[Dagny18]

Maybe this belongs in the weight training forum?

Anyhow, my dad put my old monkey bars up in the basement! They are like a bar, hanging from chains and two plastic circles at the bottom of each. I am going to use the bar as my pull-up bar for now. I figure, if I get good enough I will reward myself with a real bar.
But, any idea at how to get better at it? I know I need to strength train to get better at it, but I don't belong to a gym or have access to alot of equipment. I have a balance board, dumbbells that are 5, 8 and 10 pounds and I also have an exercise ball.
I'm thinking that since the chin up works your biceps, I should do curls or hammers. It also works my back..so I could do the superman move. It also works my core and shoulders. I am working on doing regular push-ups and think that plank form would be good too. Anything I am missing?
I have no idea if it is even possible for me to do a chin up, since I am about 172 pounds and I know that the heavier you are, the harder it is. However, I think it is motivating to "train" for something and otherwise, I don't see the point sometimes. And, I know it won't happen overnight....but maybe in 3-5 years I will accomplish one chin-up?!
Right now, I am "jumping" a little with my lower body and getting my head up over the bar. I thought I was supposed to lower down slowly...but I can't lower down slowly since I seem to just fall back down to where I started
So...any ideas or suggestions?

[Ilene]

Right now, I am "jumping" a little with my lower body and getting my head up over the bar. I thought I was supposed to lower down slowly...but I can't lower down slowly since I seem to just fall back down to where I started
So...any ideas or suggestions?

Jumping up, grabbing the bar then lowering slowly, are called negatives and that is definitely how you start getting stronger at doing chin ups... I recommend you just keep trying with the negatives, you'll get better at them, then slowly you will be ablel to do a full pull up... It does take a while, unfortunately ....

[My Body in Motion]

You can use a chair or stool underneath and slightly in front of you when you try your pull ups -- keep one foot on the edge of the stool as you pull up, and let your leg help boost your body weight as your arms struggle with the rest. If you just barely push off with your foot, you get a little pull up help. If you push a lot with your foot and leg, you get a lot of pull up help.

[Dagny18]

Originally Posted by Ilene

Jumping up, grabbing the bar then lowering slowly, are called negatives and that is definitely how you start getting stronger at doing chin ups... I recommend you just keep trying with the negatives, you'll get better at them, then slowly you will be ablel to do a full pull up... It does take a while, unfortunately ....

Yeah, this is what I was doing. I was trying to drop down slowly but I find I don't have that control...so if I keep working at it, I will?

Originally Posted by My Body in Motion

You can use a chair or stool underneath and slightly in front of you when you try your pull ups -- keep one foot on the edge of the stool as you pull up, and let your leg help boost your body weight as your arms struggle with the rest. If you just barely push off with your foot, you get a little pull up help. If you push a lot with your foot and leg, you get a lot of pull up help.

I like this idea of one legged! Right now I am standing on a step below it, since the bar is high...but I also have a chair around here, so if I balance on one foot, my body will have to pull more of me up....but not all of me!

[Ilene]

Originally Posted by Dagny18

Yeah, this is what I was doing. I was trying to drop down slowly but I find I don't have that control...so if I keep working at it, I will?

Yes practice makes perfect