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Pull Ups

bill1369

New member
In today's NY Times there is an article about the military, woman and training that focuses on the Marine Corps. The article states that the Corps fitness test requires of guys, a minimum of 3 hanging pull ups (no bent arms to cheat) with 20 being a perfect score. Women in the Corps need to perform 8 for their perfect score.

I am curious about what others here might think of my opinion on this. I don't think big guys, as a rule, can do many pull ups (hand on top of the bar). I clock the scale at about 200 and have for years. I can bench about my weight and the same for a lat pull down. But pull ups? I am lucky to do 4 - and, since I am so lousy at doing them, I rarely ever do a pull up.

I watch the guys in the gym who seem to crank out 20 pull ups between every set they do and they are always slender guys. When I graduated from boot camp at Parris Island, I did 11 and have never been close to that mark again. That was in 1964 and I am now 66. Come on....someone tell me large mass guys cannot do pull ups.
 
Pull ups are a great exercise and should be a part of your program IMO
- Valdez
 
I used to be 260+lbs and I couldn't do it but now I can. Just gotta get the motion down.
 
Rodja said:
Being a certain weight is no excuse for an inability to do a pullup.
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I agree, and not just because i am not too big lol. Manipulating ones bodyweight is a skill most people should possess just for the utility of it. Climbing and such. Same as anyone who actively works out should do deads and standing presses. These are real world movements that can help with everyday life outside the gym.
 
Stop doing lat pull downs. They are no substitution for pull ups. At 195lbs I average low 20's on my max, on a good day. True when leaner or at a lower weight I tend to be able to do a few more. You can google "Greasing the Groove" One of the most effective ways to get better, is simply to do more. Change up grips, switch up from weighted pull ups in lower rep sets to higher rep endurance sets without weight. Variance and repition are the keys to increased pull ups.

In regards to Women Marines now being required to do pull ups rather than the bent arm hang for time I think it is a good thing.
 
I weight 220 and can crank out pull-ups like nothing ( I do at beggining and end of workout). Takes time to learn the exercise and do it correctly though.
 
During my bulkier days at the beginning of my enlistment i was easily 205-210 and got my 20 every single time. Werent you guys allowed to "kip" then too?
 
3clipseGT said:
During my bulkier days at the beginning of my enlistment i was easily 205-210 and got my 20 every single time. Werent you guys allowed to "kip" then too?
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Ha yeah, no kipping now a days. Yut!

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I did 20 clean at 205 no kips back in the day. Most guys I know who can hit 20 were less than 150-160 lbs the skinny wiry but strong types. Pull-ups are technique based. There are plenty of guys who can lat pull more than BW for 20 but cant pull 20 because they don't practice the skill. If you want to do pull ups you have to practice often, 3x a week or more. Lots of pullup training plans will have you split the sets up so you're not doing them back to back like traditional exercises. I do em in 1 set at a time after I finish off my sets of an exercise...Your opinion describes most people, but the AM crowd is a bit better than the average bear
 
I think there is at least something to this. When I was 170lbs I would always have to do weighted for a good session, now that I am 200lbs I don't need the weight so much to feel worked.

It is surprising, or not, that most people can't do 1. I couldn't do 1 when I started lifting.

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