I really need some help!

A little background I am in the Delayed Entry Program for the Marines and we have to do these things called IST (Initial Strength Test) which consist of a timed 1.5 mile run, doing as many crunches as possible in 2 minutes, and as many pull ups as possible. What my problem is, I can’t do pull ups very well the minimum requirement is 5. The pull up you have to lock your elbows when you go down, I would appreciate any work out plans that would help me get my numbers up!
Thanks in advanced!

first do one. do that for a day, just every few minutes, every time you can, just do one. then, once you can do one, try two, then three, then four, then five. if you can’t do one, just go as far up as you can. when i started, i had to work on getting my feet an inch off the ground. i am now at twelve chin ups (palm faces the user) and am starting to work towards that many pull ups (i think i can do like six or so). hope i helped!

Is it a pull up, or chin up?

Get off the internet and go to a gym.

Best way to get better at them is to start, and do it everyday. Pull ups is different than running, you really don’t need a recover day. Doing 60 push ups in one minute will not help you at all with the pull up test. Pull ups use all of your muscle groups in your upper body. Plus, once you are in basic, everything to do with PT will get better and you will be fine after the first 3 weeks

Good luck!:wink:

Crunch it for a couple seconds the top of each one. The goal in training is not quantity. Keep going until absolute failure, i.e. you can no longer move any higher for 5-10 seconds. Muscle failure is when the change happens. 1-3 sets per day is plenty. If you can, do some heavy squats to trigger additional growth hormones. Eat a ton of eggs and other unprocessed protein and fat. Get plenty of sleep.

At least that’s what I would do, right or wrong!

Ask the navy guy here and get off the internet and go to a gym -link

It seems you have two options. Get stronger or get slimmer. Besides basic weight loss techniques (smaller portions, more balanced meals, basic cardio, etc.) I would work on bicep and tricep as well as forearm workouts. Curls, overhead presses and dead lifts are all things that help.

Source: 3 years of weightlifting.

Put a chair or another foot prop a couple feet out from your pullup bar/board then put your tip toes on it or 1/2 your foot so you can do at least 6-8 pull ups at 1st, moving up to 12 to 15 later, if you can’t do them dead weight.  You can also have someone hold your feet behind you bent at the knee’s.  Don’t have them help you, just hold your feet up and you use your legs to help do the pull ups.  Make sure they let your feet go before you fall if you’re going to failure.  ;)  You can also tie a loop of rope or webbing around your pull up bar a couple feet off the floor to put your feet in and help too.

Like others said, 3 sets of 12-15 reps works fine.  Depending on how fast you recover an AM and PM workout would work.  If you really want to build a high strength to weight ratio and have the time, this workout is great!  http://stuff.mit.edu/afs/sipb/user/yandros/doc/TWFH.html

From an old Masters of Stone video of Fred Nicole cranking down:

Thank you guys so much for your help it has helped tremendously and I am very grateful. Last week i wasnt able to do any and yesterday i did 3 so just 2 more! And if any of you want to join the Marine Corps or know anyone that’s wants to join pm because i could use the referrals to come out of boot camp a PFC (private first class).