Holding Weight at the Ankles for Pullups

Your body responds to the challenge of doing pullups by building stronger back, shoulder and arm muscles. If you train long and hard enough, you'll find yourself in the enviable position of needing to make pullups more difficult to keep from hitting a plateau. Wearing a weight vest is the simplest way to do this, but if you don't have a weight vest, holding a weight between your ankles is the next best solution.

  1. Basic Technique

    • Holding a weight between your ankles for extra resistance during pullups is best done with a friend's help. Grasp the pullup handles, bend your knees slightly, and cross your ankles. Your friend should then place the handle portion of the dumbbell between your calves so that it "nests" against your crossed ankles. One side of the weight will hang down below your crossed legs; the other will remain above your ankles, holding the weight in place.

    Solo Variation

    • If no friend is available to help, pull a sturdy box or bench near the pullup bar. The bench should be just behind you as you stand on the floor, facing the bar. Place the dumbbell on the bench -- on end -- and grasp the pullup bar. Hang from the bar as you reach back with your feet and cross your ankles behind the dumbbell. Its handle should rest on your crossed ankles; you're now ready to do weighted pullups.

    Dropping the Weight

    • In case of emergency -- say, if you feel yourself losing your grip or think you're about to get hurt for some reason -- you can always uncross your ankles and let the dumbbell fall to the floor. However, this isn't desirable for a number of reasons. The dumbbell could bounce and hit you or someone else, or it could end up underfoot when you let yourself down from the pullup bars. If at all possible, have a helper take the weight from between your ankles -- or place it back on the box or bench you used as an aid -- before you let yourself down from the pullup bars.

    Repetitions and Weight

    • You should choose a target number of sets and reps according to your strength-training goals. If you're just training for general strength, a single set of eight to 12 pullups is enough. If you're bodybuilding, the American Council on Exercise recommends three to six sets of six to 12 reps each, with 30 to 90 seconds of rest between sets.

      The standard guideline for dumbbell size is starting with 5 to 10 percent of your body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you'd start with a 7.5- to 15-pound dumbbell. Once you can perform more than your target number of repetitions, you're ready to increase the weight by another 5 to 10 percent.