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icegirl
Jan 29, 2005, 2:41 PM
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Every single book on training for climbing that I've picked up, praises the merits of pull-ups for training, and perferrably the single armed ones.
A typical advise is something on the notes of: "do 3-4 sets of 5 pull ups".....yeah sure, completely not happenign for me!!! About a year ago I vowed to conquer the evil pull-up and started working on it with the help of one of these mashines that give assistance, because at that time I was able to pull myself up unassisted once with major gritting and grinding of teeth.
This years update...I'm up to 4!!!!! FOUR fre**ing pull ups after a whole year of training!!! And its not like its a walk in the park, feels more like I'm just able to grit and grind my teeth four times instead of once. And as you can see, the much praised one arm pull up is a very distant dream.
First, what is your advise? Perhaps I've been doing this all terribly wrong and there are much better ways to improve pull-up skills
Secondly, what are your experiences girls?? Are you all just leasurely doing the advised sets of 5x3-4???
Please help me, this annoys me enormously!!!
H.
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granite_grrl
Jan 29, 2005, 5:06 PM
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I just managed to do my fisrt pullup ever in December. Since then I have progressed to being able to do.......zero pullups??? WTF? Must have been that Christmas chocolate and the boyfriend visiting and makeing me lasagna (mmmmm.....lasagna).
In reality a plain pullup isn't the most useful skill to have in climbing. Lock off strength is great though, and I think that many of the books that I've seen uses pullups (ie - frenchies) to work on lock off strength. This sucks if you can do only one (or zero :evil:) pullup.
I wish that the books out there would suggest climbing specific exercises to improve strength that doesn't require a bunch of strength in the first place to do them.
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climbingurlie
Jan 29, 2005, 6:32 PM
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Unless you plan on campusing (sp?) I wouldn't worry about pull ups. Better to conserve strength during a climb and use technique rather than brute strength. Keep in mind that because climbing is a male-dominated sport, many training plans and books work well for men, but not necessarily women. Muscular build between the sexes is slightly different, making some things easier for men. Kind of unfair... :?
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climberterp
Jan 30, 2005, 11:14 PM
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I can do pull ups but I think granite-girl is right, it's the lock off strength that's more important. I'd suggest focusing more on holding yourself at the top of a pull up and sort of shifting your weight a little from one hand to the other. Seems that would help you get the feel of supporting your weight w/one hand without having to do a one arm pull up.
One thing I just started doing is a sort of reverse push up. Kind of hard to explain, but if you have access to a steep bouldering wall (~45 deg) find two jugs that are about the same height and shoulder width apart. Hang from the jugs and place your feet on a hold that lets you get your body into a push up position (as if the wall were actually the floor if that makes sense), then pull up from there. I don't know if that's clear enough but I think it's a good way to build pulling strength without having to do actual pull ups.
Good luck!
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icegirl
Jan 31, 2005, 5:24 PM
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Thanks for the advise guys, I'm going to try that "inverse pullup" strategy mentioned in the climbing magazine! If it works as well as they say, I'll have Arnold size lat's in no time!! :wink:
H
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iamthewallress
Jan 31, 2005, 5:53 PM
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In reply to: Unless you plan on campusing (sp?) I wouldn't worry about pull ups. Better to conserve strength during a climb and use technique rather than brute strength. Keep in mind that because climbing is a male-dominated sport, many training plans and books work well for men, but not necessarily women. Muscular build between the sexes is slightly different, making some things easier for men. Kind of unfair... :?
I'll bet that all of the gurlies that can climb really hard can probably dish them out by the dozens.
Pull ups probably come easier for guys than gals...but it doesn't mean that we won't be better climbers if we learn to do them too! Any time I've roped off a technique as something that I could avoid, it's hindered my climbing. If it's something that doesn't come naturally for me, I should probably work on that more than something that does come naturally.
I would do well to improve my pull up strength. I think I'm plateauing right now because I've gotten as far as my current strength and technique will take me, and now I need more strength to go to the next level. Sustained vertical fingercracks without faceholds require more pull-up strength than I have, and I want to be able to climb them! I want to be able to hang on and place gear where the foot work involves counterpressuring against my yarding arms.
FWIW, I max at 5 pull ups and I've been climbing for about 5 years...So obviously, I don't have this dialed either. I don't train pull-up strength very hard, but I don't not train it either. To get stronger, I plan to work on increasing my maximum weight and reps on lat pull downs. This has always seemed to correlate with me doing more pull-ups more easily when I'd get on training kicks in the past. Doing a bunch of reps at lower weight doesn't seem to help me increase my strength as much as seeing how much I can pull for 5-8 reps. Loosing weight, when I have weight to loose, helps too.
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labarrosa
Jan 31, 2005, 6:22 PM
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Hi
ten years ago I couldn’t do one pull up, started working on it with these machines that give you assistance. It took me like 5 months to learn how to do one pull ups, after a while I was able to do one set of three. Then I move to Balcarce where climbing involve a lot of overhanging and roofs, I climb every weekend and some times also climb one week day. For not-climbing training I tried (not too rigorously but...) to run twice a week and do some pull-ups and pushups. After a year or so of living here I was able to do 3 series of 10 pull-ups!!! 8^) (not anymore) :(
any way I don’t think that doing pull ups help to much on my climbing capability, for me it looks like climbing a lot of overhanging helps my pull-ups ability, something I never seek for.
I think that all the strength you need for climbing you can get it just climbing a lot, which is much more fun than training in a gym, and then go to the gym to see how much stronger you are getting !!!
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ecocliffchick
Jan 31, 2005, 8:53 PM
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I've never really been a strong girl. I think at one point in the past 7 years I did a couple of pull-ups, but right now I can't do any. I used to think that they weren't a necessary training technique, as how often are you really forced to do a move outside where there are actually no feet?
...however, I'm really thinking that training strength - both for dynamic movements and lock offs is critical to break the plateau I'm at. I feel like I've learned all the tricks and techniques to avoid using strength - and that's taken me pretty far. But good technique can only get you up so many routes. Now it's time for me to get burly.
I think I'm going to try to start bouldering in Teva's so that I can't rely on good footwork and technique to get to the next hold. I can't do a pull-up, but hopefully by forcing myself to pull with my arms to get to the next hold, I'll start building some strength.
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justafurnaceman
Jan 31, 2005, 11:21 PM
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Hilary Swank told 60 minutes that at the start of training for "Million Dollare Baby" (movie about a female boxer) she could only do 1/2 of a pull up but by the time of taping she could do 11 of them. It would be interesting to see her training schedule and routine. Granted she probably worked out for 4-6 hrs a day, much longer than most people have time for but from a female's point of view it would give how she trained, what muscle groups she trained, eating habits,.. etc.
I have a couple of female climbing friends who wish that fitness magazines would help them out in this area.
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clausti
Feb 1, 2005, 7:46 AM
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i don't really train pullups, but when we're fricking around drunk i can do about 12.
pullups require more absolute force the heavier you are. do you want to climb better bad enough to lose weight if that's a problem?
to build muscle to do said pullups or climb stronger, you have to have protien in your diet to build with. do you eat stupid sorority girl salads all the damn time?
"strength is a technique" i think somebody said in the "gurly" moves thread. i suppose you can think of it that way.
strength is like a fixed cost; there is a minimum you are going to have to shell out every time. it will always take you x dollars to open the store, no matter how much or little you make that day. you will always have to be at least y strong to execute a heelhook, no matter how hot you look in your prana top, or how superwickedsharma zen you are about bouldering V0.
some girls [and] don't climb well because they are weak. if not climbing well bugs you, change your weakness. a support group of other women telling you it's ok to be weak is not going to help you climb better. its going to make you climb *worse* because you accept that personal mediocrity is an acceptable outcome, instead of personal excellence.
on the other hand, if all you want to do is sit in the sun on your crash pad, or stare at your boyfreind's ass while he sets something up on TR for you, then yeah, its probably ok if you cant do a pullup.
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johnhenry
Feb 1, 2005, 3:24 PM
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Sorry if I am out of line (this is my first ladies room post)....
I think that there is wisdom on both sides of the issue expressed above.
I am a pullup junkie and it has been anywhere from negligible to somewhat effective to my preformance.
The bottom line is at times when I could beat a Marine drill sargent in a pullup contest, I climbed with women who were climbing better than me and could not do one pullup.
When you get discouraged remind yourself that: PULL-UPS ARE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT GYM EXERCISES! If you have spent much time in a gym, you maybe have noticed how very few people execute unassited pull-ups.
I don't think they are the magic key to unlocking your untold potential.
That said, there are a number of reasons why I think they are beneficial.
A climbing training guru wisely says that climbing is 30% technique, 30% mental, and 30% strength. For me, when I go to the crag with a strong back, I can't use lack of strength as my excuse for mediocrity. It is soo easy to say, I am not stong enough for that route. If you can do 5, 10, or 50 pullups, it is a lot harder to say that.
Actually, I think high reps (>10) are overrated and this brings me to a second advantage: pullups (especially weighted ones) can help you get used to climbing with a fat rack. I could not free climb with three sets of cams,two sets of nuts, and other misclaneous jazz without pullup training.
Finally, it sometimes is just nice to be able to power through something and be done with it...
It is just not the Holy Grail.
By the way, Icegirl you mentioned one-armed pull-ups in your original post. I would not concern yourself in the least bit with such shenanigans.
They are extremly difficult, are more bisepy than latismussy, and they can really mess with your joints.
Sorry for the ramblings of a pull-up addict. I will go back to the aid forum now....
Have fun,
john
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iamthewallress
Feb 1, 2005, 6:37 PM
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In reply to: The bottom line is at times when I could beat a Marine drill sargent in a pullup contest, I climbed with women who were climbing better than me and could not do one pullup.
How hard were you all climbing?
Although there are probably slabs out there to push the limits of the most pull-up resistant, I don't know a single person who consistantly climbs (i.e. leads without falling) 5.11 on a variety of terrain who can't do a pull up.
The only people that I know who regularly lead a lot of 5.10's who can't do a pull up used to be able to do them while they were learning how to lead the grade, but have lost strength as their technique and beer bellies expanded over the years. (I have a heavy friend who can't do pull ups but styles the 5.11 slabs. She can get totally shut down on muscle-y 10's though.)
If you're trying to move from 5.7 to 5.8, pull up strength probably doesn't matter much. Still, at the end of a long, tiring day, knowing that I can hang my weight off of a jug or jam for quite a while if need be when I get to tricky spot on a run out "moderate" pitch does wonders for my confidence to hang in there and figure out what I need to do next.
I like to do longer routes, so my general attitude towards avoiding the stuff that I can't do of late has been that I don't want to find myself 10 pitches up something and learn that the pitch that is nominally 3 grades below my limit is poorly protected and requires one of those techniques that I decided I didn't want or need to learn. I've taken on this attitude after screwing myself over several times with a more limiting approach.
I would think that if one was more into sport climbing or bouldering that avoiding developing upper body strength would be even more limiting.
I don't think that wanting to expand your abilities necessarily translates to a lack of self-acceptance. I'd rather accept myself as a being capable of positive change.
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jt512
Feb 1, 2005, 7:56 PM
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In reply to: I am a pullup junkie and it has been anywhere from negligible to somewhat effective to my preformance. The bottom line is at times when I could beat a Marine drill sargent in a pullup contest, I climbed with women who were climbing better than me and could not do one pullup.
Basically, I agree with this, whereas the rest of your post seems contradictory.
Pull-ups are not a good simulation of climbing movement, so it seems questionable to me how much effort one should put into learning to do them. It seems to me, rather, that bouldering or steep sport climbing would be a more effective way to build the specific strength required for climbing. Note, in a post above, that labarrosa found it extremely difficult to learn to do pull-ups in the gym, whereas after doing steep climbing for a year, she was able to 3 sets of 10. It doesn't surprise me that steep climbing is better training for pull-ups than the other way around.
-Jay
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jt512
Feb 1, 2005, 8:06 PM
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In reply to: Although there are probably slabs out there to push the limits of the most pull-up resistant, I don't know a single person who consistantly climbs (i.e. leads without falling) 5.11 on a variety of terrain who can't do a pull up.
But I'm not convinced that this implies that training pull ups would be an effective element to learning to climb 5.11. Sure, climbing requires upper body strength, but climbing movements do not much resemble pull-ups, which suggests that doing pull-ups would not be an efficient way to gain the specific upper body strength required for climbing. At the 5.11 level, I think training time would be more effecively spent bouldering, where strength and techniqe will evolve together.
-Jay
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iamthewallress
Feb 1, 2005, 8:21 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Although there are probably slabs out there to push the limits of the most pull-up resistant, I don't know a single person who consistantly climbs (i.e. leads without falling) 5.11 on a variety of terrain who can't do a pull up. But I'm not convinced that this implies that training pull ups would be an effective element to learning to climb 5.11. Sure, climbing requires upper body strength, but climbing movements do not much resemble pull-ups, which suggests that doing pull-ups would not be an efficient way to gain the specific upper body strength required for climbing. At the 5.11 level, I think training time would be more effecively spent bouldering, where strength and techniqe will evolve together. -Jay
I agree with what you say in principle. However, since I can only climb outside two days a week usually, I need to work on my strength during the week.
Also, since my time outside is so precious, I'm don't spend a lot of time doing training stuff there (i.e. short routes that train my power), but rather, just trying to get on stuff within my limits that goes up, up, up...Because that's what I love the most. At my level and where I climb, I need the strength to break into those super musclely routes, but I find that the next step down (where I'm at now) has enough stances that I can "technique" my way through using my current level of strength. So I'm kind of stuck at the threshhold. On my strongest days, I get to step over it, so I have no doubt that more upper body strength is a big part of it. For me, personally, I feel the need to work on this in a gym. If someone can train outside enough, I'd say that it's almost always more ideal to train on the medium that you're training for.
Only speaking for myself, I've noticed good improvements in my staying power on steep routes outside when i've been working on doing a lot of lat pull-downs in the gym. Faithfully taking an abs class also gave me some really nice results. When I do the pull downs I try to grab the bar in a way that resembles the way I pull on rock and keep my hands closer together rather than on the far spread handles since I don't usually pull down in that way outside. When I do pull-ups, I try to lock off at different places as I lower. I throw a towel over the bar and grab it with one hand and the bar with the other to make my grip uneven. I get my boyfriend to take some of my weight if I'm too burnt to keep practicing. It definately has not hurt my climbing.
Besides that, I use dumbells and weight machines in a way that simulates ow/chimney moves and try to simulate mantles with the dip machine too. You can train pull-up strenght on plastic, but in our gym, these other maneuvers are pretty much absent.
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jt512
Feb 1, 2005, 9:12 PM
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In reply to: Only speaking for myself, I've noticed good improvements in my staying power on steep routes outside when i've been working on doing a lot of lat pull-downs in the gym.
I'm somewhat surprised. I was quite a gym rat for years -- personal trainer, in Beverly Hills, no less -- and I was constantly surprised by how my strength gains in the gym failed to help me climb any harder. What helped my climbing exponentially was quitting the iron gym and joining a climbing gym.
In reply to: Faithfully taking an abs class also gave me some really nice results. When I do the pull downs I try to grab the bar in a way that resembles the way I pull on rock and keep my hands closer together rather than on the far spread handles since I don't usually pull down in that way outside. When I do pull-ups, I try to lock off at different places as I lower. I throw a towel over the bar and grab it with one hand and the bar with the other to make my grip uneven. I get my boyfriend to take some of my weight if I'm too burnt to keep practicing.
In a sense, I think you're doing all the right things in the wrong place -- doing the best training you can in a non-climbing gym. I still think you'd be better off bouldering, and arguably you'll get stronger faster by bouldering indoors than on real rock. Most importantly, you'll be doing real climbing movements that involve your whole body synergystically.
In reply to: Besides that, I use dumbells and weight machines in a way that simulates ow/chimney moves and try to simulate mantles with the dip machine too.
Other than simulating mantels, I'm kind of surprised that you find that this stuff helps very much.
-Jay
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iamthewallress
Feb 1, 2005, 9:45 PM
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In reply to: In a sense, I think you're doing all the right things in the wrong place -- doing the best training you can in a non-climbing gym. I still think you'd be better off bouldering, and arguably you'll get stronger faster by bouldering indoors than on real rock. Most importantly, you'll be doing real climbing movements that involve your whole body synergystically.
I like to do this in addition to pulling plastic. Both...not either/or...is what I've found to be the most helpful. Indoor bouldering moves (supposed to be like limestone?) have not helped my outdoor climbing ability (mostly granite) much for a while beyond training strength though. They're just too different to make big technique translations.
In reply to: Besides that, I use dumbells and weight machines in a way that simulates ow/chimney moves and try to simulate mantles with the dip machine too.
In reply to: Other than simulating mantels, I'm kind of surprised that you find that this stuff helps very much.
If you come up to Yosemite...let's partner up for something. I pick the route. :wink: When your ass is your pro, you don't want to pump out and fall on. If I can do something instead of nothing to improve my staying power, I think it's for the best. Plus training the opposing muscles is a good thing, balance-wise.
Seriously, I couldn't do a proper push-up when I started climbing. I couldn't train that strength soley by doing chimneys because I'd loose too much back skin in the process. Being able to do a lot of push ups (and sit ups) has helped IMMENSELY.
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jt512
Feb 1, 2005, 10:01 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: In a sense, I think you're doing all the right things in the wrong place -- doing the best training you can in a non-climbing gym. I still think you'd be better off bouldering, and arguably you'll get stronger faster by bouldering indoors than on real rock. Most importantly, you'll be doing real climbing movements that involve your whole body synergystically. I like to do this in addition to pulling plastic. Both...not either/or...is what I've found to be the most helpful. Indoor bouldering moves (supposed to be like limestone?) have not helped my outdoor climbing ability (mostly granite) much for a while beyond training strength though. They're just too different to make big technique translations.
I agree that for trad, the gym bouldering will help with strength more than technique. That's been my experience, too.
In reply to: In reply to: Besides that, I use dumbells and weight machines in a way that simulates ow/chimney moves and try to simulate mantles with the dip machine too. In reply to: Other than simulating mantels, I'm kind of surprised that you find that this stuff helps very much. If you come up to Yosemite...let's partner up for something. I pick the route. :wink: When your ass is your pro, you don't want to pump out and fall on.
This sounds like so much fun, Melissa. I can't wait. Unfortunately -- and I just checked my calendar -- my weekends are booked for the next, um, 5 years. Let's touch base then.
In reply to: In reply to: If I can do something instead of nothing to improve my staying power, I think it's for the best. Plus training the opposing muscles is a good thing, balance-wise. Seriously, I couldn't do a proper push-up when I started climbing. I couldn't train that strength soley by doing chimneys because I'd loose too much back skin in the process. Being able to do a lot of push ups (and sit ups) has helped IMMENSELY.
It sounds like for the kind of climbing you do, you've been able to fashion a weight training routine that mimics real life climbing moves. But the kind of climbing you like to do is somewhat out-of-the-ordinary these days. I maintain that most climbers, whether they can do pull-ups or not, would not gain much by doing what you're doing.
-Jay
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iamthewallress
Feb 1, 2005, 10:08 PM
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In reply to: It sounds like for the kind of climbing you do, you've been able to fashion a weight training routine that mimics real life climbing moves. But the kind of climbing you like to do is somewhat out-of-the-ordinary these days. I maintain that most climbers, whether they can do pull-ups or not, would not gain much by doing what you're doing.
Maybe...I doubt they'd loose anything either.
I'm curious though...Were you ever so weak that you couldn't do a single pull-up or push-up? (I couldn't when I started, and I think I was not so unusual amongst beginner women.) I think that whether or not you have a reasonable starting point has a lot to do with how helpful these exercises are.
And I'm sad that you don't want to come climbing with me. :cry: It's more fun than it sounds.
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jt512
Feb 1, 2005, 10:33 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: It sounds like for the kind of climbing you do, you've been able to fashion a weight training routine that mimics real life climbing moves. But the kind of climbing you like to do is somewhat out-of-the-ordinary these days. I maintain that most climbers, whether they can do pull-ups or not, would not gain much by doing what you're doing. Maybe...I doubt they'd loose anything either.
Well, there are two potential problems with training in the gym. First is the opportunity cost of not doing more effective training. Second is the possibility of overtraining. Neither of these might be a factor if a climber is just using the gym for training the pushing muscles (which are the opposing muscles for most of us). However, training the pulling muscles in the gym would likely be at the cost of more effective training or if done in addition to other training could compromise recovery.
In reply to: I'm curious though...Were you ever so weak that you couldn't do a single pull-up or push-up? (I couldn't when I started, and I think I was not so unusual amongst beginner women.)
Well, I was a weak, fat, unathletic kid, but I had outgrown that by the time I started climbing, and I could do pull-ups and push-ups by then, though I've never been a star at either. I still have to train power constantly.
In reply to: I think that whether or not you have a reasonable starting point has a lot to do with how helpful these exercises are.
Probably, but there really are women who climb 5.11 sport who can't do pull-ups, and I don't find this surprising, since I can count the number of times I've done anything resembling a pull-up on a route on one hand, and it was only for lack of technique that I had to resort to such tactics.
In reply to: And I'm sad that you don't want to come climbing with me. :cry: It's more fun than it sounds.
I'd love to go climbing with you. It's your penchant for off-widths and chimneys that scares me.
-Jay
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jt512
Feb 1, 2005, 10:41 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: It sounds like for the kind of climbing you do, you've been able to fashion a weight training routine that mimics real life climbing moves. But the kind of climbing you like to do is somewhat out-of-the-ordinary these days. I maintain that most climbers, whether they can do pull-ups or not, would not gain much by doing what you're doing. Maybe...I doubt they'd loose anything either.
Well, there are two potential problems with training in the gym. First is the opportunity cost of not doing more effective training. Second is the possibility of overtraining. Neither of these might be a factor if a climber is just using the gym for training the pushing muscles (which are the opposing muscles for most of us). However, training the pulling muscles in the gym would likely be at the cost of more effective training or if done in addition to other training could compromise recovery.
In reply to: I'm curious though...Were you ever so weak that you couldn't do a single pull-up or push-up? (I couldn't when I started, and I think I was not so unusual amongst beginner women.)
Well, I was a weak, fat, unathletic kid, but I had outgrown that by the time I started climbing, and I could do pull-ups and push-ups by then, though I've never been a star at either. I still have to train power constantly.
In reply to: I think that whether or not you have a reasonable starting point has a lot to do with how helpful these exercises are.
Probably, but there really are women who climb 5.11 sport who can't do pull-ups, and I don't find this surprising, since I can count the number of times I've done anything resembling a pull-up on a route on one hand, and it was only for lack of technique that I had to resort to such tactics.
In reply to: And I'm sad that you don't want to come climbing with me. :cry: It's more fun than it sounds.
I'd love to go climbing with you. It's your penchant for off-widths and chimneys that scares me.
-Jay
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ecocliffchick
Feb 1, 2005, 11:19 PM
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jt512 and iamthewallress,
Your conversation relates directly to the point I'm at in my climbing:
#1. I can't do a push up or a pull up.
#2. I've plateaued (sp?) at 5.11 (onsighted up to 11b) - sport climbing.
I don't have access to a regular gym, but I do have daily access to a climbing gym. I know I need to train strength - but in all my prior attempts to work on strength (usually by bouldering indoors during the winter) I've ended up 'techniquing my way through" the problems, and ending up just as weak the next season outside.
Any specific recommendations for training strength at the climbing gym?
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jt512
Feb 2, 2005, 12:03 AM
Post #24 of 35
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Registered: Apr 12, 2001
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In reply to: Any specific recommendations for training strength at the climbing gym?
A few:
If your gym has a system wall, use it.
Dead hangs on small holds. Limit hangs to 15 seconds to avoid overuse injury. If you can hang on for 15 seconds, add weight using a diver's weight belt or use smaller holds. Be sure to stretch the forearms afterwards.
Feet-on campus board training. Most gyms have a few footholds below their campus board. Just "camups" the rungs you can reach with your feet on the holds. As your strength increases, skip rungs, doing longer moves. Limit campus sessions to once a week, do them early in your session, but only after a thorough warm up (emphasis on thorough), stretch your forearms afterward, and balance the workout with reverse wrist curls and forearm pronators.
Steep bouldering (50-degree-or-so wall). Technique alone won't get you up a 50-degree wall. No matter how technical you are you'll get stronger climbing at this angle. Focus on probems that take you 3 to 6 attempts to send.
Here's one I got from fluxus, a professional climbing trainer. On a steep bouldering wall, pick a few problems that are two V-grades above your best redpoint. The problems should feel impossibly hard to send, but you should be able to link some of the individual moves. Use a partner to "power spot" you through moves you can't do on your own (in a power spot, your partner takes a little weight off you). In my limited experience with this exercise, the power spotter is key.
Climb like a guy. Pick a steep boulder problem that you can do, but climb it "wrong." Instead of turning your body sideways, force yourself to do moves straight on, climbing inefficiently, but with power.
Dedicate a session now and then to practicing dynos.
Those are some of my amateurish ideas that have produced results for me. Maybe a pro like fluxus will chime in here.
-Jay
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tangboy
Feb 2, 2005, 2:41 PM
Post #25 of 35
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Registered: Apr 4, 2001
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although i am a male, and i shouldn't be posting here, i think i have to help give credit to the reverse pull up bit. i am a tall, skinny, not even close to strong guy. i think the best thing, if you can do a couple pull ups, is do the "frenchies" if you can only do one pull up, then pull up that one time, and slowly, and i mean as slow as you can lower yourself. if you can't even pull yourself up, get a chair under a pull up bar or whatever, stand on it so you can get your chin above the bar, step off the chair, hold your chin up for like 2-3 seconds, then as slow as you can, lower yourself, once you reach the bottom, hold that for 2-3 seconds, then step on the chair without releasing your grip, go to the chin up position, hold for 2-3 seconds after stepping off the chair, lower yourself as slow as you can, etc. do about 2-3 of those per set and like 3-4 sets. you'll feel a good burn. if you wanna firm up that belly too, hold your knees as high as you can while doing the said above. private message me if you need more clear instructions. but trust me, coming from the weakest climber in the world, these have helped build tension and i can do quite a few pull ups now. also down climb your problems, that helps everything too :)
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