Learn how to do a pull up correctly & incorporate regular pull ups in your training, and you have one of the best shortcuts to building an awesome looking body. I have never seen anyone, male or female who can do 20+ pull ups with perfect form who doesn’t look great!
There was a time I couldn’t do one pull up, now, times have changed, and I can do pull-ups with a great big weight hanging of my belt, and they are not only my favourite body weight back exercise, they are my favourite back exercise period.
You are not doing yourself justice if you do not learn how to do pull ups with correct form and include pull up variations in ones training. Pull ups, when performed correctly, along with the dead-lift, squats, dips, and bench presses are one of the must do muscle building exercises.
If you cannot do pull-ups, get practising! Anyone can learn how to do pull-ups with practice. Start by doing the following exercises 3 times a week until you can perform a full pull up
- Start by just hanging from the bar as long as possible. Hanging from the bar is, a great exercise and really stretches the back while doing wonders for building grip strength.
- Practice half pull-ups until you can perform a full pull up. Half pull-ups, also called “negatives” are performed by standing on an object to get the head over the bar, then slowly lower yourself down. Or try jumping up on the bar and slowly lowering down. The key is lowering down slowly
- Start with chin-ups. Most people can perform more chin-ups than pull-ups!
The difference between a pull up and a chin up
- Your hand face away when doing Pull-ups and done correctly work your back and biceps.
- Your hands face towards you when performing a CHIN UP, and more emphasis is placed on the biceps.
Correct form is crucial. Go for form and not for number of repetitions.
Hang all the way down with a wide grip, a wider grip emphasises the back more. Activate the lats by pulling the shoulder blades down the back and then immediately pull up the body until the bar touches your upper chest and really concentrate on the back muscles. Pause for a split second and lower all the way down and repeat.
Follow these big no, no’s and you will be doing pull ups like a champion
- No using momentum and pumping your way up, and don’t bend the hips or knees. Keep your body in a good strong hollow body position.
- No dropping the chin to the chest while pulling. This recruits the wrong muscles and will only make you weaker, and it looks terrible too. Keep you chin up!
- No going half way down. Use the full range of motion and extend the arms all the way down and don’t cheat yourself. Improvements come quicker and faster by not cheating.