Pull-Ups for Chicks

By Iron Maiden Val Hedlund

1. DEAD HANG: ALWAYS start in a dead hang. It really irks me when people say “I can do a pull up” and then they start halfway up already. If you’re going to do it, do it well, and do it so no one can question your ability.
2. ABS & LATS: Hang in the dead hang position and engage your lats & abs. Pull your shoulders into your body and press your ribs down toward your hips. It will look like you’re making your neck longer and abs shorter.   
3. TOTAL BODY: Engage your whole body before you come up.  Lats, abs, & legs will all be tight. Pull everything in toward your navel before you begin. Pull Ups are a TOTAL BODY exercise. If you’re trying to just use your arms, you’re not only making it a lot harder, but there’s a better chance you’ll get hurt.
4. BAND ASSISTANCE: If you can’t move from the bottom position on your own or you have a sticking point, use a rubber band. There are a lot of ways to attach the band to the bar and depending on the strength of the band, you can either put your feet or your knees into the band. Get into the dead hang position, engage lats, abs, legs, and allow the band to help you up get your chin over the bar.
    
   • Stay away from the assisted pull up machines.  They’re lame and they teach you to only use your arms. They don’t teach you how to use your entire body to pull up.  Stay away and don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re doing pull ups on that thing.
      
5. ELBOWS: While using the band to help you, think about DRIVING your elbows into your sides. Don’t think about your hands for now. You need a good grip, but focusing in on your elbows and picturing them DRIVING into your sides, propelling you up and over the bar, will help you use your lats more.
6. ISOMETRIC HOLD: Hold the top position.  Hold it for 5-10 seconds. Keep driving your elbows into your sides.
7. GROOVE & NEGATIVE: If you’re able to perform a couple good pull ups with the band, but still can’t get up fully on your own, follow this routine:

   1. Perform 5 band pull ups, feel the groove of the pull up
   2. Get rid of the band & jump up to above the bar
   3. Hold yourself in the top position for 2-3 sec
   4. Lower yourself in 10 sec to a full dead hang position
   5. Perform 2 more “negatives” like that

Note from Josh: Val is one of the strongest, fittest RKC Kettlebell Instructors I've ever met.  Winning the Iron Maiden Challenge meant that she had to do a pullup with a 53lb kettlebell, a single leg squat (pistol) with a 53lb kettlebell, and a one arm military press with a 53lb kettlebell.

So far, only four women in the world have passed the Iron Maiden Challenge.

As amazing as she is as an athlete, she's an even better coach.  She's also *my* trainer – when I need help with my kettlebell skills (which is at least twice a month) I go to Val.

If you're into being a strong chick, definitely check out Val's Iron Maiden Blog:

www.ironmaidenval.com 

Also – if you are interested in getting flexbands for your pullups, here is where to get them: http://www.flexbandonline.com/aboutsizesfit.htm