nevergiveup Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Can you taller women do chin-ups or pull-ups? I consider myself pretty strong and yet cannot really do either of them. I read somewhere that taller women have a disadvantage. So....yes or no? For the record, I am 5'9". Not an Amazon, but taller than my peers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I am short, very fit, lift heavy weights and I can do about one. A few months ago I could do three of them after lots of practice but none of them from a true dead hang. I served in the military and have witnessed numerous tall men bust them out like they were nothing. I have also seen short men do them, short men who could barely do three, and tall men who could barely do three. Based on my anecdotal experience I vote myth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 After reading this article I see that there can be a disadvantage for taller people but lean body mass percentages being equal the taller person will have an easier time of it, by nature of being longer there will be more muscle mass. Good luck with the pullups. Do you have a pull up bar at home? I highly recommend using resistance bands like the ones in the example half through this article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I am 5'7' with long arms, and no matter how strong I have gotten, I have never been able to do a pull up. I refuse to give up, though! I have used the iron woody pull up bands, but have had better success doing negatives and holds. Also, I keep the pull up bar in the door so every time I walk by it I know it's time to do a few negatives. P.S. I can do partials now, but not yet one from a full, dead hang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 When I was in the Army doing pull-ups was a mandatory part of the MOS I was training for...and I started unable to do even one. All of the men in my training group, both tall or short, had very little trouble with them. It was VERY aggravating as I was VERY fit at the time. In fact I could do more sit-ups in the test time than any of them, and even more push-ups than about half of the men...but not a single pull-up. We all had to do pull-ups every time we walked under the doorway, and I had an awesome instructor/class. The guys actually started by assisting me, lifting my legs just a bit, as I did them (there are machines for this in most gyms now!). Eventually I no longer needed help. My instructor insisted that the only way to learn to do pull-ups was to do pull-ups, especially for women with different centers of gravity. I eventually got to the point where I could whip out 30-40. Even now, years since then, I can do a few, even after years in a wheelchair. I think it is a combination of training specific muscles and then muscle memory. I am 5 ft 4 (or would be if I was standing!!) and weigh about 115. In the Army I was about 125 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm 5'8". I could never do pull ups, not even when I was a skinny little thing trying to be a strong gymnast. Not ever. Now, it probably didn't help that I broke each arm twice, meaning I spent four summers (playing, muscle building summers) in a cast. I always blamed it on that. Dd is 5'6" and she can now do 3 pull ups in a row. Two years ago (and 6 inches ago) she couldn't do any. But, she worked at it consistently - as a rock climber, she had to. I am sure I could get to 1 if I worked at it. I see tall women at the climbing gym who can know off 10 pull ups with know problem. BTW, I read an article that doing "reverse pull ups" can help you build the strength to actually do pull ups. At a pull up bar, either jump or use a stool to get your chin above the bar then, as slowly as possible, lower yourself down with control. Do as many reps of these as you can. Also, if you can use an assisted pull up machine at the gym to give you a boost as you build strength in your back and core (and arms.) I think I am now inspired to make that my goal this year - do one pull up. Off to practice my "reverse pull ups." Oh, and I found this article on other exercises you can do to build strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I used to be able to do as many as the boys through middle school, and I old o them when they made me in the Army, but I haven't attempted one in 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I used to be able to do as many as the boys through middle school, and I old o them when they made me in the Army, but I haven't attempted one in 20 years. This. Well except for the army part. Plus it seems like autocorrect took over KFP's post midway through. But as a child I could do a lot of them. Now, not a single one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I eventually got to the point where I could whip out 30-40. Even now, years since then, I can do a few, even after years in a wheelchair. I think it is a combination of training specific muscles and then muscle memory. I am 5 ft 4 (or would be if I was standing!!) and weigh about 115. In the Army I was about 125 lbs. 30-40!? Wow, that is amazing! Perhaps my goal of 8 is too low. I agree, to be able to do pullups you have to do pullups - a lot of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm 5'8". I could never do pull ups, not even when I was a skinny little thing trying to be a strong gymnast. Not ever. Now, it probably didn't help that I broke each arm twice, meaning I spent four summers (playing, muscle building summers) in a cast. I always blamed it on that. Dd is 5'6" and she can now do 3 pull ups in a row. Two years ago (and 6 inches ago) she couldn't do any. But, she worked at it consistently - as a rock climber, she had to. I am sure I could get to 1 if I worked at it. I see tall women at the climbing gym who can know off 10 pull ups with know problem. BTW, I read an article that doing "reverse pull ups" can help you build the strength to actually do pull ups. At a pull up bar, either jump or use a stool to get your chin above the bar then, as slowly as possible, lower yourself down with control. Do as many reps of these as you can. Also, if you can use an assisted pull up machine at the gym to give you a boost as you build strength in your back and core (and arms.) I think I am now inspired to make that my goal this year - do one pull up. Off to practice my "reverse pull ups." Oh, and I found this article on other exercises you can do to build strength. Be prepared to be very, very sore! Reverse pullups are tough and always result in a lot of soreness for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevergiveup Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 This. Well except for the army part. Plus it seems like autocorrect took over KFP's post midway through. But as a child I could do a lot of them. Now, not a single one. Do you mind my asking how tall you are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevergiveup Posted January 9, 2014 Author Share Posted January 9, 2014 Thanks, ladies! Kerileanne99--you are my new idol! I have been doing negative chin-ups with extra weight on my ankles, but perhaps I need to do more. I can sorta kinda do a couple of chin-ups if I start with my feet on the floor. From a dead hang? No way. Oh well. It's good to have goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm 5'7 and I used to be able to do 7-8. Negatives and the pull up machine really helped. Oh, and being at ideal body weight. Once you can do one, you progress really quickly. I'm working on getting back there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Did y'all read the news items a few days ago about the Marines having to back off on their fitness test for women because fewer than half could do the required number of pull-ups, which was 3? My 16 yo daughter, who is 5'5" and a super-strong gymnast, says she can easily do 20 or 30, but she is strong even for a gymnast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 My daughter, a swimmer and rock climber, is 5'9" and can do at least 15 pullups and has has done as many as 20 to win a pull up competition with the guys on her swim team. She could do more much more easily about 5 inches ago. She is ripped and lean. None of the girls on her swim team (fit and lean as well) can do even one. But she has been doing them since she was 5 in gymnastics. I think that is the difference. I was only ever able to do 2 in my fittest days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm 5'9" and I'm haven't tried them in ages. I used to do them. I struggled with ages until my brother told me to stop using just my arms and use my entire back. Your muscles are all interconnected and they all need to be used to support each other is what he told me. Now I don't think about pulling myself up so much as I think about going up and i find that when I change my mental perspective, I use my muscles differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm 5'9" and I've been working on doing them. I bought the bands to use with my bar at home. I'm also focusing on strengthing my core, mostly with planks, because, yes, you use a lot more than your arms/shoulders. I read the article about the marines too, and I thought it was sad. Mostly because it seems like the women are not given the proper training to meet the goal. Men naturally have greater upper body strength, but they are also able to develop the upper body more easily too. If the women are following the same training protocol as the men, they are going to have a hard time succeeding. They need to develop at seperate regimine if they want the women to reach that goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I have half an inch on you and I can, but I've always been really strong. I think if I were one of those tall thin girls it would be different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I am 5'6" which is not tall, but anyhoo. I used to be able to easily do 100 pull-ups and 100 chin-ups. It has been a long time since I tried, though. I know many females (even young ones) can't even do one. Not sure why that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Back when I was in grade school, we used to do the President's Physical Fitness Test each year. I was tall and skinny. I was the champ at sit-ups, even beating the boys -- I think my record was 64 in one minute. And I could hold my own on the sprint, longer distance run, shuttle run, and softball throw. But when it was time for push-ups and pull-ups, girls were given different rules. We did push-ups off of our knees rather than our toes, and instead of doing pull-ups, we were lifted into position and then timed for how long we could hold ourselves up with our chins above the bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I'm trying to figure out how tallness could be a disadvantage. Maybe I don't get it because I only 5'4", but I'm all arms and legs. I look tall when there's no scale :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I'm trying to figure out how tallness could be a disadvantage. Maybe I don't get it because I only 5'4", but I'm all arms and legs. I look tall when there's no scale :-) It has to do with lever arms and efficiency. If you google it there are a ton of articles. I linked one in my earlier post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 When in middle school and we had to do that Presidential Fitness thing, I was the proud owner of the pull-up record for girls for the school. I could do more than most of the boys. I can't do them now, but a friend of mine who is in the Secret Service and very fit is required to do some minimal number (like 2 or 3) in order to maintain her detail assignment. She actually hired a personal trainer to get her there in anticipation of her latest assignment. He told her it wasn't her upper body strength that was lacking but her core strength. They worked on core strength for a month or so straight, pretty intensely, and now she can whip them out because she's continuing to work her core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevergiveup Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 Well, gosh, this has become interesting! We did that Presidential fitness thing, too, and we also had to just hang from the bar. I could hang longer than anyone but still could never do a pull-up. Someone mentioned using your back muscles more. I think that might be one of my problems. I have watched my sons do them and they definiately have a different form than I. I have done, and still do, core strength training, but maybe there are some that are better than others for pull-ups.... Off for more research! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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