WAG Chin/pull ups

[coach1234]

I have a gymnast on our development program who is very flexible but has very little upper body strength, her strength has improved massively over the past 6 months but she still cannot chin/pull up she will hang on the bar and just shugg her shoulders she cannot even bend her arms a little bit
She is supposed to be doing her grades later this year but her bar routine has chin ups in it, if she cannot chin up she will not be entered which I really don't want because she can do all the other skills on all the other pieces beautifully! It would be a massive shame if she couldn't be entered

Does anyone have any tips/ suggestions on how I can get her to be able to chin up?
Thanks

 

[Ex member]

My 7 year old dd could not do chin ups or leg lifts when she first started her development group, 8 months on she has improved in strength and can do a few chin ups and leg lifts from hanging, she seems to be better in her reverse grip pull-ups. My dd seems more flexible then she is strong.

What helped my dd with her pull-ups was to get her a doorway chin up bar and encourage her to do pull-ups daily or every other day. When she first started she couldn't even jump to a pull up position and hold. After a week of assisted pull ups (I took most of her weight) she could jump to a chin up and hold for a few seconds. Dd built on this and could half jump and half pull into a chin up and after a few months doing this and conditioning at gym she could do a few from hanging (both grips).

I think climbing rope at gym also helped, dd struggled with this at first but got better over time.

 

[Pea'sMom]

In my adult workout class I was told to start 'up' in the chin-up and then slowly lower myself. Gravity and body weight will work the muscles. I would assume that would work for kids too.
Besides that I agree with the rope climbs idea...

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I posted a very similar thread a year ago. I had a 7 year old gymnast who was really talented on every other apparatus but bars. She couldn't do a chin up. One of the higher level coaches came over and said she saw potential in that child and wanted to get her into group which headed to elite stream. I talked with the child and we agreed she need to practice on that chin up hard during summer at home because at that time she was only practicing 3 hours a week. I also talked to her mum (who was actually a former gymnast) and said she has to support, encourage and praise her child every possible way when she practices chin ups home. At first the mum helped her by lifting her a little bit and during summer she got closer. At the end of summer they had a discussion with the other coach and the other coach said she saw some improvement and was willing to start to train her 10 hours a week. The child was over a moon. The start was hard for her but fast forward 12 months she has now her kip on low bar and can actually do about 8 chin ups. I think the first one is the hardest!

Conditioning can make miracles to happen! Talk to her mum and give her a daily chin up practice written on paper! She will get it and many more!

 

[SXS524]

I could post a very similar post about the gymnasts I coach, so I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one! Very flexible gymnast, naturally neat and has great leg lifts on bars but can't chin up. Also aiming for grades next year. Hoping she will make use of her home chin up bar like Tiny Dancer and get there in the end are you aiming for grade 14 coach 1234?

 

[BlairBob]

Starts off with horizontal body rows feet on floor with either rings or on a low kinder bar for support work. Then doing them off a box so body is horizontal.

You can either work spotted chin holds or simply have them do them on their own with the body rows.

Eventually this progresses to doing a body row with the hips piking and chin holds with a jump and hold with the feet in the air.

Assisted feet rope climbing will help as a scaled rope climb for volume and grip strength.

Another drill is on a rope have them sit in a straddle and pull up. Start with their hands roughly forehead height and feet do not come off the floor. Eventually they will reach as high as possible. Release and switch grip on each rep.

Ideally I would have a young kid training pullup in this fashion at least 3 times a week. They probably will practice 2-3x in gym, so once more at Open gym or at home is suitable.

Target rep goal should be about 10 repetitions before moving on to the next progressions using at least 5 repetitions per set instead of repetitions in the range of 2-5. This can be acceptable but really isn't enough volume IMO.

However, if you want to really get fancy with programming, you can have them work lower reps between 2-5 one day and 5-10 the next. It's a nice change of pace.

In an ideal world I would probably have them train with initial lower reps and use an easier progression for higher reps as back off sets. But there isn't really a need to make it fancy or complicated at this stage of training unless things have started plateau-ing.

 

[coach1234]

are you aiming for grade 14 coach 1234?

Yes grade 14 all the other girls in the group can do all the skills even the ones with a whole year to go so it would be a real shame if she can't be entered! Thanks everyone will talk to her mum and try so of these things

 

[Ex member]

I got my dd all wrong, I thought she was flexible and not very strong, I got told today by dd's coach that she noticed dd's strength while she was in rec but she wasn't flexible, she has becoming a lot more flexible and got her left and right splits and very very close to getting her box splits.

The chin up bar has helped dd get stronger and also going to the playground and going on the monkey bars as also helped.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Try them in reverse