Wanting to progress on pull ups but lack equipment#652

i really want to progress on pull ups, i searched here and i just want to say thank you for making these free. But i do not have the equipments to progress from the start, i do not have a pullup bar too. All i have is a pull up bar at a nearby park. And i am really unsure what to do, i am not financially free from my parents since im a teenager so neither can i buy these equipments. Please help, i have not been trying to progress on pull ups despite thinking of it so long because of this..

Hey there champ :)

I like your enthusiasm and I’ll hopefully be able to help you work around things a bit!

1) Some make-do options at home
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Q4k1SPtG8mA
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZmnNTBS_5tg
You can also just grab yourself a back-pack with any sort of weight in it and do (single arm) bent-over rows to help you buid up some pulling strength

2) Partials, negatives, and isometrics, feet and or band-supported pullups - such as the jackknife pullups in the routine, or as described here https://support.hybridcalisthenics.com/714 (or regular pullups but with a resistance band on the bar and the band anchored under your feet or bent legs) - this is only for people that have a pullup bar of course

If you’re strong enough for it already - you can use the pullup bar that you have access to to do partials, negatives, negative partials, or isometric holds to help you build up the necessary strength too! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GsOW8ovxwW0

The 2 modalities can also absolutely be combined, and somehow you can probably make something work!

You could also make DIY rings https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IFGWH4iK-AA and use them on the pullup bar to work up via the progressions in the routine :)

This can also be a solid option

I hope that you can work with that!

Partials, isometric hangs, and assisted pullups will be your best friend. The links Lars gave you will help you in your endeavor

So i realized the weird design of a chair i have is great for doing these, but now I’m having an issue where the weight of my head is really straining my neck. I cant increase the incline because doing this from the floor has become my only option 😅

Having some neck strain when starting out with rows and such is pretty common and normal - it should hopefully lessen with time - I suppose for now just ease into things, work with isometrics to help you along, be gradual! If it’s the only option we’ve got then we’ll make it work :D

I like that attitude lol. What does working with isometrics mean in this context for the neck?

Instead of doing the rows dynamically, you just hold certain positions of the row (whether that’s the front to just focus on your grip and neck (arms straight)) or the back to engage your back more, or anywhere in between

Just to help your neck get accustomed to things without the additional strain that the movement might bring (or maybe you feel it more in certain positions than others and by working with a different part of the motion, you get to train your back more for the time being!)

It’ll need some experimentation, but there might be a bit of opportunity there :)

Otherwise - if you feel you can do 5+ reps before your neck gets too strained, you can likely just start with normal reps too

Awesome, thanks for the explanation and your patience! How does this work with the app btw? Since it probably has an algorithm on when to progress stuff, I don’t know how that goes if it eventually progresses an exercise if we’ve been doing an easier modified version of that. Or how to log isometric versions of an exercise.

The neck strain is really feels like it’s just from the weight of my head in general, honestly. I have some issues sometimes with my scalene and levator scapulae on my right side due to some shoulder wonkiness I’ve been working on with my PT for lower back scoliosis (who is fine with me doing these workouts). But the neck strain I feel during the horizontal pull-ups is more the full length of the back of my neck overall, and symmetrically. Like my head feels just too heavy. And then trying to hold it there isometrically cascades the pain down to my midback. That’s just been a problem area in general when it comes to muscle activation. Pretty much any PT exercise I do that helps my hips, lower back, or shoulder end up hurting the muscles in my mid-back.

There’s not much to do for that, but my PT supports my desire to use the HC program to get myself moving. It’s only been a few days, but so far it’s a great program that feels approachable to get into. Especially because Hampton’s vibe helps dampen resistance I sometimes get about starting my fitness back up from scratch, knowing how much I used to do. And people like you on the team definitely are a huge bonus I wasn’t expecting to add to that vibe 😊

The app should automatically jump to the next progression once you’ve reached the level 3 standard - there wouldn’t really be a way to track isometrics atm; but just to write it down for yourself - just write down how many seconds you held it for in what position

And welcome to the scoliosis gang, me too haha - you can also try to do more isolated neck strengthening; whether that’s against hand resistance, more dynamic lying down with your head in the air, or even isometrics against the wall at first - many options work

Just being in the rowing position itself should also do the trick; I’m just giving you options

the mid-back pain is.. tricky yeah - but I always feel pretty confident/hopeful that things like that will lessen or go away, so let’s stay positive :) You’re doing lots of things to help so why wouldn’t it work out!

Do of course value your pt’s advice more than mine; they know your situation a lot better and are more qualified for this as a whole haha

And thank you for the sweet words :) <3 I’m happy you feel so welcome here

I definitely appreciate all the options, youve been incredibly helpful! Ill try the different isometric options and eventually I’ll work my way to reps thatll progress the exercises in the app. Thank you!!

I cant do a single pull up and i dont have any sturdy stuff and i am broke so no tables rows or hip pull ups

No expert - but some friendly encouragement. I don’t have a pull up bar either and need to use the park. I was a little anxious about it at first. I could probably be the original poster’s Mom, but the park equipment is next to a busy road, I’m female and I don’t want to be catcalled or run into neighbors while I’m learning. I’ve found if I go in the morning there aren’t usually people around. Then I go home and do the rest of the exercises. Reminding myself no one thinks about me nearly as much as I think about myself helps too.

Good advice! Thank you for contributing :)
Finding something outside somewhere is often a good option, despite it maybe feeling a little awkward

what can I also do instead of pullups ?

Chinups are solid. More emphasis on biceps so a bit easier vs wide grip pullups