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Chin-Up Progressions for Women (The One Rep Hump) – Part III

Last one, I promise.

By now, I’m sure there are some reading who are thinking to themselves, “alright Gentilcore, lets turn the page for crying out loud!,” or feel as if Charlie Brown’s teacher is talking to them:, “Wannk, wannk, wannk………”

I didn’t think it was possible, but what started as a quick blog post on some simple chin-up progressions for women, quickly turned into my version of War and Peace.

For those just joining in on the fun, I’d highly encourage you to check out the previous two parts, HERE and HERE.

In keeping with the momentum from yesterday – where I talked about the efficacy of performing eccentric only chin-ups –  another viable option would be to perform…….

Loaded Eccentric Chin-Ups

As a brief review, we’re much stronger during the eccentric (lowering) portion of any movement compared to the concentric (overcoming/lifting) portion.  For the guys out there reading, this is why it’s sometimes advantageous to include some dedicated eccentric-only benching variations to help improve overall strength, as well as induce some pretty significant muscle gains.  Pecs for days!!!!!!

Bringing this back to the topic at hand, for women, eccentric only chin-ups are a definite STAPLE in terms of getting over that 1-rep hump.  What’s more, you can also make them even more challenging by adding an external load in the form of a weight vest or maybe a weight belt with a dumbbell or plate attached.

The same principles would apply:  you’d jump up and lower yourself as controlled as possible.  Except here, the awesomeness factor is increased by roughly 312% because of the additional external load

Granted, there aren’t going to be a lot of instances where I’m going to LOAD an eccentric-0nly chin-up – especially if we’re still vying for that one full, unassisted rep – but it’s something we can keep in our exercise toolbox nonetheless.

Chin-Up Isometric Holds

What I love about isometric holds is that there’s going to be a carryover to the 10-15 degrees (above and below) the joint angle being held.  Meaning, I can have someone perform an isometric hold in or around their “sticking point,” and there will be a noticeable carryover.

Of course, for many women, you may remember those dreadful flex-arm hangs that your PE teacher used to make you do back in the day, and I apologize if I brought back any bad memories.

That said, they’re actually a valuable tool that you can implement almost instantaneously.  I like two options:

1.  At the start of a training session – when you’re the most fresh – jump up and hold for a specific time frame.  I generally like to start with anywhere from 20-30 seconds (and build-up from there) for 4-5 sets.

2. Conversely, at the end of a training session – when you hate life – hold in the BOTTOM position and try as best you can to pull yourself up from a dead-hang.  Grab the bar, jump up, lower yourself controlled, and when you come juuuuuuust short of locking your elbows out, HOLD!!!!!!

It seems counterproductive, but I feel there’s some merit in adding a few grinders into the mix and attempt to “muscle” yourself out of the starting position. Of course, I’m not interested in you looking as if you’re having a seizure in mid-air.  The less “body english” the better.

Keeping your shoulder blades retracted and depressed, try as best you can to pull yourself up from a dead hang.

Remember, even if you don’t budge, there’s going to be a certain degree of carryover (above and below) the joint angle being worked.

Pull for 10-15 seconds.  Stop.

Do this for a total of 3-5 “sets.”

Band Assisted Chin-Up

This is probably the most well known variation, and arguably the least understood.  I’ve had several TRAINERS argue with me that they see no difference between a counterbalanced chin-up machine and their band-assisted counterparts. Not surprisingly, these are the same trainers who haven’t picked up a book in five years and think watching The Biggest Loser counts as continuing education.

Sad, but true.

The reason why I prefer band assisted variations is that they take advantage of the strength curve. In about as non-scientific as I can make it: the band “assists” you where you’re most weak – in this case, at the bottom of the chin-up when the arms are full extended.  Conversely, as you pull your body towards the bar, and the joint angles are more in your favor, the band assists less and less and you start utilizing more of your own strength to complete the movement.

In this way, depending on one’s ability, we can use varying set-ups and/or thicknesses of bands to progress or regress the exercise in a much more conducive way.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

1. Remember:  attitude is king. Stop thinking that you can’t do something, and instead, dominate it.  Sure, it’s going to take time and a lot of hard work, but you CAN DO IT!!!!

2.  Frequency is kind of a big deal.  Now, one thing to consider is that for females (and males for that matter) who can’t perform one chin-up, ANY chin-up is going to be a max effort lift.  That said, I’d still recommend shooting for “x” number of reps per day, albeit spread out.  Perform 2-3 eccentric reps in the AM, 2-3 at lunch, and 2-3 at dinner time, no matter what.  Anything more than that is just gravy on top.

3.  Seriously, get an Iron Gym. Arguably the best $27 you can spend on yourself.  Mascara included.

4.  As far as programming:  if performing a chin-up is a priority for you, then you need to make sure that you start each training session with a chin-up variation.  Yes, EVERY session.  So, for example, if you train three times per week….

Session One:  start with one of the TRX progressions highlighted in Part I.

Session Two:  start with eccentric only chin-ups

Session Three:  use one of the band-assisted variations showcased in the video above.

And there you have it. I’m sure I could elaborate a bit more, but in all honesty, if you’re still reading, you deserve a Nobel Prize.

Armed with these suggestions, you should be more than ready to conquer the chin-up.

 

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Chin-Up Progressions for Women (The One Rep Hump) – Part II

Okay, before I continue with second part of this post, two things need to happen:

1.  If you haven’t already, you need to check out PART I. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s the best thing ever written on the internet (although it’s pretty close), but it definitely sets the tone for the entire piece as a whole, and well, not reading part I before reading part II is kind of like watching The Empire Strikes Back before A New Hope.  It’s just crazy talk!

2.  And since that was an obvious attempt at a segue for me to briefly talk about the Oscars last night, I’m rolling with it.

  • It was great to have Billy Crystal back hosting.  The man is a class-act. Sure, there were some awkward silences when a joke or two (or seventeen) didn’t work; but whatever.  I was entertained, and that’s all that matters.
  • Angelina needs to eat something for the love of god! In fact, while watching the show, both Lisa and myself commented on how Skeletor skinny many of the women appeared.  Granted, she’s now spewing out nonsensical dieting tips like eating apples only grown underneath rainbows or anything like that, so who am I to judge? But is it any wonder why there’s an on going image war in our society on what’s the ideal “look” for women to aspire for?
  • I was really happy to see that Hugo won for Best Cinematography as well as Art Direction.
  • J-Jo was bringing it last night.  Like whoa!

  • In general, 2011 was a pretty weak year for movies.  I mean, sure, The Artist was a good film, and I’m “okay” with it winning for Best Picture, etc.  But lets be honest:  come this time next year, NO ONE is going to remember that it won, and it’s certainly not going to linger in people’s minds.  When they showed one of the numerous montages of past films, I couldn’t help but feel that NONE of the films that were nominated for Best Picture this year would ever be included in such a montage alongside classics (and not necessarily Best Picture winners) like GoodFellas, The Godfather, Jaws, Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, so on and so forth.  Here’s hoping that 2012 is a little more spectacular.

Okay, on to matters at hand:  how to rock your first chin-up.  Unfortunately, not every woman is like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 busting out chin-ups in a psyche ward.

Then again, not everyone banged a dude from the future and is preparing for the end of the world run by machines. To each his own, I suppose.

Nevertheless, the point here isn’t to necessarily compare yourself to John Connor’s mom (although that’s pretty badass), but rather to show you some strategies you can implement to help take yourself from from Point A (you want me to do what now?)…………

……to Point B (I can do a chin-up, bitches!).

As you may recall, in part one, I went out of my way to suggest that having a little attitude is a good thing, as well as described some unique TRX progressions one can use to help “grease” more of a vertical pulling motion.

Of course, this begs the question:  what happens if you don’t have access to a TRX unit?

Well, you could always purchase one (hint hint, wink wink). For what it would cost to buy a knock-off Coach bag, you can get a TRX.

Just sayin……

In addition, you could also try these other modalities that we like to use with our female clients at Cressey Performance.

Eccentric Only Chin-Ups

Put in simple terms, the eccentric (or the yielding/lowering portion of the movement) is a fantastic way to help build specific strength within that ROM.

Getting geeky for a second, in terms of the actual mechanism, the muscle lengthens while under tension due to the opposing force (body weight) being greater than the force produced by the muscle. Unlike a concentric contraction, where the joint is pulled in the direction of the muscle contraction, in an eccentric contraction the muscle acts to decelerate the joint at the end of a movement.

What’s more, and this is pretty cool:  the body is a shit ton (<– that’s a lot) STRONGER eccentrically than it is concentrically.  Put another way, it’s much easier to lower yourself (controlled) from the chin-up bar than it is to lift yourself from a dead-hang, where you have to “overcome”  the weight of your own body.

Depending on one’s height, you may have to play around with how high of a box you use to stand on to jump to the bar.  A little piece of advice, however:  set the box a little more forward so that when you do jump up, the body won’t sway back and forth as much.

From there, the concept is pretty self-explanatory.

  • Jump up to the bar so that your sternum touches the bar.  Remember, too, to keep your shoulder blades together AND depressed (shoulder blades in the back pocket).  No shrugging.
  • As controlled as possible, lower yourself until your arms come just short of locking out. The “controlled” part is what’s important.  This shouldn’t be a dive bomb towards the floor, but rather a nice 5+ second descent.  Don’t worry if you can’t get a full five seconds – again, it’s the controlled part that’s important.
  • Hop down, jump back up to the bar, and repeat.

Now, of course, how many reps one can do is going to be highly individual.  Grip strength is going to be a limiting factor, not to mention one’s strength levels from the get go.

To that end, I like to use several options.

1.  For the stronger females (one’s who can easily control the eccentric), I’ll shoot for straight sets.  Typically sets of 5-6 reps.  Eight if I really feel like being a masochistic bastard.

2.  Another option I like is to shoot for a specific number of repetitions.  For instance, I may say in their program “25 reps.  Get it done.  No complaining.” Which, if that’s the case, they have to hit that number regardless of how many sets it takes.  If I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll go as high as 40-50 and I’ll just pair their chin-ups with something else (preferably with a exercise that won’t challenge the grip).

A1.  Chin-Ups (50 reps) – sets of five
A2.  Goblet Squats (x8), Push-Ups (x8) – alternate between sets of chin-ups.

***Meaning, they’ll perform a set of five eccentric chin-ups, and pair it with a goblet squat.  On their next set of chins, they’ll perform a set of push-ups.  From there, they’ll alternate back and forth until all required reps are completed.

3.  For those who are a bit weaker and can’t really perform five (controlled) reps, I’ll utilize more of a rest/pause approach.

So, in this case, I’ll still have them perform sets of 3-5, but with a little “break” in between each rep.  It may look something like this:

Perform 1 Rep
Rest 10-20 seconds
Perform 1 Rep
Rest 10-20 seconds
Perform 1 Rep
Rest 10-20 seconds
Perform 1 Rep
Rest 10-20 seconds (most likely give Tony the look of death)
Perform 1 Rep
Rest 2-3 minutes (flip Tony the bird)

4.  Another point to consider – and this is something that a female reader brought up in the comments section on Friday – is the whole “embarrassment factor.”  Understandably, some females are just intimidated and feel like the spotlight is directly on them when performing anything in the weight room.

As such, sometimes it’s more prudent to give them “homework” and have them perform “x” number of eccentric only reps throughout the day…….on their own……at their own discretion…..in the comfort of their own home.

I’m completely cool with that.

That said, go HERE and buy an Iron Gym.

With this option, again, the objective is to shoot for “x” number of reps throughout the day – 5, 10, till you can’t feel the left side if your face, whatever.  So, whether you allot a specific time to train, or you just happen to walk past the bar on your way to blow dry your hair, and you want to bang out a rep or two, it’s your call. The bar is there and no one is watching.  Have at it!

I’ve used this “homework” approach with several of our female clients, and they LOVE it.

Okay, that should keep the palette wet until tomorrow where I’ll discuss a handful of other options I like to use to get over that one rep hump.  Till then, as always, feel free to share your thoughts below.

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Chin-Up Progressions for Women (The One Rep Hump) – Part I

I’ve noted in the past that, outside of maybe a handful (who are working their tails off to get there), every female client that trains at Cressey Performance (above the age of 16) can do a real, dead start, arms fully extended, sternum to the bar, non-spastic looking, legit chin-up.  Usually for multiple reps.

In recent months it’s been almost epidemic. Seemingly every female client is on a mission to conquer the chin-up, and the fruits of their labor are blossoming like never before with teenage girls as well as 50+ year old women – some of which who have been training for more than half their life – achieving something that they never thought possible.

You see, they had always been told by friends, family, the bulk of women’s magazines (or more than likely, told themselves) that they could never, not in a million years, do an actual chin-up.

Oh no you didn’t!!!!!!!!

As you can imagine, I think that’s a bunch of silly talk, and nothing is more satisfying than proving each and every one of them that they’re flat out wrong.

Truth be told, it’s amazing what can happen when you cut through the BS, stop making excuses, hold people accountable, and place them in a training environment that doesn’t cater to their fears.

That latter point is something that really bugs me sometimes.  How often have you heard a woman say she’d really love to perform a chin-up, and then her trainer points her in the direction of one of those counterbalanced chin-up apparatuses, or worse, the seated lat pulldown machine.

Full disclosure:  I’m not entirely opposed to those machines.  There’s a time and place for them, just as there’s a time and place for a leg press (hahahahahahaaha.  Just kidding).

But in all seriousness, if I’m starting with someone who’s woefully weak – to the point where gripping a bar and holding their body weight is too challenging – and relatively inexperienced in the weight room, I have no issues whatsoever introducing them to exercises like lat pulldowns or counterbalanced chin-up/pull-up variations to help build strength within that movement pattern and “grease” proper technique:

  • Keep chin tucked
  • Pull through the elbows
  • Keep shoulder blades together and down (retracted and depressed).  Another cue I like here is to keep the shoulder blades in the back pocket.  This helps prevent any shrugging.
  • Finish at the sternum and squeeze!
  • Lower controlled, and come juuuuuuuuuuust short of locking the elbows outs (maintain tension).
  • Repeat and when done, cue Goose and Maverick high five.

Moving forward however, if you want to get more proficient with chin-ups (or pull-ups) it stands to reason that, eventually, you need to gravitate towards the actual chin-up/pull-up bar.  And, if I am to speak frankly, I really feel that utilizing the lat pulldown and counterbalanced machines, exclusively, is just putting a band-aid over an obvious strength issue, if not something more relevant altogether.

To me, serving as the umbrella of all of this – and certainly not to be understated – is the mentality that a vast majority of woman carry heading into such a task.

That they just can’t do a chin-up. Period.

STOP THIS!!!!

It’s counterproductive and all the negative self talk isn’t going to help matters.

[Takes deep breath]

I tried to figure out a way to say what I’m about to say in a more PC fashion, and after fiddling with a few different sentences, talking it over with several other females, and letting my thoughts stew for a few days, I just decided to go with it.  Here it is:

If you have the ability to grow a human being inside your body and push it out, you undoubtedly have the ability to bang out a chin-up.  And might I add:  in MUCH less time than nine months.

Understandably, I recognize how the statement above may rub some the wrong way (but hopefully most of the people reading “get” the context) – but it’s high time we stop making excuses and stop sugar coating things. Quit with the excuses.

That said, what follows are some of the exercises (and progressions) we like to use at Cressey Performance with many of our female clients to help them get over that 1-rep hump……….

TRX Progressions

Giving credit where credit is due, I actually “stole” these from Ottawa based strength coach Elsbeth Vaino, after a distance coaching client of mine directed me in her direction.  I thought these progressions were brilliant and rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I’d pass them along and share them with you.

A few things to note beforehand:

1.  Before attempting these, it’s assumed that you can perform a regular TRX inverted row flawlessly.  If not, please don’t try these as it’s probably not going to look pretty.

2.  There’s a bit of trial and error involved in setting up the apparatus as you have to wrap the TRX around the bar in order to get the handles at the proper height.

3.  In the videos, I realize that Whitney is using more of a neutral grip rather than a standard supinated (underhand) grip while demonstrating the exercises.  It’s okay, I understand the difference between a chin-up and pull-up, so for those who were inevitably going to get their panties all up in a bunch and call me out……..relax.  I called myself out.  So there!

TRX Chin-Up Progression I

The main point to highlight here, is that Whitney is starting from her knees and then pulling herself up while using her feet to kinda “assist” herself up towards her chest. I don’t mind a little bit of “rocking” at the bottom as all I’m really concerned about here is grooving a more vertical pattern which carries over very well to the actual chin-up.

All the same rules apply in terms of proper technique:  shoulder blades in the back pocket, pull through the elbows, keep the chin tucked, control the eccentric (lowering) portion of the lift, increase your general level of awesomeness.

From there, we can progress the exercise into a more seated variation.

TRX Chin-Up Progression II

This does two things:

1.  Increases the range of motion.

2.  Forces Whitney to pull more of her own body weight.

Still, the objective is to grease more of a vertical pulling pattern, which can’t necessarily be down with a conventional inverted row.

TRX Chin-Up Progression III

Kicking it up a notch, we can then elevate Whitney’s feet onto a box (or stepper) and increase the ROM even further.

Simple, albeit very effective.

Among much else, these variations serve as an awesome way to get the ball rolling and to help better prepare the trainee for pulling her own body weight rather than relying on a machine to do so for her.

Of course, there are numerous other progressions (and even regressions) I like to implement, such as  band assisted variations as well as eccentric only variations, but those will have to wait until next week when I dive into part II.

Till then, feel free to share your thoughts below and offer your own insight into the matter.  I’d love to hear them!