Pull-ups, for beginners, can be especially daunting. You’ve tried the hang. The swing. The jump. But nothing seems to help you actually make any progress on your pull-up.
In this Intey Pull-Up Bands review, I want to share how this simple tool is giving me, a total pull-up beginner, the confidence and skills to do a pull-up! It’s something I never thought I could do.
Pull-ups have been my weak point for as long as I can remember. Even back in elementary school, when I was much lighter. I could run the fastest mile. I could crank out some sit-ups. I could beat the boys in basketball. But when it came to pull-ups. Fail.
A couple of years ago, when I joined a gym, I tried using the assisted pull-up machine. It didn’t seem tough enough…I could never figure out what weight to use, and I never made any progress.
After I decided to end my gym membership, I would randomly try to do a pull-up on the kids’ park equipment near the house. But, as we all know, consistency is key and this was far from consistent.
I hadn’t really tried doing one for a long time…until we got our Rogue system a couple of months ago. Finally, I could try and fail at pull-ups in the privacy of my own garage!
Adding Pull-ups to My Routine
In addition, my husband ordered this beginner some Intey Pull Up Assistance Bands. They sat there for a few weeks until I decided to narrow my fitness focus, and go for some new strength goals.
My new routine calls for pull-ups a few times a week, so my husband helped me figure out the assistance bands and how simple it is to just loop them over the pull-up bar.
I was nervous that this, essentially, large rubber band would snap under my 150 pounds, but after a few reps, I got comfortable with it.
That Pull-up Feeling
And wow! What a difference! I was able to do an assisted pull-up! It wasn’t too easy, either. It was tough. And my hands, my hands! But I could feel what a pull-up is supposed to feel like in my arms, shoulders and back, and for a beginner, that is really important.
I still could only do 1 or 2 that first day. I also took a video of myself and learned I had my elbows pointed too far forward.
Over the next few weeks, using the Intey assistance bands, I continued to do as many pull-ups as I could in my workout. Sometimes it called for six pull-ups in a set. Or sometimes, 10!
(I got some help with my hands: we both use these gymnastics grips by WOD Nation. They help with my grip a lot!)
After a while, I could do six pull-ups in a row…on the first set. After the second or third set, I had to rest between reps until I get six. Now, I can do 10 pull-ups in a row and I have moved down to the next level, the purple band.
The green band, which I am pictured using above, gives 50-125 pounds of assistance. The purple gives 35-86 pounds, the black—25-65 pounds and the red—15-35.
What I Learned
What surprised me about pull-ups is how much of an effort your core has to put into the move. Now, when I do one, I can feel my core helping out.
I think a lot of the issue for beginners trying to do pull-ups is that we just don’t know what it feels like to do one, and the assistance bands definitely help with that.
The bands feel strong and secure, and after nearly a year, I have not had any issues.
Not Just for Pull-ups
I’ve also used the lighter-weight bands as stand-ins for machines. For example, if a workout calls for something like lat pull-downs, I fasten the band up on the pull-up bar and do lat pull-downs. Boom. Done. I like a piece of equipment that can multitask.
If you are a beginner like me and have never been able to do a pull-up, I highly recommend you get some bands! The Intey bands are a great and economical option at around $33 for the set of 4.
Are you a pull-up master? What’s your best tip for us beginner puller-uppers?