You’re lean. You’re strong. You’re in good physical condition. So why can’t you perform a single pull-up?
Relax. Scientists at the University of Dayton in Ohio have found that even fit women struggle to do the exercise manoeuvre, which involves gripping a bar overhead and pulling your body off the ground using upper-body strength.
According to The New York Times, the researchers wanted to test whether pull-ups (also known as chin-ups) are a good measure of physical fitness. It turns out they are not.
The Dayton researchers recruited 17 women of normal weight who were unable to perform a single pull-up. They then trained them for three months, prescribing exercises to strengthen their upper bodies, improve their aerobic fitness and lower their body fat.
All that training produced results: the women’s upper-body strength increased by 36 per cent and their body fat was reduced by 2 per cent. But they failed to produce the main result researchers were looking for: only four of the 17 women were able to perform a pull-up.
“We honestly thought we could get everyone to do one,” study author Paul Vanderburgh told the Times.
One reason women have greater difficulty doing pull-ups than men is because women develop less muscle and typically have more body fat. But tall, long-limbed individuals are also at a greater disadvantage, regardless of gender.
“Generally speaking, the longer the limb, the more of a disadvantage in being able to do a pull-up,” Vanderburg said. “I look at a volleyball player and wouldn’t expect her to be able to do a pull-up, but I know she’s fit.”
Even the Canadian Armed Forces do not use pull-ups as part of their official fitness evaluation.
Try telling that to your bootcamp class instructor.
Even fit women can't do pull-ups, study finds - The Globe and Mail
Have you guys read this article? It's a bunch of bull crap! I seriously don't know where people are getting their info or what kind of women they are using for studies.. Tell this to all the women who are on my paddling team.. One girl on my team did 17 in a row on my last test with out stopping... full dead hang.. Yes granted it is a little harder to do it if you are long limbed (like me) bc you have much farther to pull.. but you can still do it!
I know guys who can't even do pull ups! anyway this article is bull crap!
Relax. Scientists at the University of Dayton in Ohio have found that even fit women struggle to do the exercise manoeuvre, which involves gripping a bar overhead and pulling your body off the ground using upper-body strength.
According to The New York Times, the researchers wanted to test whether pull-ups (also known as chin-ups) are a good measure of physical fitness. It turns out they are not.
The Dayton researchers recruited 17 women of normal weight who were unable to perform a single pull-up. They then trained them for three months, prescribing exercises to strengthen their upper bodies, improve their aerobic fitness and lower their body fat.
All that training produced results: the women’s upper-body strength increased by 36 per cent and their body fat was reduced by 2 per cent. But they failed to produce the main result researchers were looking for: only four of the 17 women were able to perform a pull-up.
“We honestly thought we could get everyone to do one,” study author Paul Vanderburgh told the Times.
One reason women have greater difficulty doing pull-ups than men is because women develop less muscle and typically have more body fat. But tall, long-limbed individuals are also at a greater disadvantage, regardless of gender.
“Generally speaking, the longer the limb, the more of a disadvantage in being able to do a pull-up,” Vanderburg said. “I look at a volleyball player and wouldn’t expect her to be able to do a pull-up, but I know she’s fit.”
Even the Canadian Armed Forces do not use pull-ups as part of their official fitness evaluation.
Try telling that to your bootcamp class instructor.
Even fit women can't do pull-ups, study finds - The Globe and Mail
Have you guys read this article? It's a bunch of bull crap! I seriously don't know where people are getting their info or what kind of women they are using for studies.. Tell this to all the women who are on my paddling team.. One girl on my team did 17 in a row on my last test with out stopping... full dead hang.. Yes granted it is a little harder to do it if you are long limbed (like me) bc you have much farther to pull.. but you can still do it!
I know guys who can't even do pull ups! anyway this article is bull crap!
