So I got a chin up bar at home

[manisstrong]

And I can't do any.

So what's the best way to progress on these? Negatives I guess? I just did one negative, going down in about 10 seconds, but then when I tried another rep, I fell down almost straight away.

Was 10 seconds too long? How many seconds should I be aiming for? How many sets/reps throughout the day? Should I just try to do a negative or two every hour, ala Grease the groove? It shouldn't interfere with my regular barbell training at the gym?

Also, my chinup bar is kind of slippery in the middle part... anything I can do?

THanks

[Scrofula]

Also, my chinup bar is kind of slippery in the middle part... anything I can do?

Chalk? Athletic tape?

[slowjoe]

And I can't do any.

So what's the best way to progress on these? Negatives I guess? I just did one negative, going down in about 10 seconds, but then when I tried another rep, I fell down almost straight away.

Was 10 seconds too long? How many seconds should I be aiming for? How many sets/reps throughout the day? Should I just try to do a negative or two every hour, ala Grease the groove? It shouldn't interfere with my regular barbell training at the gym?

Also, my chinup bar is kind of slippery in the middle part... anything I can do?

THanks

Grease the groove. But take your time spinning up. Rushing a program of pullup negatives could literally kill you (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhabdomyolysis). So, one set of one today, skip tomorrow if sore, add a set a day after that. Next weekend, switch to sets of two. You could also self-spot with your legs on the concentric phase, or try jumping pullups if the bar height allows this.

But take your time this week. I mean, you've spent 18 years not being able to do a pullup. Adding a couple of weeks doesn't make a big difference.

[quesauce]

I use giant rubber bands. Choke the band around the bar and put your foot in the band. The nice thing about the bands, at least in my experience, is they give me the most help where I need it (at the bottom) and provide less assistance at the top. I ordered a set so that as I get stronger I can use progressively less assistance.

[hotshot617]

You could also self-spot with your legs on the concentric phase, or try jumping pullups if the bar height allows this.

I used the "self-spotting" with your legs trick when I was doing P90X (I know, I know), and it was pretty effective. You can start with the chair directly under you, and then as you get better, move the chair farther away from you. It's less precise than using a smaller resistance band (like quesauce's recommendation), but you've probably already got a chair in your house.

Also, I'd be careful about doing jumping pullups if your bar is one of those cantilever door frame designs. Jumping up may very well dislodge it from the door frame.

[John2336]

If it is one of the cantilever types, you can always nail a strip of 1"x2" planking above the frame to provide a wider support for the bar. Atletic tape is a must on pull up bar IMO. Pull ups go up quick once you start doing them regularly. I could only do 4 when I entered the Marines. After a few months I could do 15. 8 years later I just keep it around 20 now. Chin ups (underhanded) seem easier to most people I know (especially if you've got big guns), but overhanded pull ups work the lats better and make your back much stronger. Just remember to keep your thumbs on the same side as your fingers. Wrapping your thumb around the bar takes your thumb out of play for the most part.

Theres a thousand variations to work grip and all of that, but the main thing is consistency. Good luck man!

[Tom Campitelli]

Here are two starting points for you:

http://www.crossfitoakland.com/archi...rogress_1.html

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/pu...rogression.htm

Typing pullup progression into Google will give you other ideas, too.

[Adam M]

I was about to the best way but it worked for me- everyday try and do a chinup, I always found adding a little jump was better than negatives just to get one rep only no more, don't do lots of jumping chinups.

[Regin Smidur]

Grease the groove pull ups will interfere with any other pulling your doing, including deadlifts.

[Carlos Daniel]

A friend of mine is in the exact same situation. He couldn't do a single chinup. I sold him my chinup bar, he basically went all monkey on the thing ever now and then, just trying to do negatives, jumping, kipping, whatever chinup-like motion. He can do 3 reasonable chinups now, after little more than two weeks. This is after quite a while of trying to make him do anything remotely similar to a chinup.