Women Core/Upper Body Strength

[20gymnast13]

I need some good conditioning ideas to do because I have pretty much know upper body strength/core strength. I can't do a single pull-up/chin-up. I can't hold that one L hold and N hold for more than a half a second. The weird thing is i can do about 20-30 leg lifts with ease, and bars is my strongest event. It just gets me SO MAD! I don't know what too do. ! Oh and I literally can't even do a single push up

if you have any ideas that I can do please tell me because i'm desperate now.

thanks in advance, Katie

 

[jmanmommmy]

Well, this is not too technical, but last year my daughter made some progress on a $25 pullup bar in her bedroom doorway. You can get one at Target, Walmart, any sports store. She devised a point system. One point for a pull up, one point for a toe up, two points for a L hold of 3 to 5 seconds. She just hung out on her stool three nights a week for however many minutes it took her to make her goal (and at first she took lots of breaks but she stayed on the stool). At first she made it to 15 points. She worked her way up from there, and added 5 or so points a week. Some (many) weeks she didn't add any points. Seemed to work for her.. Don't forget the pointy metal things in the box that stabilize the bar...(read the directions).

 

[20gymnast13]

well I already have a pull-up bar in my yard, and I work at it all the time, but i'm still not seeing much progress. Anyway that's a good idea about making the goals.

Does anyone have any other conditioning ideas that i should try because everything that i'm doing still isn't making much progress.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

If you can't do regular pushups yet, you can try doing them on your knees, but make sure your shoulders are still over your hands. Also, if you can't do pullups yet, try just hanging in a pullup position (chin over the bar) for as long as you can. Or you can start with your chin over the bar and come down as slowly as you can.

 

[20gymnast13]

I was kinda exaggerating i can do like 5 push-ups but thats it :/. And then the pull-ups do you think there is an easier way too put my hands (like forward grip or reverse grip)? Should i start working them with a certain grip? Idk, but while i was looking at some other threads, the thing you said i should do were i come down really slowly is called a negative.
So i guess they must work.
Thanks, Katie =]

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I believe forward grip and reverse grip work different muscles, so you should work both. Most people seem to find reverse grip easier because it works your biceps, but personally I find forward grip easier because turning my hands backwards feels awkward to me. I work both though.

 

[Kiwi]

You can try doing chin-ups on the low bar from your knees. As you pull up the tops of your feet stay on the ground and you can get a little bit of push from them making it easier to get up. You could also try jump chin-ups, doing a little jump into them which makes it easier. You should do them with both forward and reverse grip. As someone said, coming down with control instead of just dropping is important (eccentric muscle contraction).

For the L holds, do tuck holds first, once they are strong, try straightening your legs from the tuck to make the L shape.

For push-ups, do knee push-ups first. Once you can do about 20 of those, you should be able to do a few full push-ups. Then work on increasing the numbers. Leave a day in between for muscles to recover, as this is when they get stronger.

 

[BlairBob]

Undergrip is generally easier. Start with body rows where the body is horizontal or diagonal with the feet on the floor or a block.

Flex arm holds are good if you can hold them.

Do more L and N holds.

Can you do Leg lifts all the way up? Without your head sticking out?

 

[20gymnast13]

So is a N hold the same as a V hold? And yes i can do leg lifts with good form and with my head in.

 

[BlairBob]

N means tucked, bent knees. My bad.