Do you remember that time in gym class when you were graded on your pull up? My attempts were laughable. And, sadly, still are.
Lifting your body weight to put your chin over a bar is an intense and advanced exercise, but the ultimate test of fitness (to P.E. teachers of the world) can be accomplished with practice. The biggest road block is the mind game attached to the pull up.
There are many benefits to mastering the muscle building pull up. One is that it is an incredibly convenient exercise that can be done anywhere that there is a bar. It is a great move to add to the muscle building recipe because you can easily increase the intensity by strapping on more weight or holding yourself up for a longer period of time. And one of the best benefits is that there are many variations by just switching the placement of your hands. Pull ups will get your heart rate up and kick your butt which is the whole point of being at the gym!
It is also a fundamental compound exercise for your upper body—like squats for your upper body.
Primary muscles engaged:
- Biceps
- Shoulders
- Elbows
- Core
Back to Basics Boot Camp Tip: When you are performing a pull up focus on keeping your body straight without arching or swinging. You will be making the move harder for yourself if you contort your body.
Even if you can only do 1 or 2 pull ups, do it! Practice makes perfect with this exercise.
Jennifer DiDonato from Made Fit TV teaches you how to do a pull up with perfect form in a few phases that will get you to perform a pull up in no time:
Continue to challenge your pull up skills by changing the placement of your arms and hands:
- Try a wide -grip pull up. Wide grip pull ups will emphasize your lats.
- A close-grip pull up will have you working your lower lats.
- Underhand-grip pull ups
- If your own body weight is not enough, you can add additional resistance by wearing a weight belt.
Have you mastered the pull up? What is your favorite variation?
