quick question about pull-ups?!?!?

[LeeJunFan]

I've just started doing pull-ups (real great exercise), i'm mainly doing this as a back exercise so i use a wide grip but i can't do many, in fact i can only manage about 2 maybe 3 with my own body weight so at the moment i am using one of those weight assisted machines and gradually bring the weight down, what i wanna know is should i start doing close grip first to build up my arms and then progress onto wide grip or shall i just go straight
for the wide grip?
Thanx in advance

 

[super_rice]

imo, do a set wide, a set close, a set super wide, and a set with your hands parallel (i find this one's best for the back. hits my arms quite nicely too).

 

[LeeJunFan]

thanx!

 

[MR.DUMBELL]

do wide and close. its ok if you only can do 2 or 3 because you will just get better i started off the same way know i can do 10 have to do them for ju jitsu

 

[Synpax]

It depends on your objectives. Arms further apart focus on your lower lats, closer together your upper lats.

You will get better quickly. If you are trying to get an impressive number, check this out:

http://www.cbass.com/Synaptic.htm

good luck.

 

[anabolicmd]

Heres the progression: narrow grip overhand pullups are easiest, narrow grip underhand are a bit harder, and then they get harder as you go wider, and the hardest are wide grip behind the neck.

 

[MR.DUMBELL]

hardest are wide grip behind the neck
i will never be able to do thoses lol

 

[wutangnomo]

IMO, you should start with widest grip to the front (which is one of the toughest pullups). Basically master the toughest one that way when you do any of the other forms, they will be a piece of cake.

It will take a while to build up, so try incorporating some very slow negatives in there.

 

[WalkingBeast]

Heres the progression: narrow grip overhand pullups are easiest, narrow grip underhand are a bit harder, and then they get harder as you go wider, and the hardest are wide grip behind the neck.

Difficulty seems to be dependant upon an individuals strengths and weaknesses. Behind the neck chin-ups are not difficult for me personally. As for increasing chin-up strength Id reccomend using some variety of grips and just doing alot of chin-ups, atleast one day a week. I always did them on back day, worked pretty well.

 

[anabolicmd]

Difficulty seems to be dependant upon an individuals strengths and weaknesses. Behind the neck chin-ups are not difficult for me personally. As for increasing chin-up strength Id reccomend using some variety of grips and just doing alot of chin-ups, atleast one day a week. I always did them on back day, worked pretty well.

I can assure you, overhand regular grip pullups are going to be easier then wide grip pullups behind the neck, even for you. Or at least, Im 92.5% sure, lol.

 

[WalkingBeast]

I can assure you, overhand regular grip pullups are going to be easier then wide grip pullups behind the neck, even for you. Or at least, Im 92.5% sure, lol.

haha You gotta watch out for that 7.5% creeping up on you. alien:
What would a regular width grip consist of? It seems the closer my grip is the more difficult the movement is for me, unless I grip it very close and underhanded. Wide grip overhand seems easier to me, and behind the neck as well. Since its more of a straght pull, where as I have to lean back to touch my chest with the bar. Wide grip also seems to cut the range of motion somewhat. Similiar to a bench press, which I also do quite wide.

 

[Longhorn85]

IMO, you should start with widest grip to the front (which is one of the toughest pullups). Basically master the toughest one that way when you do any of the other forms, they will be a piece of cake.

It will take a while to build up, so try incorporating some very slow negatives in there.

That's what I do, I start with the wide grip and move to the narrow. Great exercise, but will it lead to mass-building alone, or must you do it in conjunction with heavy weighted movements such as bent over rows?

 

[wutangnomo]

That's what I do, I start with the wide grip and move to the narrow. Great exercise, but will it lead to mass-building alone, or must you do it in conjunction with heavy weighted movements such as bent over rows?

Most definitely do it in conjunction with heavy rows and deads. Mix up doing bb rows with t-bar rows (one of my favs), as with the t-bar you can focus on rowing heavier weight. Me personally, I do wide grip pullups and like to mix it up with with underhand pullups (chins) to hit the bis and upper lats more.

 

[Synpax]

No, underhand are easier than overhand. Underhand takes advantage of one more muscle group than overhands, and i can't remember which one it is.

 

[htown71]

No, underhand are easier than overhand. Underhand takes advantage of one more muscle group than overhands, and i can't remember which one it is.

I believe your bicep comes into play with underhand. I would disagree with them being easier though I can do more overhand then I can underhand. I think it varies depending on the person.

 

[Longhorn85]

I believe your bicep comes into play with underhand.

I take the thumb out of the grip to minimize use of the biceps.