Why pull-ups are harder for women

http://news.yahoo.com/why-pull-ups-harder-women-004109816.html

Perhaps, but limited to 3? This woman can do 148 in 10 minutes .....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2001455/Keeping-chin-Ex-lawyer-smashes-world-records-finding-pull-up.html

The minimum requirement for women in the USMC is '3'...  For the 'average' woman this is no trivial task.  Even for the woman who seemed to set all these incredible records (including non-consecutive reps in 10minuntes) - on her first untrained attempt at a pull-up she was only able to achieve one rep.  BTW the average untrained male (in his 20's) is only able to perform ~8 pullups...

A couple dynamics to note here...  Once upon a time the USMC used to allow a 'kip' pull-up; which simply allows the individual to swing their body in a gymnastic fashion to efficiently raise their body and thus chin over the bar.  
- The USMC requirement now calls for a true 'deadhang' pullup; which completely nullifies any gymnastic swinging momentum - requiring pure upper body strength to lift the body straight up/down and put the chin over the bar...  
The other dynamic is fundamental Newtonian Physics...  which in this case accounts for both an individuals center of gravity, and the distance that they most raise their body to get their chin over the bar.  The basic physiological differeneces between the 'average' male vs female centers of gravity plays a huge factor in the challenge for women.  Basically, a typical woman who weighs 140#s would have to exhert more 'WORK' (muscular strength/endurance) in her shoulders than the typical male who weighs the same 140#s - given that his center of gravity is higher (center of gravity is relatively closer to the bar) thus allowing him a shorter distance to displace the larger portion of his mass relative to the average woman's (lower center of gravity results in greater distance from center of gravity to bar).  

Looking at this woman's accomplishments, it is not too surprising upon realizing she has several physiological attributes working in her favor (way above average).  Her center of gravity would appear to be much higher than the average female; also the length of her arms would also serve to provide an advantage...  Not too surprisingly, taller Marines are also at a disadvantage relative to shorter Marines due to the length of their arms.  

In this woman's case there is no doubt that she is a fitness phenom, and with hard work and solid training she developed much improved strength and skill to perform lots of pull-ups...
My only questions are: 1) was the requirement for the chin to go above the bar or simply to reach the bar (huge difference)?  2) did she perform deadhang pullups or was she allowed to kip?
I only ask because her 10 minute non-consecutive record is so incredible, my initial guess would be that she may have been using the kip technique - as the recovery time required from deadhangs are obviously much greater...  Not saying it is impossible, but if she were doing true deadhangs with her chin going over the bar for each rep - wow that is more impressive than I think most people can appreciate...

FightingSpirit wrote:
In this woman's case there is no doubt that she is a fitness phenom, and with hard work and solid training she developed much improved strength and skill to perform lots of pull-ups...
My only questions are: 1) was the requirement for the chin to go above the bar or simply to reach the bar (huge difference)?  2) did she perform deadhang pullups or was she allowed to kip?
I only ask because her 10 minute non-consecutive record is so incredible, my initial guess would be that she may have been using the kip technique - as the recovery time required from deadhangs are obviously much greater...  Not saying it is impossible, but if she were doing true deadhangs with her chin going over the bar for each rep - wow that is more impressive than I think most people can appreciate...

Deadhang--She is impressive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqW2SYYxP0

You can watch the Crossfit Games on TV for incredible demonstrations of upper body strength by women. But most have trouble with even standard pushups never mind pullups.

afulldeck wrote:
Deadhang--She is impressive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqW2SYYxP0

Absolutely Impressive...  oops chin didn't get over the bar on the last two...     

+35 reps is no joke, would have been lucky to get that many even with a kip when I was in my prime...  

FightingSpirit wrote:

afulldeck wrote:
Deadhang--She is impressive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqW2SYYxP0

Absolutely Impressive...  oops chin didn't get over the bar on the last two...     

+35 reps is no joke, would have been lucky to get that many even with a kip when I was in my prime...  

I don't know what kind of build you have but maybe a comparison isn't just.

Attended the Olympic jûdô team work outs somewhere last year. There were ropes hanging down from the ceiling. You could see the -60 kg and other lightweights full of enthusiasm run towards the ropes. It was a high roof like in a sports hall. They would climb the rope up and down three times just by their hands and without in between touching the ground with their feet. The middleweights, on the condition they had the right rope climbing technique and knew how to use their feet could at best limb up and down once using both hands and feet. Some could only get half weigh up and no half heavy could get to the top even once. The heavies just didn't have to try. So that is important to consider. Don't the top Olympic weight lifters from the lightest categories put like nearly 3 times their body mass over their head ?

Cichorei Kano wrote:

FightingSpirit wrote:

afulldeck wrote:
Deadhang--She is impressive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqW2SYYxP0

Absolutely Impressive...  oops chin didn't get over the bar on the last two...     

+35 reps is no joke, would have been lucky to get that many even with a kip when I was in my prime...  

I don't know what kind of build you have but maybe a comparison isn't just.

Attended the Olympic team work outs somewhere last year. There were ropes hanging down from the ceiling. You could see the -60 kg and other lightweights full of enthusiasm run towards the ropes. It was a high roof like in a sports hall. They would climb the rope up and down three times just by their hands and without in between touching the ground with their feet. The middleweights, on the condition they had the right rope climbing technique and knew how to use their feet could at best limb up and down once using both hands and feet. Some could only get half weigh up and no half heavy could get to the top even once. The heavies just didn't have to try. So that is important to consider. Don't the top Olympic weight lifters from the lightest categories put like nearly 3 times their body mass over their head ?

The list of Olympic weightlifters lifting over 3 times their body weight is limited to six very strong, but light individuals. All of them under 60 kilos. No one over 60 kilos has achieved this feat yet.

That said, your absolutely correct to suggest that lighter weighted individuals have a better strength to weight ratio especially when it comes to rope climbing and pull ups. Besides a heavy weight falling from a rope might be dangerous.   

Well good new you shared here nice to see it here. I personally think that due to body structure it is difficult for them.