View Full Version : Head To Head: Pullups vs. Pulldowns
Wasteland
11-05-07, 12:16 pm
Which do you prefer for building your back and why? State your case.
Joostank
11-05-07, 1:05 pm
Pulldowns.
I don't have enough strength to do Pullups freely, and the "assisted" pullups don't do anything for my back. I get much better results from the Pulldowns. Once I build up more strength though, I'll go to Pullups.
lycan_warlord
11-05-07, 1:07 pm
pullups. got too. marine corps SAYS SO!!! lol
although i do more "weight" on pulldowns.
-lycan
DreamZero
11-05-07, 1:08 pm
I love em both, but if I have to chose, I'd say pull ups. I feel less muscle damage from it, but more strength gains.
pull ups all the way.... once they get to easy start adding weight. Heck, start adding weight even when they AREN'T easy, its the way to grow. I'm up to using a 35lb plate strapped to my waist with a dip belt. Good stuff....
I actually am not a big fan of pulldowns at all for some reason, just didn't like 'em so once I could do more then 6 or so pull ups I've been doing them.
Im huge on doing pullups. I believe that exercise is what started my whole back development to begin with and opened my world to a whole new style of lifting too.
When I began pullups..I used the assisted machine for about 3 months. I used to train with this Powerbuilder type guy and one day he was like..let's try pulling your bw. I was like hell no! Im not ready. He said, oh yea..your ready.
That day, I did 2 pullups on my own, with my BW. I did them every week from that point on as sets of 2 for a total of 12 reps..then I was doing sets of 4,6...now...10-15 reps at once.
Now, Im a fan of pulldowns too and they have their place on the map as well. PU's widen the upper back and the lats and can help develop the serratus. Pulldowns also widen and develop the upper and lower lats (depending on your grip and with added weight). For me, accomplishing pu's on my own was a huge deal. It said something about my determintation and desire to work hard and build a solid back. So, I always treat pu's with a lot of respect and I use them often in my wo's.
njames1818
11-05-07, 1:47 pm
I think pull downs are great if your going heavy like 8 to 10 reps but i love pull ups and think they are one of the big keys to back growth i usually do pullups in superset with rows or other back workouts do a heavy set of rows then right after pump out like 20 pull ups to really break down the muscle.
Giant Killer
11-05-07, 1:49 pm
Another good thread on this:
http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?t=2739
Now that I have a gym membership I like pullups. They are much more challenging and I feel that equates to more/different growth.
Pizzalamp
11-05-07, 1:50 pm
pullups
my back responds so well to them
Universal Rep
11-05-07, 1:52 pm
Nothing like the feel of weighted pullups (and dips for that matter)...
I prefer pullups. Though neutral grip pull downs are nice too.
the-craig
11-05-07, 2:21 pm
i do both but now i can do chins of 6 or more reps i start with them then different grip pulldowns but chins are best
I'd say pull ups. I feel less muscle damage from it, but more strength gains.
+1
Pullups baby! "Free weight" so to speak over machines
Usually get a better pump from machine exercises, but get a lot stronger from free weights. Also, nothin wrong with having a variation of both
jeff00z28
11-05-07, 3:12 pm
both, although pulldowns are starting to get too light at my gym because I can only pin on a couple 45's and 2 25's w/o them falling off. And the weights only go up to 250 but they are def marked wrong because i rly dont think im doing over 360 taht easy lol
Pullups are the best, but I do both because I cannot do enough reps or weight with just pull-ups.
rob_in_korea
11-05-07, 5:56 pm
Pullups. Pulldowns have their place but once I started doing sets of pullups on back day my back development really took off.
Segansational
11-05-07, 6:31 pm
So what do you guys tend to do, something like 3 sets of pull ups to failure? Or do you go for a specific number and do as many sets as it takes?
So what do you guys tend to do, something like 3 sets of pull ups to failure? Or do you go for a specific number and do as many sets as it takes?
I almost always like to take it to failure, unless I am using them for a warmup.
Spikes079
11-05-07, 6:41 pm
Pull Ups for sure!!! Do some high rep sets to start then chain some weight around your waist and go for it. My back has grown the most from doing these over pull downs.
pull ups are in for me, recently started doing them first thing on back day and now my pulldown weight has jumped to my body weight, figured if I could pull my own self up, I should be able to pull down the same, niiiice...
lycan_warlord
11-05-07, 8:37 pm
So what do you guys tend to do, something like 3 sets of pull ups to failure? Or do you go for a specific number and do as many sets as it takes?
I usually do 3 sets to failure.
and in most PT sessions with the Marines at OCS or bootcamp, it was 3 sets as well.
3 is just the magic number. :D
-lycan
Pullups because it's simply me versus myself. The inner conflict that always goes on.
PULLDOWNS ARE FOR THOSE WHO DONT WANNA TRY. If you cant do chins have someone hold your feet for you, and in a few sessions youll be able to do chin ups. Less than a year ago i had to have a friend hold my legs, now i can rep them with 100 lbs extra. Pull ups are way harder than pull downs, so based on that you should do them.
I use pullups with lots of weight for low reps, while doing pulldowns with a little lighter weight staying in the 8-10 range to stimulate several different fiber types in the same workout.
i started with pulldowns because i had no one to hold my feet, but now its weighted pullups all the time
gjn5002
11-28-07, 11:16 pm
I love pull ups. They are simple and can be performed anywhere. I love to think of when i was young and weak and could do like 2 when you had to go in front of the whole gym class. Theres a reason you can do pulldowns with more weight, its easier than pull, ups.
mbrennan85
11-28-07, 11:43 pm
wide weighted pullups all day baby. i might not have big arms, but i got a big fucking back
I believe both have their place in a bodybuilders routine. Ronnie coleman, Jay cutler both have huge backs without doing chin ups in awhile but Vic has a huge back while doing pull ups with pull downs. Pull downs allow for a more intense contractions than some can get with pull ups. It helps to be able to hold the weight for a count that some people just cant get with pull ups. And doing weighted pull ups have been under alot of talk by pros who have amazing backs like Ben White and Kai Greene say that its just about impossible to get the same feel with weight and with as good a form as with just bodyweight.
BoomCrane
11-29-07, 1:06 am
Pull ups. While doing them you can incorporate more stabilizer muscles and help work the core. When you do pull ups, you are the free weight. I like free weights more than cables, but they all have their place. Bring the pain.
pullups = more strength , more muscle fibres and i can feel them more in my back rather than pulldowns that i feel in bi's
Segansational
11-29-07, 10:13 am
When doing either exercise, what advantage does wide grip versus a more narrow grip provide?
jonsbsn
11-29-07, 11:14 am
When doing either exercise, what advantage does wide grip versus a more narrow grip provide?
Well... there is no real reason to go really wide. It's actually bad for your shoulders to go any more then 6'' wider then shoulder grip. I've seen people go like 12'' wider and the angle looks weird. I make it so my forearms are straight up and down when I'm at the top of the pull. You get more power this way and its not bad for your shoulders. I've put much more width on my back since incorporating these especially once I started doing weighted ones. I'm up to 45lb x6reps. Once you can do 10 you know its time to add weight or (like all other exercises) you won't get optimal growth!
I've put much more width on my back since incorporating these especially once I started doing weighted ones. I'm up to 45lb x6reps. Once you can do 10 you know its time to add weight or (like all other exercises) you won't get optimal growth![/QUOTE]
Ok, so here is my question. Are you counting body weight in lbs on those weighted pullups, cause i've heard both ways? The reason I'm asking is I weigh a lot, how much more do I really need to add in order to get a good pump?
Ok, so here is my question. Are you counting body weight in lbs on those weighted pullups, cause i've heard both ways? The reason I'm asking is I weigh a lot, how much more do I really need to add in order to get a good pump?
Only you can tell for sure. Experiment and I'm sure you will find out. If you are really heavy, you may not have to add weight at all.
Pull ups! No Doubt! I have done pulldowns with 300, and it doesn't even come close to pull ups with 50 around my waist! To add variety to your chins try the v handle hooked on the bar. These rip your lats to shreds and add more v shape. Do them for real though. I see a lot of guys half ass chinning. Stretch all the way on the negative and squeeze hard at the top.
pulldowns for me
i love pullups ,but after a nasty shoulder injury everytime i do it i'm in alot of pain ,it's the only move where it bugs me ,so i just left it alone.
Segansational
11-30-07, 12:00 pm
Well... there is no real reason to go really wide. It's actually bad for your shoulders to go any more then 6'' wider then shoulder grip. I've seen people go like 12'' wider and the angle looks weird. I make it so my forearms are straight up and down when I'm at the top of the pull. You get more power this way and its not bad for your shoulders. I've put much more width on my back since incorporating these especially once I started doing weighted ones. I'm up to 45lb x6reps. Once you can do 10 you know its time to add weight or (like all other exercises) you won't get optimal growth!
Interesting. I usually don't go much wider than shoulder width for pull ups and a little wider than that for lat pulldown. The handles always seem to wide for me to comfortably grip all the way out to the end of the bar.
jonsbsn
11-30-07, 12:30 pm
Interesting. I usually don't go much wider than shoulder width for pull ups and a little wider than that for lat pulldown. The handles always seem to wide for me to comfortably grip all the way out to the end of the bar.
Yeah, most pull down bars want you to place your hand way to wide. But a little wider then shoulder width is for sure a good thing. Like I said, forearms straight up and down at the top of the pull-up. Anatomically it makes sense.
Mr.Hardcore98
11-30-07, 3:42 pm
wide grip pullups hit every part of my back every good exercise
Rack chins, weighted. Rest paused and at the end short reps of 20-30. yeah, that will get you some nice, wide lats.
weighted pullups = back mass
pain4life
04-15-08, 2:27 am
I tend to do more wide-grip and close-grip lateral pulldowns over pullups.
rainwave
04-15-08, 7:34 am
I like wide-grip pulldowns, for me they gave me more width... close reverse grip pulldowns for lower lat-age as well.
Redjeep
04-15-08, 11:44 am
Pulls are the best if you can do em. If not, do pull downs and as many pull ups as you can. Eventually you will be a pull up monster. Pull ups have given me much more strength and size.
rack chins all day...wide grip to the front and back, reverse grip to front and back...you want width then train these hard and heavy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM-b4qOOWsE
thats jason wojo and hes a fuckin beast
by far my fav width exercise
lol...I see roland already beat me to it...you still on the DC train man??
Rack chins are one genuine back builder. I have always had a hard time getting a back pump from pullups until i tried these.