What is a home substitute for pulldowns?

[FitMomof4]

I work out at home and although we have 2 benches, a squat rack, and barbells and dumbbells up the ying yang, I do not have the means to do a pulldown. What about back flyes? Rows? I hate doing rows. One arm at a time takes to long to do 3 sets and using a barbell seems awkward to me and I'm afraid of re-injuring my lower back. What I really want is my husband to install a bar so I can do pullups but we can't find a good spot to put the bar.

And another question while I'm at it - what is the concensus on upper/lower split - should you work out 3 days or 4 or doesn't matter? For 3 days you end up working upper twice, lower once, then flip the next week to lower twice and upper once, etc. But I have read on here that you need to work the bodyparts at least twice a week. That means 2 upper days and 2 lower days?

Since participating on these boards, I can see so much more muscle definition, to the point where people are commenting on it. Also, I don't have a 6-pack yet but my tummy is FLAT. Finally. Maybe that's all ya can ask for after having 4 kids in 3.5 years, the last 2 being twins :) So thank you to everyone who has given me the good advice! :train:

[smuggie]

Rows are not a substitute for pulldowns. They're a horizontal plane movement. Pulldowns, pull-ups and chin-ups are vertical plane movements.

You don't have a doorway you can use to install a pull-up bar?

And you need to do horizontal rowing. If I had to choose between horizontal pulling and vertical pulling I'd choose horizontal.

[FitMomof4]

Thanks for the clarification smuggie.

We have a doorway in our basement workout area but my husband thinks the doorway isn't high enough; I'm not sure why he thinks that (unless because I ask him to install stuff and assemble stuff all the time and maybe he's tired of doing it, ha ha!). Don't you just hang there and try to pull yourself up (I have never done these before) - so if your feet would touch the floor, you can just bend your knees? I also would like to do hanging knee raises and think I could use the pullup bar for that too...

Anyway, so I need to do the rows. Can I lie on my stomach on a bench(flat or incline) and do 2-arm dumbbell rows? Or are the standard 1-arm rows the best?

[smuggie]

That's pretty much how you do pull-ups or chin-ups.

If you've never done them before you most likely won't be strong enough to do them on your own.

You'll need to do negatives instead. Boost yourself up using a chair or bench and do the lowering phase only for 3-5 seconds.

I prefer BB rows to DB rows, but do whatever kind of rows suit you as long as you're rowing.

You don't need to lie on a bench for 2-arm DB rows. You can do them standing up and bent over if you wish.

[matt]

You can also get some bands and drape or choke a band to the top of your power rack and do pulldowns like that. I don't have a pulldown machine (yet, $48 to go on layaway, I rule :)) and thats what I do.

[smuggie]

Originally posted by matt@Jun 26 2006, 01:49 PM
You can also get some bands and drape or choke a band to the top of your power rack and do pulldowns like that. I don't have a pulldown machine (yet, $48 to go on layaway, I rule :)) and thats what I do.
Nice to see you here, Matt. (Yes, everyone, it's another Matt, except this one isn't cranky. :lol: )

Your suggestion is a good one, but the OP mentioned having a squat rack, not a power rack. ;)

[matt]

Originally posted by smuggie@Jun 26 2006, 04:01 PM
Nice to see you here, Matt. (Yes, everyone, it's another Matt, except this one isn't cranky. :lol: )

Your suggestion is a good one, but the OP mentioned having a squat rack, not a power rack. ;)
:suicide:


Guess I slept through Comprehension 101...


:lol:

[smuggie]

Originally posted by matt+Jun 26 2006, 08:06 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (matt @ Jun 26 2006, 08:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-smuggie@Jun 26 2006, 04:01 PM
Nice to see you here, Matt. (Yes, everyone, it&#39;s another Matt, except this one isn&#39;t cranky. :lol: )

Your suggestion is a good one, but the OP mentioned having a squat rack, not a power rack. ;)
:suicide:


Guess I slept through Comprehension 101...


:lol: [/b][/quote]
That&#39;s OK. We like you for your techie abilities anyway. :lol:

[matt]

Originally posted by smuggie+Jun 26 2006, 06:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (smuggie @ Jun 26 2006, 06:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
Originally posted by matt@Jun 26 2006, 08:06 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-smuggie@Jun 26 2006, 04:01 PM
Nice to see you here, Matt. (Yes, everyone, it&#39;s another Matt, except this one isn&#39;t cranky. :lol: )

Your suggestion is a good one, but the OP mentioned having a squat rack, not a power rack. ;)
:suicide:


Guess I slept through Comprehension 101...


:lol:
That&#39;s OK. We like you for your techie abilities anyway. :lol: [/b][/quote]
Everyone just loves me for the geek, I&#39;m a HUMAN BEING Dammit&#33;&#33;&#33;


:p :p

[smuggie]

Originally posted by matt@Jun 26 2006, 08:10 PM
Everyone just loves me for the geek, I&#39;m a HUMAN BEING Dammit&#33;&#33;&#33;


:p :p
No, you&#39;re not. You&#39;re a PL. :p

[jaleena]

:funny: