which turned into several years of fun and friendship.
People can be so weird, and create painful drama where none really exists. I think you’re right, I think boredom is part of it. But I also think this weird need to feel important, and to fight for that is also part of it.
This video is a banger!!! Always review, practice the fundamentals, and level up with enough margin of error before jumping to the next stage!
As someone who enjoys the cable lat pulldown machines, I can say a pull-up is far more challenging since all other muscles (besides the pull, such as balancing) is involved. With that being said, I had to start back with the fundamentals for pull-ups (Australian pull-ups, scapular control, negatives, etc…). One tool I generously exploited were resistance bands - snapped a few and shamelessly use 3-4 at a time. Now I’m at 1 band and hoping to get to full body weight in 1-2 months.
🙏🙏🙏
I remember gym trainers saying do pullups for warmups and i wasn't even able to pull myself a inch above the deadhang position.
Not to mention the weight is beyond a 1 rep max which is way too heavy and can only lead to injury. Rotator cuffs on the pull up. (by experience)
Good video and 100%
Very true, it takes several years of training to indeed master these exercises, and some more to add extra weight to really make them mass building. For beginners to intermediates they can be used a pre workout o warm up, and only after really having mastered at least 8-10 reps. If your joints (mainly the shoulder) hurt too much performing them, better avoid.
I see no need to add any weight.
True. It took me years to get the point where I could do 12 reps per set of dips. Initially my left clavicle hurt a lot while doing it.
Super assisted dips are awesome though. Take off almost all the weight and do it as a movement drill and learning tool.
If your max on lat pull down is only 2/3 your bodyweight, don't jump to pull up. When you do start pull ups, remember that even if you're doing 1 or 2, that's still more than you were doing before.
I've always been able to do pull-ups, but don't think I've ever exceeded two thirds of my body weight for pull-downs.
I do partial rep when I begin or just re-do it after long period
This is correct and unfortunately I learned this the hard way. Despite being in top physical shape most of my adult life I had to take a 3 years off physical exercise where I lost all my gains. This is usually not a problem as returning to workouts is very enjoyable with fast results. I was a beginner again. I decided to start with bodyweight exercises like pullups and pushups and some light free weights. Long story short my body was not ready, pushups were very difficult and so were pullups and despite warming up correctly I tore muscle fibres in my triceps muscle in just a couple of weeks doing pushups. Start slower than you think is appropriate. Excellent video.
I would 100% agree that pull ups are not inherently natural. It's a lot like learning to walk, the child has access to this orientation through primary ancestry, but they need to observe their parents to know that they can do it
You don't have the awareness of ligaments and effective contraction by heart. It's necessary to emphasize your understanding by investing time around it. It's going to take years
I've been doing pushups since I was 10, but it's because I've invested in that foundation for that long that I can even push myself to failure as an adult. The ability perform rote functions in that area say nothing of variation on the exercise and conditioning
In other words just because I can do a push up parallel doesn't mean I can max 200 reps or even be stable in a wide form. I'm now having to be mired in a world of training just to be toned
The only way to build strength is to engage all the discomfort and discipline your form so that your body acclimates to the conditioning
Few people have the time to be conscionable about upper body exercises, so we just carry on in ignorance. Not to disrespect anyone but if everyone could do it, we would all be reaping the benefits
I do high pull ups, sternum pull ups hollow body chin ups,
Pseudo Push ups
Explosive Push ups, Decline Push ups, Finger tip push ups
For upperbody
Seated box jump, Pistol squats, kneeling jump, pogo jump, sprint, sissy squat, Hip thrust and nordic hamstring curl for lowerbody
Do you have a video on joint preparation? I don't know how to do that.
Thanks Adam 🙏
My pleasure!
Good episode; thanks!
I wish I have seen your video sooner. Pull ups definitely will cause you injury if you push yourself when you are not ready.
For me, I started by hanging, follow by strengthening my shoulder and back muscles. Now I can finally do 1 pull up.
More work to go but it's quite fulfilling. Currently I am trying to strengthen my muscles by push ups.
Someone fina,ly said it, I've gotten shoulder injuries twice by doing dips, I thought it was my fault or I didn't do them right
Hello, i really enjoyed watching this video.
Where is your Gym in Hungary and could i come there to get training for few weeks ?
Let me know please, thank you !
Namasté 🙏
Thierry
Facts pulled my right shoulder from doing pull ups early on.
Do you recommend doing inverted rows over resistance band pull ups to build strength for pull ups?
Realest of them all! Not everyone can do a clean pull up!
Thank you...i've been telling the "experts" this for years. Telling people that you need to use a gym/weights to build the strength to do calisthenics.
People also should try the negative motions of all these. You simply do a negative pull up and negative dip until you get to the point that you can hold it. Once you can start holding it longer and longer, then you can eventually go back up.
Exactly. Progressive overload with gym equipment is much more consistent and efficient to increase strength over time.
@polletpower You can't tell a guy who's 50kg overweight to do negatives. He'll just fall down immediately and might tear his bicep or injure his shoulder. Overweight people should begin with assisted pull up or pulldown machine to build a base vertical pulling strength.
True, i injured my shldr and recovery took six months
Man, I've been so frustrated at my pull up reps, I can barely do 3 or 4 in a row. Benn trying to improve them this summer, I did mostly negatives and band pull ups, and I saw no basically no increase in strenght.
Try doing static holds on pull-ups. Pick 3 different static points along the range of pull-ups and time your holds. You will see your pull-up counts increase drastically after 2 months.
If you can do 3-4 in a row. Try doing 1-2 weighted, with correct ROM. Then go back to non-weighted. Edit Also, are you eating enough protein? Toss in some creatine. I noticed significant improvements. Good luck!
Same here, plus sore elbows and now over a month without training in order to heal them. Wondering how to restart at the gym.
I think lat pulldowns help, it's the same muscles targeted. But also I think you have to expect slow progress with pull-ups eg. I only add maybe 1 pull up rep every 2 months or so but my lat pulldown improves every week
Just got a fresh pair of golfer ellbows because i was too hard on the pull ups larely
:( get well
As someone who recently recovered from golfer's elbow, I can tell you what I did to recover (which took a full 6 months) from improper pull up's (grips). I'm not a salesman for any of the following but what I used are:
A) Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Advanced
B) Athlean-X Mechan-X supplement
C) Toniq Boswellia
D) Toniq Cissus Quadrangularis
E) Generic massage gun with ball/sphere attachment
F) If you can tolerate localized heat, a low-dosage capsaicin pain reliever will increase blood-flow to the joint (use a cotton ball to apply instead of fingers; it's strong stuff and will irritate you if you get it near sensitive areas like your nose/eyes/etc).
Completely avoid actual full bodyweight pull-up's for at least 3-4 months. Do massage around the joint with the soft ball attachment with the massage gun on a tolerable settings 2 times a day. If you can tolerate capsaicin cream, use it and it will increase blood flow in the area for better recovery. Also a good nitric oxide blood flow "pump" supplement can be beneficial. Get gymnastics rings and use a false grip to do *light* inverted rows with feet on the floor (even some bicep curls), with neutral grip and also pronated grip (palms facing away from you, kinda like pull-up's). Be absolutely sure you are not gripping the rings with your fingers with more than 20% of the effort; the majority of the effort of holding the rings should come from holding the ring within the palm of your hand closer to the wrist for 80% of the effort. It's tough on the forearm muscles if they are not used to it, but it is worth building them up this way because you actually avoid using the muscles that connect to the medial epicondylitis. Do your absolute best to curl your hand inward to force yourself to use it as a hook as much as possible. If you feel any wincing pain, you should either stop and really dial back the intensity. It's ok to feel a slight discomfort of around 2 or 3 out of 10, but not anything that would make you close to wincing. Limit sets to perhaps 2-4, depending on how your elbows feel. The weird thing is when the tendon heals, the re-built tendon fibers form a sort of "web" and are disoriented and not straight like they form when they are first formed at birth. So you have to have just a little bit of stress to kinda 'straighten them out' during the healing process. At least that is what I got from learning as much as I could from TH-cam University. Keep your diet clean, avoid sugar and useless carbs, keep protein high and high quality carbs. Good luck and let me know if you need anything.
I'm 58 , with SUPER long arms and weigh around 190-200 . Clean , proper pull-ups with a full hang are my benchmark for progress. I will add, getting deep tissue massage work every 6 months or so can also help avoid injuries if you have any adhesions going on .
I would say: I don't known any person capable to do butterfly pull ups being unable to do stric pull ups. Also: comparing stric pull ups with butterfly pull ups used in CrossFit and saying that they are wrong or bad form is like saying that volleyball is wrondg and a bad form of handball or that canoing in C1 with a single paddle is wrong or a bad form of kayaking with double padlle in a K1 or rowing using oars: they are different sports with different goals and just because you're moving your body hanging from a bar or moving a ball or a paddle doesn't mean that the sport or the goal are the same.
I do agree that butterfly pull ups are more stressing and injury prone than strict pull ups, the same that doing gymnastics in rings is more risky than doing deadlifts. Do that mean that they can't shouldn't be done? No, just means that you train for the goals you set. In cross training tournaments the most relevant output (in terms of score) is endurance under fatigue. You can do more butterfly pull ups that stric ones, but the other competitors can also, so instead of doing sets of 20 or 30 stric pull ups and having large recovery pauses you'll oftenly see sets of 30 to 50 butterfly pull ups in a superset with other exercises ans rowing or squatting, with the goal to known which competitors are able to perform best. That isn't better or worse to me, the same that baseballis not better or worse than tennis or golf: they are different sports and chase different goals.
tell me about it, have spent a lifetime trying to do pullups
Hi, can you please give a three day pull up programe to increase my pull- up ? I can do 5 pull-ups in a row.
What do you suggest to avoid golfer's elbow (medial epicondolytis) in pull-up? What am I doing wrong if I get that?
Rings are gonna be a life saver! They allow your body to naturally find the best position but the inherent instability is more challenging, so expect to see a decrease of one or two repetitions every set.
As someone who recovered from golfer's elbow, the main cause is both related to pulling too much with your arms, and not enough with your back, but just as importantly it has to do with using the right grip. I was not focused on using the right grip. I used to grip too hard and with my fingers, instead of using an over-grip, aka false-grip. Once you learn to use your hand as a hook, you alleviate the muscles used to curl your fingers which are the ones connected to the medial epicondolytis joint. Have you developed golfer's elbow?
Do you have some Book recommandation?
I used to be able to do pull ups in my 20's, now at 40 after several years of not working out I tried doing some pull ups (assisted) and hurt my elbows really bad, it will take months to heal.
I have been training for a long time and I am still not able to get my first chest to bar pull up. I am consistently doing scapula adductions and inverted rows (feet on the floor about 12 reps). What can I be doing wrong and what would you recommend?
Progress to feet elevated inverted rows and use bands to get a feel of chest to bar pull-ups. Reduce the thickness of the band over time
You could hold your pull ups a couple of seconds 5 to 10 at the top. This will decrease your reps but the isometric hold will increase your strength at the top.
An alternative is to use an elastic band to get your chest to the bar more easy and get some reps in. Helped me get there.
Try work on increasing grip strength, if you haven't already. Very underrated and neglected variable. Can make a huge difference in improving pull ups.
What about using assisted pull up and dip machines.
Those are useful but much better to gradually build up strength with prerequisites
I've always had problems with pushups(chest complete touching the ground). For some reason my neck hurts(like even when I get in position my arms and shoulders start shaking, likely due to insomia mixed with my recent mosquito related disease I recently got which gave me huge weakness, wrists barely work anymore). Pull ups are great for me(having same problem due to weakness), I don't have the resources to do dips(I'm not using my pull up bar for that). Prior to getting weakness I did 25 push ups but the form was... well not the greatest, garbage range of motion.
Absolutely true. I have had this misconception myself, when I started resistance training. I thought that body-weight exercises are for beginners and working with weights is for experienced guys for whom body-weight is not enough - I could not be more wrong😂
That chest to bar is impressive.
Where can i find the books in the background? 🙂
It’s in hungarian but english version coming soon
@@GymnasticsMethod awesome 💪🏼
I’m using pull ups as a measure of my overall strength gains over time. Right now I’m at zero. Training to get to one 😂 working on it. Just a week in to training.
"Devil-Up" indeed😃 I prefer that expression. I am certainly trying to devil-up my scapula strength 😈 thanks Adam👍
Boom!
How about machine assisted pull-ups?
i dont force it when i cant do the exercise anymore, thus the avoidance of any injury.
Being told its not the first exercise. Me thinking something is wrong in first year . Leave frustrated. Cant do them .
I'm helping all the girls in my friend group hit a single strict form pushup, gotta respect how difficult it is to a true beginner without any former training. Body weight isnt no weight
I took two months to do my first pull up, and then that was the only exercises I keep doing for another three months, then I started to do more accessory exercises, now I'm training straight strength for several skills, elbows started to hurt due to some inflammation but we keep going... In the end two days ago I tried to get a chest to bar pull up and it's not there yet, just with a supinated grip
Assisted pull-ups and dips are better since they teach you the exercise
For God's sake thank you. I've always said that pull-ups are an intermediate exercise. I believe most people won't be able to do 1 proper pull-up before a whole year of training.
Ii was always getting frustrated about the pull up. But some telling me its an advanced exercise. Then i quit the gym thinking its a beginners. And even going to my doctor why no pull ups. To get in first month. Now told take like three years .
Pull ups get a chair and use it as a spotter. Try to do 10 with leg aupport. Fail at 7 or 8 then do 2 or 3 more. Repeat repeat repeat then as you progress. Do 1 or 2 no chair then chair to failure at 8 then 2 more and so on. Im 48 this was my strategy when i started 9 months ago. Im upto 9 perfect with one crappy 1 to get to 10
Hello hol lehet megrendelni a konyveket?
Words are very very true !
I can push up, I can dip but I can’t pull up ? Is there anything can help ?
I can do 4 pull ups, getting my chin above the bar. But I noticed that, when I get to the top, my back is arched like a "c", and my chest concave. I try hard to do the opposite, but it's like my body has to, in order to finish the pull up. But the guys in your video doing pull ups pull all the way to the chest, and their movement seems more horizontal, or even at an angle, than my vertical pull. Is this because I haven't mastered rows yet, like you said? Appreciate any response
Yes, you should master horizontal rows. Do 10 reps of narrow, shoulder width and wide grip all one set after the other. Rest 3 minutes. Do 4 sets at least 2 times per week. Do them with your pull up training. Do the hardest one for you first. Another thing you can do before beginning your pull-ups is scapular pulls. Keep your arms straight and just move your shoulders to get your body off the ground. Try to get as high as you can with legs extended out in front. This will give you the Mind Body Connection you need to be able to execute your pull-ups correctly. Chris Heria. Fitness FAQs, Gabo Saturno, all have videos on scapluar pulls. Very important to get your shoulders down and back when performing pulling exercises. Once you get this movement pattern down you will get out of that c shape. Good luck!
I do 80kg assisted pull ups and dips, and they still hurt. I bench 90 kgs, 10 reps.ditto lat pull down, seated row, I'm up to 120 deadlifta and squats. Not crazy for my size, but you know, not nothing. Trying to do an unassisted dip is just not anywhere near my ability at this point
As for pull-ups, I don't agree. I just took my time doing partials from the bottom (an active hang) and partials from the top. I progressed range on both exercises, the ranges overlapped, the overlap increased, and eventually I got full reps. Progressing safe partials from top and bottom worked well for me.
Any full body weight exercises are not for beginners, and even more for people with extra weight around them.
Edit: Strangely, one of the best exercice to help with pull-ups is doing dead-lift - it really worked for me. Also, you need to strenghten your shoulders, and grip which the dead-lift also help tremendously.
Deadlift strength carries over to everything in my experience.
I used to do pull ups, but i am too heavy now and switch to body rows. Any reccomendations aside from losing weight?
Lose weight
Pull ups are hard cause it’s not easy to find a place for this exercise everywhere you go in contrast to push ups. Same with deeps. I am still struggling with pull ups such that I can’t do many reps even after years. With push ups it’s way easier for me after years of exercising. Deeps were always easier for me by some reason. But deeps are more dangerous of causing a trauma if not enough focus is present during this exercise. You can accidentally injure your elbows.
1. You need a very Strong Lat to Do Pull Ups and Mind muscle connection
2. You need strong Shoulders and Triceps to do Dips.
Saved You 6 Minutes of Your Life
I weigh 215 lbs, while I'm in decent shape for my age. I struggle with pull-ups. If you can't do pulling exercises like pull-downs or rows with your body weight, you can't do a pull with good technique and form.
Can i learn pullups with gloves i dont want callouses
You can call those beginner exercises, but people will need some strength of about 1 year before they begin. What people don't get is that people that go from 0 to 1 year of trainning may still be at beginner level.
I don't like bodyweight exercises because they're either way too hard or get way too easy, and there's a small window of time where it can actually help you progress
hmm no wonder it was hard af to just attempt them.
luckily im only 4'"11 and 115lbs just about so it wasn't hard to build up
I'm almost 60, with ~25 pounds of overweight fat wrapped around my core and I can still do ~8-9 clean chin ups. But I've been doing them since I was a kid. Do my arms think I'm as light as back then? No, my back, shoulders, core, fingers and wrists are all strong enough, from the decades of the right technique. I never do them 'til failure and stop at the slightest twinge. But I can't do full pull ups without flaring up my elbow. So I don't do them.
So true
Even if you have only done bench press and arm lifts (curls and tricep) you may still get hurt the first time you try pull ups and dips.
Warm up first!