Band Assisted Pull Up Option
Need help with your pull ups?
Have you tried the band assist?
The first time I tried the band assisted pull up, the band slipped and I got a pretty good spank and I was a little red cheeked (BTW, I’m not talking about my face, even though it was a little embarrassing).
Using the band can be a little tricky…here’s my good friend, Corporal Sean Francis and Brian Kalakay hamming it up on the set of my Challenge Fat Loss shoot:
Am I doing this right?
No, Sean, that band placement isn’t gonna work 😉
Here’s the correct way to use a band for an assisted pull up:
I like to place the band around my knee to assist me on the way UP to the bar and take my weight on the way DOWN from the bar.
This isn’t the ONLY way to use a band though. My Cali BFF, Sylvia got a little mixed up with the alternative method:
What’s wrong with this picture?
Here’s another way to do the band assisted pull up:
If the band under the knee is a little easier for you and you need a bit more of a challenge, wrapping the band behind your back is a good alternative.
The band isn’t stretched quite as tightly so you don’t get as much ‘spring’ or lift. Again, you’ll want to try to take your weight on the way down from the bar to work that eccentric contraction.
Remember it’s the eccentric contraction that’s the strengthening phase of the movement, so go ahead and really work that phase.
If you’re looking to improve YOUR pull up power, try these methods. My program lays it all out for you. It’s a full body program that will have you strengthening your back as well as improving overall strength and endurance.
I’d really like to hear from you. I’d like to know:
What your biggest challenge is.
What your best method of an assisted pull up is.
What your pull up PR (personal record) is.
What your pull up goal is and why.
Where the weirdest place you’ve done pull ups is.
Anything pull up related!
Most creative comment gets sent a cool program 😉
you will be sorry you asked lol:)
biggest challenge with pullup is my own weight.. i can do dumbell rows with 40 lbs but even on an assist machine its only at 60% of my weight
assisted, i can do 15, 10 then scrape out 8 wide pullups
i would like to do unassisted pullups, at least 3.. just to know i can.. i am 57 and have wanted this since i got sick at age 48.. i have to work hard to keep my muscle( brain injury) so a pullup would give me more confidence.
i watch this one girl do 10. 12… at least 3 sets and i wish..:) i guess its an ego thing but like deadlifts or snatches… there are some exercises that exude power… a pullup is that for me:)
My biggest challenge with the traditional pullup is lifting my body weight up. Even though I am not overweight by any means, I am not that fit at this time to skilfully pull myself up and down, up and down for more that five times on a straight at this point. I will get there though!
Hi Shawna. This is my first time leaving a reply! Sorry I have never, generally read and have to rush off!!! I understand how quiet a blog can be but please know I read everyday and soak it all up!!! I am from Saskatchewan and I can say that because you will know where that is!! 🙂 I have been working on pull-ups for quite some time before I came across you and your great workouts!! Really inspiring for me!!!! I can do full negatives now. Generally really poop out after 3 sets of 8. My biggest challenge is the up or concentric phase. I know that working on the down phase will help me with the up. I have a neat tree stand pull-up contraption where I can place I foot up for assistance. I have used the band, but don’t have the set up for it. I also use a weighted vest to mix it up. I like the wide band you use in the video demo. Do you know off-hand where you found it? Thank you Shawna for your inspiration!! You have been inspirational for my husband too. He can do pull-ups like nothing (grrrrrr – I say I work way harder but he can rock them out like nothing!!!! 🙂 ) and I showed him your 50 pull-up video. I could tell after that he worked harder in the gym!!!!! 🙂
My biggest challenge is one pull up with my own weight. I can do assisted with machine and have been working with the band. To be able to do a pull up is one of my fitness goals. I hope to accomplish this by September.
I have been doing assisted with a band for over 8 months. I can’t seem to see any more progression than where I am. I do 3 sets of 9 or 10 but there is no way I can do even 1 without a band. I do one arm rows with a 35lb. I do lat pull downs with heavy weight. I am going slow on the eccentric phase as well. I do all sorts of push ups but I can not progress with this. I am 59 and just want do be able to do at least 2 to show that I can!!!!
Biggest challenge is doing an unassisted pullup right now. Can bang out 10-12 with a band fairly easily. I would like to be able to bang out 10-20 pullups unassisted eventually (and chin ups) because it’s a challenging exercise and it looks really cool when you can actually do them. Also, the body transformation impacts those exercises have are great too. The pull up is also just such a simplistic movement that you can do anywhere anytime…when you can actually do it. The weirdest places I’ve done pull ups was on old farm buildings (a barn and cookhouse) on my family’s guest ranch and in the Arctic in a helicopter logistics building.
I bought your entire work out for the pull ups. It has been awhile back, I have not got to watch any of it,
(because of my computer). I had trouble with download.I need a new computer. I have seen your blogs and thank you for them. I really have to watch what I do. Everything is coming out of the sockets. I can (could) do one pullup, then an almost chin to top of bar. Some would count it as two, but I say an almost! I have a door way that separates the hallway, kitchen and living room, it has a curtain on it. I grab it and carefully do pullups. Not sure how much weigh it can hold!
At my fiance’ house I grab the studded frame door way leading into the living room from the kitchen. It is really high so I have to use a stepping stool, or the little ladder, or the couch to get up there. I am going to try the assisted band today, that looks pretty cool maybe it will help.
My biggest challenge is being able to pull my self up without hurting my elbows and shoulders. Most of the pain is the elbows, something to so with the ulna nerve popping back and forth across the bones, it is excruciating . The shoulders I can adjust how I use my muscles. I have severe arthritis in the hands (and a few other places)it hurts to hold onto the bar. I try to get a good comfortable grip before I let my weight on the bar. Now the 2×4 I grab is the flat 4″ inch part it is just plain hard to do. If the 2×4 was turned so I was grabbing the 2″ part,now that would be a lot easier! I can do one in the shed the 2×4 is turned so I can use the 2″ part to grab. I would say so far the shed 2×4 is the most creative so far. But the journey has just begun.
It would make it little easier when I get these extra pounds off, not as much weight to “pull up”! It is very important for me to be able to do pullups because it is just something I have always wanted to be able to do. I love the muscles it affects and how it makes me feel. If I could one day do 20 in a row like you did on that video that would be awesome. My goals will be 5 , 10 and 20. Why did I skip 15? I don’t know. Just figure I can get the 20 with determination. I like your birthday challenge congratulations, and happy late birthday. My next birthday I can challenge the 54 for myself!
I can do 2, sometimes 3 chin ups. Have yet been able to flip my hands a do a pull up. My biggest challenge is making sure my shoulders are “packed” and I’m using my lats and not my arms. I will get there.
Ditto Michelle! I can manage to pull up with the band assisting – every now and a again I will try just 1 unassisted and I don’t get past the scapula retraction!!! People advise me that the underhand grip is the easier of the two however, when I try this it feels a little odd in my right shoulder – I presume this is due to an injury I had there a year ago….can I stick with overhand grip? Slightly wider that shoulder width apart yeh? Wow Ellen you’ve been trying this for 9 years!! I was hoping to nail this in a year!! LOL I admire your persistence 😉
Can you tell us where to get the bands? I know you put it in a blog once somewhere, but I can’t find it now. Thanks!
Hey if you can do 5 pull ups, you’ll get 10 in no time! Good for you. Work on the negatives and they will come. Keep at it!
Renee,
Welcome to the blog! Let’s not be strangers! So proud that you can do negatives now. The positive phase will come. I’d love to see a pic of your pull up contraption, can you email it my way? shawnak.help@gmail.com
You could try http://www.powersystems.com for a band. Glad that your hubby is a pull up fanatic too, nice to see converts everywhere. Stay tuned and please don’t be quiet 😉
Paula, I’m so happy to hear that you’re 59 and rockin the pull up bar. Wow, that’s great. You WILL get a full pull up, but you need to be able to hold those negatives. Can you count to 6 on the way down? Can you do hanging leg raises? What about scap retractions? The scap retraction is imperative to help you isolate the correct muscles. Stay tuned, ask questions and let me help.
Kate, you’re in good company-lots of peeps can do the assisted, working on the unassisted pull up.Can you do scap retractions? Can you do a slow hang (up to 6 seconds). Admittedly, these things take time, so hang in there (no pun intended), keep me posted, ask questions.
Rene you are one crazy gal to be doing pull ups in door ways and you’re turning 54. I feel like I’m in great company. Why are you so quiet on my blog? I need to hear more from you! I’d be very careful with the shoulders and elbows, I’d make sure that you’re not training thru pain (bad pain that is). You likely need to get some attention from a professional there.Try not to go to a full hang, I find it easier on my elbows if I keep them ever so slightly bent and keep my back tight so I don’t let my scap protract fully. Keep me posted. I think you’ll like my challenge fat loss program coming up, it’ll help with those few pounds to lose and that will help your pull up power. Thanks for sharing!
Gwen, Try to go to http://www.powersystems.com and check out strength bands. They have a variety of sizes. Thanks for your question.
Elaine, If the chin up (under hand) grip bothers your shoulder, stick with the pull up (over hand grip). It’s a little tougher, but best not to aggravate an injury. Keep with the negatives, they’ll really help you along. It won’t take you 9 years if you’re consistently training and not bothering that shoulder. Keep me posted on your progress, let me know how I can help.
Wow! So envious all of the people here. I can’t even do 1 pull up and I’m 41 years young. I’m still working on my push up strength. I can now do 5 actual push ups (not on my knees). I have tried doing pull ups but my challenge is actually on the grip. I can’t hold on the bar because my hands are not very strong due to carpotano surgery. Can I work up on the grip and how would I do that? I know I can because I used to do pull ups when I was a lot younger just not as strong anymore. 🙁
Hey there, coolest place I’ve done chins and pullups is at my daughters house. She and her boyfriend are living in his deceased grandfathers house and the hallway has chinup bars all the way down it! Evidently he did chin ups every day of his life right up until he died at the age of 85. So cool! That’s inspiring to me!
Hi Shawna!
Thank you for wanting to hear from me, because don’t laugh, but my biggest challenge is just doing ONE unassisted pull up. I’ve been trying for quite a while now, but haven’t gotten anywhere. So I just bought your program hoping to change this. I have two ways I do assisted pull up, (one) on the top setting of my total gym and the other is standing in a chair using my legs as little as possible. I can’t jump up to my pull up bar because it’s flimsy and will break off my door if I jump on it. I have bands on order so I’ll have that as an option when they arrive.
My personal pull up record is six assisted pull ups on my total gym and that’s doing each pull up with a 15 to 30 second negative back down.
My pull up goal is (and always has been) to be able to do at least 6 to 10 unassisted pull ups (or more.) I have this goal because I believe when I can do unassisted pull ups I’ll have the perfect body weight exercise to keep my arms shoulders and back in shape for the rest of my life.
LOL, the weirdest place I’ve done pull ups is in my dreams – the only place I’ve been able to do them. And yes I really did dream one night that I was doing unassisted pull ups and it felt so good to be able to do them. I woke up excited and held onto that feeling of doing them freely. Now I’m holding onto my dream of doing them FOR REAL!
Rebecca, You’re not alone in your quest for the unassisted pull up! Keep training the negatives, work on body position, scap retraction and you’ll be doing pull ups in more than your dreams. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Shawna, I’m so excited as up until last year I was trying to do unassisted pull-ups . Due to chronic upper back and neck injuries the new physio I started seeing took me off all pull ups. My fitness goal I to do 10 unassisted. Yesterday here in Zsydney, Australa we had our yearly fitness expo and I finally bought some bands!!!
I tried them there and the pull ups are so much easier. I am now going to use them and try out your eccentric phase tips and build up my strength from there. I now have a deadline to my goal of 31/12/2013 tto do 10 unassisted pull ups. Can’t wait to get started and use your tips. Thanks and keep up the great work