4 Weeks of Strict Progress: Your guide on how to get your first pull-up ASAP
According to The New York Times Magazine, you shouldn’t. The Times’ article titled “Why Women Can’t Do Pull-Ups” bluntly explains a study that followed 17 women on a mission to achieve their first pull-up. By the end of 3 months on a 3 day/week training program, only 4 of the 17 were successful.
Women are underserved when it comes to health and fitness.
We’re constantly fed the idea that women are weak, and then discouraged from even trying to get stronger. Poorly designed studies and infuriating headlines are the norm when it comes to talking about, marketing to, and scientifically studying women’s performance in the gym.
Women have different strength training needs than men.
Training for a specific goal requires some thought and… specific programming (which the study lacked).
A pull-up is one of the many ways you can work towards excelling and accomplishing what you (or the goddamn New York Times) thought was once impossible. Pull-ups are hard. Which makes them badass. They’re something that takes time – kind of like being completely up-to-date on the current Vanderpump Rules drama – and because of that, it makes you part of an imaginary but elite club of swole women when you get that first one.
Other than sticking it to the man, pull-ups and building vertical pulling strength have a ton of benefits. Here’s a list of them so you can tell your grandma when she gets concerned with your newfound confidence. Pull-up strength:
The strict pull-up engages the abs, obliques and transverse abdominal muscles. In my program, you can effortlessly train your abs every time you’re completing a pull-up.
Grip strength is a useful biomarker of aging and health status. A strong grip is shown to correlate with better outcomes for aging populations (that one is my favorite for grandma, she’ll get it).
You don’t need to become a rock climber (or maybe you should, they’re jacked), but vertical pulling strength is essential for reaching and grabbing things overhead. I haven’t needed a man to help me lift my carry-on to the overhead bin in years. It comes in handy for playground trips as well.
I’ve never in my life heard a woman complain about developing muscle in her back. It’s elegant, feminine, and pairs well with my favorite backless dress. Appearance goals are typically a side effect of my performance goals, but they count for something, especially when I have a photo to prove it.
I could go on: posture, healthier shoulders, athletic performance improvements, confidence boost, a perspective change when it comes to viewing my time in the gym as something other than a way to look different.
One of these benefits can be life-changing, but you get to reap all of them. Like I said, you deserve it. That’s why I’ve made my proven pull-up program completely free.
“I got my first pull-up today, after about 3 weeks of negatives. So happy :-) Thanks so much.
- Gemma, 44 in Bournemouth, UK
“Holy Moly, I never thought I could do a pull-up after 10 years of trying. But following your system, I was able to do my first pull-up after 2 months! And I’m 50! Thank you so much!”
- Diana, 50
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