Improving Your Pull-Ups for the Marines Physical Fitness Test

Article by Jonathon Hyatt

Improving Your Pull-Ups for the Marines Physical Fitness Test – Health

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Pull-ups are the hardest part of the Marines physical fitness test. Most Marines can get ten or twelve, but hitting that elusive twenty takes carefully-planned training. Whether you’re trying to secure a spot at officer school – or you’re just getting into shape for your next test – follow these tips for your best performance yet.

Train Heavy

When people have a rep goal for a certain exercise, they usually spend way too much time training with light weights. This is true for pull-ups, as well as squats, push-ups, and other calisthenics. Your goal might be to do twenty chins with your bodyweight, but adding extra resistance is what will actually get you there.

If you don’t already have one, find a sturdy chain belt for adding weight. If you have a weighted vest with adjustable poundage, that’ll also work. Dedicate at least half of your training sessions to using heavy weights that only allow you to get six to eight pull-ups. If you get stronger, you’ll be able to do more reps with your bodyweight, as well.

Practice Daily

If you want to become proficient at any exercise, you need to practice it as often as possible. This doesn’t mean that every pull-up session needs to be a gut-busting, all-out effort – it simply means that you should do them every day. In fact, you may even want to set up a portable pull-up bar in your home. Do easy sets of five or ten every time you pass it, and you’ll soon find the movement to be far easier than before.

Hit the Gym

It’s important to do a variety of exercises to strengthen your upper back and biceps – the muscles that do most of the work in the pull-up. Barbell rows, dumbbell rows, and deadlifts are the best movements you can do, and you should focus on constantly lifting heavier weights. Some Marines are quick to write off curls as “non-functional,” but they can also help you squeeze out those last few inches to get your chin over the bar. Bicep work is especially important if you’re going to use an underhand grip in your PFT.

Energize

Make sure you fuel yourself with the right food every time you train or test. Poor nutrition will cause you to lose steam well before you hit twenty pull-ups, even if you’re strong enough to do it. Low-carb diets are great for losing weight, but you need starches and sugars for intense training. Energize with oats, potatoes, and yams for an even keel of energy. Gatorade and other glucose-based sports drinks are good, too – but stay away from table sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Lose Some Weight

Heavy hitters can sometimes get good scores, but it’s the middleweights and little guys who usually excel at the Marines physical fitness test. To really get good at pull-ups, you’ll need to strike a balance between having enough muscle mass – and not weighing yourself down with extra flab. To get as lean and mean as possible, eat al of your carbs just before and after training. Load up on protein, eat moderate amounts of healthy fat, and stay away from fast food and other junk.

About the Author

Pull-ups are the hardest part of the Marines physical fitness test. Most Marines can get ten or twelve, but hitting that elusive twenty takes carefully-planned training.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.

Jonathon Hyatt

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For TShirts strengthproject.spreadshirt.com www.strength-project.com http please visit our website and facebook for more training advice, tips, and discussions. This is the first weeks pull up videos for beginners. If you can already do pull ups, this weeks video is not for you. Make sure you subscribe and for a workout routine for beginners, please go to strength-project.com and in the tutorial section, go to calisthenics and you’ll find pull ups week 1 for beginners. Do these workouts and eventually you WILL get to the point where you can do a pull up.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Get Ready to Do Some Pull-Ups

Article by Ignacio Lopez

Get Ready to Do Some Pull-Ups – Health – Fitness

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The idea of pull-ups can mean different things for different people. For some, they may create a thought similar to a death sentence.

All you remember is those fitness tests in middle schools where you had to see how many pull-ups you could do. Your scrawny little body, which was only fueled by Chips Ahoy and Capri Sun, could barely crank out two pathetic pull-ups.

For others, pull-ups are a joy to think about. You might think back to high school at that great graduation party you went to.

There was a contest to see who could pull their body up the most times, and you didn’t break a sweat. Your ripped pectorals bulged back and forth as you pulled your arms up and down.

You won by a landslide. You gained the respect of your fellow classmates, and better yet, you gained the admiration of some cute girls that were there watching you.

Whether you’re built like Arnold Schwarzenegger or you look more like an asthmatic cub scout, pull-ups can be a great home fitness idea for anyone. Knowing more information about them and the proper way to do them can alleviate some fears that some may have about this vertical workout.

To start this great routine, you first need to find a pull-up bar to use. If you have a gym membership, your gym is sure to have bars installed somewhere inside their facility.

For those who don’t have fitness memberships or prefer to work out at home, there are many different options for bars. The first decision to make is concerning how the bar will be installed.

Some bars screw straight into a door frame. If you live by yourself and don’t care about the scars that it might leave behind, this would be a good idea.

But if you have roommates or you don’t live alone, this might not be the best of ideas. There are also bars for sale that can snugly rest on the top of a door frame without screwing or bolting into the door wood.

Once you have the bar installed in your home, now it is time to decide what type of pull-ups you want to challenge yourself with. Here are some of the different kinds that you can try for yourself.

Standard: This is most likely the one that embarrassed you in middle school. It is the most common of all the types.

You begin with an overhand grip on the bar. Raise the body up until your chin clears the bar, then lower the body back down until your arms are fully extended. You can repeat this as many times as you can.

Behind-the-neck: This is similar to a standard but the goal is to touch the bottom of the bar with the back of your neck. You can achieve this by lowering your chin at the beginning of the routine and keeping that position the entire motion.

These next types might be for more advanced trainers. Do not try them if you don’t feel comfortable doing the above types.

Weighted: Do any type but add weight, such as grasping a weighted dumbbell with your feel and holding it while you do the push-up.

One-Arm: This is quite a difficult type. It involves doing a standard but only using one hand while you move your body up.

Mixed Grip: This can add some variation to the types that you choose on doing. It involves using the overhand grip on one hand, and an underhand grip on the other.

Supine Row: This is sometimes called a “reverse push-up”. Place your bar 2 to 3 feet off the floor. Sit on the floor, extending your arms until they grab the rod.

When your arms are extended, push your body up until your chest hits the rod. This workout can give a needed flavor to your routine.

Pull-ups can be a great workout for your arms and upper body. If you are consistent, you will be looking at great bodily results.

Get off the couch and go buy yourself a bar! You’ll go from scrawny nerd to the life of the party in no time!

About the Author

Ignacio Lopez has worked in the exercise and health industry for 27 years. When searching for a good deal on exercise equipment he suggests using a Nordictrack promotion codes.

Contact Info: Ignacio LopezIgnaciolopez@gmail.com http://www.nordictrackcoupons.com

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Ignacio Lopez

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This program was developed by Major Charles Lewis Armstrong to help him prepare to break the world record in pull ups in one set. Ed is doing a video demonstration of the routine. Following this program with consistency you will see a huge jump in your pull ups with 6-8 weeks. For a complete breakdown of the program check out this website www.chicagomarineofficer.com Try this workout and post what do you think about it on the Barstarzz facebook page. Get answers to all your questions, free advice, free tips, interact with us and other members of the community from all over the world. www.facebook.com Master the basics and learn everything you need to know to get started by buying The Barstarzz Instructional, The Ultimate How To On Bodyweight Fitness www.barstarzz.com Follow us at Twitter twitter.com Follow us at Tumblr barstarzz.tumblr.com Subscribe to Youtube www.youtube.com Subscribe to Youtube www.youtube.com Subscribe to the Youtube (Espanol) www.youtube.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

More How To Do More Pull Ups Articles

Understand The best way to Properly Execute Pull-ups and Chin-ups for Greatest Acquire

Article by Gabriella Alice

Understand The best way to Properly Execute Pull-ups and Chin-ups for Greatest Acquire – Health

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Pull-ups and chin-ups are one particular with the staple bodyweight workouts. They’re very quite possibly the most effective strength instruction workouts you are able to do for upper system strength and for attaining further muscle mass. The downside as with every thing this excellent is always that they’re extremely tough to do.

In case you are a rookie then probability is you are going to not manage to carry out even one pullup or chin up. This can be wherever this informative article aims to are available in. Not just am I likely to instruct you the way to appropriately do pull-ups and chin-ups but I’m also likely to instruct you ways to get more powerful at them therefore you can execute weighted variations too.

So What exactly are Pull-ups and Chin-ups?

When hanging straight down on the bar you pull oneself up until finally your chin surpasses the height from the bar. The main difference among the 2 lies inside the grip; a chin up has your palms dealing with you this performs the biceps a great deal much more and is also typically a whole lot less complicated. Pullups alternatively possess the palms going through absent from you functioning the biceps significantly less however the back again a whole lot much more and it is typically a lot more challenging.

There a very the quantity of versions on this simple motion but for now we’ll undergo the way to properly execute the fundamental motion and after that concern yourself with acquiring far more complicated.

But I am as well major for pullups and chinups!

Not correct, excess weight isn’t the situation right here, strength is. In the event you don’t have the strength to carry out even a single pull up or chinup then you certainly really should 1st start off doing work out the muscle groups that you’ll depend on to complete these workouts, particularly the back again, shoulders and biceps. The more powerful these grow to be the simpler you’ll discover pullups and chinups turn out to be.

Pull-up and Chin-up strategy

Commence from a dead hang together with your arms straight

Squeeze the bar near to your fingers not from the palm of one’s hand.

Breathe out around the way down and in around the way up

Push your chest up; usually do not lead together with your shoulders.

Preserve investigating the bar; your neck will thanks for it.

Bend your legs.

Some widespread problems

Not straightening the arms; no partial pullups/chinups

Shoulders heading up. This can be undesirable posture so you could finish up hurting your self in this way.

Go all of the way; chin goes up and above the bar, something else is simply a partial rep.

About the Author

If you wish to find out much more about chin ups and just how to perform towel chin ups effectively make sure you go to perfectchinups.net for significantly a lot more details!

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whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.

Gabriella Alice

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Find More Pull Ups And Chin Ups Articles

Difference between pull-ups and chin-ups

These are two different, but similar exercises, which focus on different muscle groups.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups utilize a grip with the palms facing away from you. When the palms of your hands are facing away from you, you are working out your back, your deltoids, your triceps, and your biceps. Pull-ups are a more all-around body work out. This is opposed to chin-ups, which have more of a focus on your biceps. Pull-ups are more of a functional exercise. It is more often that you are climbing up and over things by putting your palms facing away from you. If you imagine a wall, there is not a way for you to climb over the wall with your palms facing towards you unless the walls have some sort of handles. Also, even if you were able to find something where you could pull yourself up with your palms facing towards you, it would still be much more difficult to climb over.

Once you pulled yourself up, you would have to change your hand position to a pull-up grip to be able to climb over. If you did not, your hands will get it the way once you try to shift your weight over the obstacle. As another example, if you imagine a rock climbing wall, you are never grabbing the “rocks” with an underhand type grip. You are always grabbing “rocks” with an overhand type grip, such as in a pull-up.

Chin-ups

Chin-ups utilize a grip with the palms facing towards you. When the palms of your hands are facing toward you, you are working out your triceps, your biceps, and a little bit of your back. Chin-ups put a much greater focus on your biceps. Chin-ups are less functional than pull-ups because biceps are not used for much in athletics or in everyday activities. However, they create an overall balance in your musculature and balance is important to prevent injury. If your triceps are way stronger than your biceps, then you may be subjecting yourself to possible injury when you are working out with heavier weights.

Summary

In summary, pull-ups are a more all-around upper body strength exercise and are more functional for real life situations. This is probably why in military, law enforcement, and physical education training, there is more of a focus on pull-ups.

Difference between pull-ups and chin-ups

These are two different, but similar exercises, which focus on different muscle groups.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups utilize a grip with the palms facing away from you. When the palms of your hands are facing away from you, you are working out your back, your deltoids, your triceps, and your biceps. Pull-ups are a more all-around body work out. This is opposed to chin-ups, which have more of a focus on your biceps. Pull-ups are more of a functional exercise. It is more often that you are climbing up and over things by putting your palms facing away from you. If you imagine a wall, there is not a way for you to climb over the wall with your palms facing towards you unless the walls have some sort of handles. Also, even if you were able to find something where you could pull yourself up with your palms facing towards you, it would still be much more difficult to climb over.

Once you pulled yourself up, you would have to change your hand position to a pull-up grip to be able to climb over. If you did not, your hands will get it the way once you try to shift your weight over the obstacle. As another example, if you imagine a rock climbing wall, you are never grabbing the “rocks” with an underhand type grip. You are always grabbing “rocks” with an overhand type grip, such as in a pull-up.

Chin-ups

Chin-ups utilize a grip with the palms facing towards you. When the palms of your hands are facing toward you, you are working out your triceps, your biceps, and a little bit of your back. Chin-ups put a much greater focus on your biceps. Chin-ups are less functional than pull-ups because biceps are not used for much in athletics or in everyday activities. However, they create an overall balance in your musculature and balance is important to prevent injury. If your triceps are way stronger than your biceps, then you may be subjecting yourself to possible injury when you are working out with heavier weights.

Summary

In summary, pull-ups are a more all-around upper body strength exercise and are more functional for real life situations. This is probably why in military, law enforcement, and physical education training, there is more of a focus on pull-ups.

Related Pull Ups And Chin Ups Articles

How To Do Pull-Ups At Home When You Don’t Have a Pull-Up Bar

Article by Nick Nilsson

So you’re training at home and you don’t have a place to put a chin-up bar. Or you don’t have a power rack with a chin-up bar on it.

No problem!

I’ve got a couple of simple items that are going to totally change the way you look at hardware stores…

What are those items?

C-clamps…

Your basic woodworking C-clamps, available at any hardware store in the world.

All you have to do is clamp those onto something solid in your house (or outside) and you’ve got yourself a couple of chin-up handles! I have two clamps (the size I use is 4 inch – it gives you the perfect size handle for gripping on) attached to a rafter in my basement.

It’s a simple matter of clamping those on somewhere high up then doing pull-ups on them! Of course, just be absolutely sure that the rafters you’re clamping onto are very solid.

If you’re worried about damaging the surface with the clamps, just slide a couple of smaller pieces of wood in between the clamping surfaces to spread out the load.

This setup is not only cheap and easy but very versatile. Because you can clamp on anywhere you like, you can change the grip width very easily. You can start with close grip chins then move a clamp out further and do neutral-grip wide-grip pull-ups.

You can set the clamps on two different rafters and do regular wide-grip pull-ups. Heck, you can shift the clamps around to almost any position and do a HUGE variety of mixed-grip pull-ups. The options are many.

At this point, I’m sure you’re thinking “sounds great, but are they solid?”

The are definitely solid and can hold up a substantial amount of weight, as long as they’re clamped on tight.

I weigh about 200 lbs and once solidly clamped on, mine did not budge the slightest bit. And this was with me TRYING to pull them loose. I even did pull-ups on just ONE clamp and it didn’t budge.

You could very easily do weight pull-ups with a set-up like that as well…you would need either a dumbell or a dip belt in order to add that extra weight, though.

I also highly recommend a solid bench or chair to stand on when getting into position so that you don’t have to jump up to grab the clamps. This will make it a lot easier to get into position, especially when doing weight pull-ups.

So if you train at home and have been looking for a pull-up solution, head over to the hardware store a.s.a.p. and go grab your C-clamps!

Related Pull Ups At Home Articles

How To Do Pull-ups and Chin-ups With Proper Technique

Article by danijel

Pull-ups & Chin-ups force you to lift your own body-weight. They are the best strength training exercises you can do for upper-body strength & muscle mass. Unfortunately Pull-ups & Chin-ups are hard. Very hard.

If you’re a beginner, chances are you can’t do 1 Pull-up or Chin-up. This article will not only teach you how to do Pull-ups & Chin-ups with proper technique, but also how to get stronger at them so you can do the weighted versions.

What are Pull-ups & Chin-ups? Hang on a pull-up bar with straight arms & pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. The difference between Pull-ups & Chin-ups is in the grip:

* Pull-ups. Palms facing away. Less biceps, more back. Harder.* Chin-ups. Palms facing you. Work your biceps more. Easier.

Other Pull-up variations include: palms facing each others, thumbless grip, towel Pull-ups, Fat Bar Pull-ups, Mixed Grip Pull-ups, Horizontal Pull-ups, Kipping Pull-ups, etc. This article deals with Pull-ups & Chin-ups.

Benefits of Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Program includes Pull-ups & Chin-ups for the following reasons:

* Build Muscle. Pull-ups & Chin-ups force you to lift your own bodyweight. This stresses your body, building the muscles of your arms & back.* Grappling Strength. Pull-ups & Chin-ups help any sport which involves gripping, grappling & pulling, like MMA or Rock Climbing.* Carryover. Get stronger at Pull-ups & Chin-ups and you’ll get stronger on the opposite movements: the Overhead Press & Bench Press.* Shoulder Health. Balancing press exercises like the Bench Press with pull exercises like Barbell Rows & Pull-ups prevents muscle imbalances.

What Do You Need for Pull-ups & Chin-ups? A Power Rack with a Pull-up bar works best. Or a Doorway Pull-up bar. Any surface where you can hang from at arm’s length will do for Pull-ups & Chin-ups.

What if You Can’t Do 1 Pull-up or Chin-up? Whatever method you choose: pull yourself up as if nothing/nobody was helping you. Pull-ups & Chin-ups feel very different without assistance. And always try to beat your previous record.

* Chin-ups. Chin-ups are easier than Pull-ups. If you can’t do 1 Pull-up, try Chin-ups. Alternate Chin-ups with Pull-ups when you get stronger.* Resistance Band. Attach a resistance band to your pull-up bar and loop it around your knee, like in this video.* Ask For Help. Ask someone to grab your side with his hands. Let him help you on the way up by squatting down & pressing up.* Kipping Pull-ups. Swing your hips while pulling yourself up until you get stronger. Check how Jesse Marunde uses his hips on the last reps.* Routine. You can also try this strength training routine to increase your strength on Pull-ups (or Chin-ups).* Use Momentum. Jump up & use momentum. Control yourself on the way down. This one will get you a sore back & arms. You’re warned.

Assisted Pull-up Machines & Lat Pulldowns. Stay away from both. If you want to get stronger at Pull-ups & Chin-ups, do Pull-ups & Chin-ups. The strength you build on machines doesn’t convert to Pull-ups & Chin-ups.

* No Balance. You don’t have to balance yourself on machines. You’ll lose strength when switching to Pull-ups & Chin-ups: they’re harder.* Mental Factor. You’re using less strength on the Assisted Pull-up Machine because you know the machine is helping you on the way up.

Once again: if you want to get stronger at Pull-ups & Chin-ups, do Pull-ups & Chin-ups. You’re losing time with machines. If you can’t do 1 rep, try the above methods. You’ll be able to do 1 Pull-up/Chin-up within a month.

Weighted Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Once you can do 10-15 Pull-ups or Chin-ups in a row, add weight to keep the exercise challenging. Here’s how:

* Dumbbell Between Legs. Gets you an ab workout too. Doesn’t work once you’re using more than 10-20kg.* Rucksack. Wear a rucksack & put plates in it.* Belt & Chain. What I do. Wear a belt. Suspend plates from a chain, attach the chain to your belt.

Pull-up & Chin-up Technique. Start each rep from a dead hang with straight elbows. Clear the bar with your chin on every rep.

* Squeeze The Bar. And put the bar close to your fingers, not in the palm of your hand. It minimize callus formation.* Breathe at The Bottom. It’s easier to breathe at the bottom. Take a big breath before pulling yourself up.* Chest Up. Don’t let your shoulders go forward: it’s unhealthy for your shoulders. Lead with your chest up & keep your shoulders back.* Look Up. Never look down during Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Look at the bar. Look where you’re pulling yourself up to.* Elbows to The Floor. Drive with your elbows to the floor. This involves your stronger back muscles more.* Bend Your Legs. And cross your feet. Letting your legs hang means less strength in my experience. Squeeze your glutes on the way up.

Common Errors. Most common error on Pull-ups & Chin-ups is cheating the range of motion by not going low or high enough on each rep.

* Not Straightening the Arms. Start from a dead hang with straight elbows, like on the picture above. No partial Pull-ups/Chin-ups.* Shoulders Going Forward. It’s bad posture & bad technique. Lead with your chest up while driving your elbows to the floor.* Using The Hips. Keep your legs inline with your torso, unless you’re doing Kipping Pull-ups.* Chin Over Bar. Nose or forehead against the bar is a partial Pull-up/Chin-up. Chin over bar unless you’re not strong enough yet.