PULL-UP Join STACK and gain instant FREE access to resources that have helped millions of people jump higher, run faster, get stronger, eat smarter and play better. When hypertrophy and strength are goals, then the dumbbell row can be an incredibly useful exercise to add for additional pulling volume. The Mixed Grip Pull-Up is just what it sounds like—one hand in an overhand grip, the other underhand. Although these characterizations are not universally accepted, with an overhand grip, the exercise is commonly known as a Pull-Up, and an underhand grip makes it a Chin-Up. Chin-Up hand position makes it easier for the biceps and pecs to take over the movement, which is why people often find them easier than Pull-Ups.

Position: Underhand or "supinated" grip, hands about shoulder-width apart, What's better, the Chin-Up or the Pull-Up?

Fitness centers, middle school gyms, playgrounds, doorways, prison cells—Pull-Ups can be done almost anywhere. But they are effective.

Carryover to Other Lifts. The Neutral Grip Pull-Up is another great variation, but it does requires a set of parallel handles, which may not be attached to the Pull-Up bar at some commercial gyms. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Due to its relative lack of pec involvement, the wide grip Pull-Up or Chin-Up is extra challenging for most people—despite the fact that it severely limits the range of motion of the exercise.

Beginners can certainly do pull-ups and should start learning the skill early on. ", If you're looking to engage more of your pecs with your Pull-Up or Chin-Up, you could go with a narrow grip. Pull-Ups are one of the best exercises out there. Pull-ups can also improve the width of a lifter’s/athlete’s back muscles, as they’re an easy movement to provide progressive overload with.

But this isn't true. It was an awesome feeling, right? The pull-up could is a foundational upper body exercise. used as a substitute for professional medical advice,

Alternate sides with each rep. Commando pullups target the arms and chest. Their pecs are stronger than their back, so a narrow grip allows them to use more weight. People tend to find them more difficult than Chin-Ups for this reason," Weller says. William Lynch has been a freelance writer for the past fifteen years, working for various web sites and publications. Once you’ve set your grip, retract the scapula slightly to create a firm foundation to begin your pull-up from. But lots of other hand positions can be used on a Pull-Up bar—wide, narrow, neutral, mixed. The Best Strength and Power Superset for Athletes, Playing Multiple Sports Helped Patrick Mahomes Become the NFL's Most Magical QB, Why Nutrition Isn't About Making the 'Perfect' Choice, Quick Cues to Clean Up Your Kettlebell Swing, A Peloton Bike Probably Won't Get You Your Dream Body. The neutral grip also heavily works your brachialis—a muscle in the biceps that pushes up the biceps brachii and makes your arms look bigger.

When you pull yourself up, you'll have to move your head to one side or the other to avoid hitting the bar. Be sure to keep tension on the back and in between the shoulder blades throughout this moment, and always secure a stable core and shoulder girdle prior to proceeding into another repetition. You may also modify the pullup to target specific muscle groups and to add variety to your workout routines. Simply altering the width of your grip will have a tremendous effect on pullup performance. This will help you avoid muscle imbalances. To perform a dead hang pullup, lower your body until your arms are completely extended at the bottom of each rep. Pull-Ups are one of the best exercises out there. diagnosis or treatment. If you cannot do a pull-up, it is suggested you work diligently to master the pull-up, starting with this 1-month beginner pull-up workout program. Grasping the bar with your hands farther apart will work the lat muscles of the back. Guaranteed. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Instead of hanging vertically beneath the bar, you assume a horizontal position with your legs in front of you and in constant contact with the ground. They're simple, requiring only a sturdy bar and your own body weight. This pullup variation uses a bar that's only about waist high. Lat pulldowns are a machine-based exercise that targets the same muscle groups used in the pull-up.

Pull-Ups are one of the best exercises out there. Moreover, we do not select every advertiser or advertisement that appears on the web site-many of the Once your chin is clear of the bar, begin lower yourself slowly with a time-base goal you’ve set for yourself. The simple motion strengthens the arms, shoulders, chest and back. A wider grip makes it harder for the pecs to get involved, but it also changes the leverage and makes it harder for you to bring your shoulder blades together and down, so it's not a good idea for most people," Weller says. While these exercise both incorporate back, bicep, and grip training, the angles of the inverted row and the pull-up are different. Some of the biggest benefits include: BarBend is an independent website.

This is known as a neutral grip and places less stress on the shoulders.

In a 2010 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, authors compared the musculature used and needed by chin-ups and pull-ups. In a commando pullup, turn your body and stand so you're looking down the length of the bar. "The neutral grip allows for more natural rotational motion at the wrists and shoulders," Weller says. It's a question you hear all the time. Start by assuming a pronated grip on a bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

When you pull yourself up from this horizontal plane, you're taxing the muscles in your rear lats and mid-back that may not be tested with normal pullups. It’s an exercise that carries a ton of benefits and it can be used for benefit in nearly every training setting. Join the BarBend Newsletter for everything you need to get stronger. Each variation affects the body differently, so knowing when and how to use each grip is a big plus. The pull-up is a fantastic tool for tracking upper body strength and progress, and can be a great tool for boosting internal confidence. The simple motion strengthens the arms, shoulders, chest and back. Weller says, "A good Pull-Up is done with the hands just outside shoulder-width." This variation is endless and only capped by your ability to execute great reps at various amounts of weight. This is why people tend to grip pretty narrow for Weighted Chin-Ups. If you're looking to build a beefy back, Pull-Ups are a strong choice. Do Your First Pull-Up With This Simple Workout. In the pull-up, the eccentric is the lowering portion of the movement. Copyright Policy Once you have arrived at the top of the bar, stabilize your body and then lower yourself to the start position under control. Basically, a wider grip builds a wider back. Privacy Policy

Weller says, "The Chin-Up allows for better biceps recruitment, but shifts some emphasis away from the upper back.". The reason pull-ups are often a staple in upper body workouts is due to their ability to target multiple muscles at once. Each exercise worked a variety of muscle groups, check out the muscles worked by the pull-up below: Keep in mind, these are only the muscles that were monitored in the study and other smaller, stabilizer muscles might be also be involved in the pull-up to some degree. Using the lat pulldown machine can help to isolate the latissimus dorsi muscles, overload the back with extra volume, and even help to increase strength in lifters who may lack enough strength to perform a full pull-up.

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, it’s time to start thinking about upping the difficulty. This style of pull-up is ballistic in nature and utilizes momentum gained from a kipping motion to increase a lifters inertia to pull himself to the bar. Here's Why, How NOT to Perform a Pull-Up (With Fixes), Improve Soccer Agility with Lateral Strength Exercises, Reach New Training Heights With Resistance Band Exercises, Mike Boyle's 5 Tips for More Effective Workouts. Grasping the bar with your hands closer together will place greater emphasis on the arms, shoulders and chest. Yes, absolutely. The inverted row is a bodyweight exercise that is often used as a regression with lifters/athletes who cannot perform a pull-up. Grab the base of the towels and perform Pull-Ups as you normally would. 9 Things Elite Strength Coaches Wish They Had Known When They Were High School Athletes, Do This Kettlebell Wrestling Workout for Elite Conditioning, Try This Bodyweight Circuit When You Can't Get to the Gym, Front Squat 101: How to Master The Move in 5 Minutes, Why the Goblet Squat Is the Best Type of Squat for Young Athletes. Like every exercise, use the pull-up variations below to increase specific adaptations, as opposed to haphazardly programming them. One of the best ways to acclimate oneself to pull-ups is by performing pull-up eccentrics. Pull-Ups are also considered more difficult than Chin-Ups, so you should first master Chin-Up form before trying Pull-Ups.

They're simple, requiring only a sturdy bar and your own body weight. The added challenge of holding onto the towels will improve your grip, and the added instability will force your core to kick into overdrive. After you’ve conquered the pull-up, you can begin to add variations based on your training goal. Basically, instead of just lowering yourself slowly, you’ll add in pauses at certain points to increase time under tension and the time you spend holding your own bodyweight. Think back to that time you nailed your first pull-up. Outside of having specific strength, muscle, and sport benefits, the pull-up could also be described as a milestone movement, as in, it’s an amazing first accomplishment to tackle in strength training.

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