4 ms·

> I am trying to build upper body strength and pull-ups kill me IMO, the best thing is if you have access to an assisted pull up machine or lat pull down. Ban

> I am trying to build upper body strength and pull-ups kill me IMO, the best thing is if you have access to an assisted pull up machine or lat pull down. Bands can work alright (and they're cheap!), but assisted pull ups and/or lat pull down allow you finely tune your progressive overload. The general problem with bands (and spring type resistance in general) is that the non-linear resistance makes it more difficult to judge your progress.

wnolens 4y ago
I'd have to disagree. To me a negative is worth more than an assisted rep because you get to practice the real range of motion and activate all muscles (incl. stabilizers). Assisted forms ultimately "assist" you at some fixed point which alters the path you would take if hanging, often removing your core entirely. Also, I'd take the non-linear resistance of bands over the absence of core activation from a pull-up machine or the very different lat pulldown motion.
- claytongulick 4y ago
  I'm a big calisthenics nerd, and I agree with this. For reference, I'm a rounding error away from 50 and I still do advanced bar work - muscle ups, archer pullups, pull overs, etc... I think it's important to always work with your bodyweight. 80% of strength is neuronal coordination, you'll get strong with the way you train. Use your bodyweight in closed kinetic chain [1] exercises and avoid the machines unless you're injured or have a specific reason. There are progressions for every level. I recommend "Be your own gym" and "Overcoming Gravity" for great references on bodyweight training. (Also: don't do muscle ups. The only people who like that are sports medicine docs.) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_kinetic_chain_exercises#:~:text=Closed%20kinetic%20chain%20exercises%20or,the%20base%20of%20a%20machine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_kinetic_chain_exercis....

wnolens 4y ago

I'd have to disagree. To me a negative is worth more than an assisted rep because you get to practice the real range of motion and activate all muscles (incl. stabilizers). Assisted forms ultimately "assist" you at some fixed point which alters the path you would take if hanging, often removing your core entirely. Also, I'd take the non-linear resistance of bands over the absence of core activation from a pull-up machine or the very different lat pulldown motion.

claytongulick 4y ago
I'm a big calisthenics nerd, and I agree with this. For reference, I'm a rounding error away from 50 and I still do advanced bar work - muscle ups, archer pullups, pull overs, etc... I think it's important to always work with your bodyweight. 80% of strength is neuronal coordination, you'll get strong with the way you train. Use your bodyweight in closed kinetic chain [1] exercises and avoid the machines unless you're injured or have a specific reason. There are progressions for every level. I recommend "Be your own gym" and "Overcoming Gravity" for great references on bodyweight training. (Also: don't do muscle ups. The only people who like that are sports medicine docs.) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_kinetic_chain_exercises#:~:text=Closed%20kinetic%20chain%20exercises%20or,the%20base%20of%20a%20machine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_kinetic_chain_exercis....