Brag Post: Two Pull-ups!

[fitfool]

Thanks to all of you who offered advice and tips on how to work up to doing pull-ups. I work from home and the pull-up bar is in the doorway of my home office. So I kept trying stuff on the bar whenever I walked by it. I tried a mishmash of the various suggestions I could do. Lots of bent-arm hangs, slow negatives (jump up and then lower myself from bar) and assisted pull-ups whenever my boyfriend was around to help push me up over the bar. At the gym, I focused on the Gravitron (for assisted pull-ups and dips), lat pull-downs, and any machines that said they helped make my back stronger.

And especially thanks to all you women who posted that you could do a pull-up (and even several of them!). It made it seem that much more possible with enough work. (http://community.livejournal.com/gymrats/1831348.html)

Questions:
1. My body just folds up when I try to lift myself up. Is it trying to doggy-paddle its way towards a kipping pull-up?

2. Does it make it easier to do a pull-up when my legs come up too? I need to concentrate to try to keep my waist straight and if I do so, I can only do one at a time so far. My boyfriend's legs come up naturally straight so he ends up in an L-shape when his chin is above the bar.

OK...maybe it's not a big deal for some of you but I've never been able to do two pull-ups in my life. I was so happy about it that I called up my sister to boast. Her husband picked up the phone.

Me: Oh Hi! I was calling to brag to my sister but I can brag to you too.
Sister's husband: Ok...Go ahead. Let's hear it.
Sister (noticing the anticipating-big-news tone in his voice): She's getting marrried?!

My sister got on the phone afterwards to congratulate me for the pull-ups too (though I don't think she was as excited as if I had gotten engaged)

Cross-posted to gymrats

Comments

[grapefruitgirl.livejournal.com]

im not sure if i can do a pull-up or not. i dont have a bar/place where i can try. but...i have an idea/suggestion that will definitely help you. in addition to your pull-ups, do push some push-ups each day. this will build your arm strength that will help with your pull-ups. if you can't do a full-on push up, then do then modified type where you put your knees on the floor and cross your feet in the air, and then do the push up that way (hope that description makes sense). this'll certainly help you when it comes time to do your pull-ups ;)

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! Pushups are key I think. I try to at least do pushups and situps whenever I don't make it to the gym or go running. I do pushups with my feet up on the bed. I can't get the hard modifications still though. (one-armed, hands close together, or handstand pushups are in my mental list of things I want to do some day)