Pull-ups

Advanced Level

For most people full body weight pull-ups are the holy-grail of exercise.  Besides being good for the ego (if you can do them) it's a terrific exercise to strengthen the back, shoulders and arms.  It also requires a substantial amount of core strength to stabilize the body.

Compared to our primate friends such as the gorilla or chimpanzee, human beings are relatively weak in the upper body.  How would you feel if you had to spend a couple of days in a tree jumping between branches?  Of course the chimps have the advantage that they're usually not carrying around 40-50 pounds of fast-food junk in their trunk.

Although the full body weight pull up is an advanced exercise reserved only for the most capable athletes, everyone should be doing some form of pull-up.  In studio most of our clients perform their pull-ups on a Total Gym 11000.  The Total Gym allows the exerciser to reduce the intensity of the exercise from 10 to 70 percent of their body weight.  Using the Total Gym everyone can do pull-ups!

Although it may be tempting to perform the pull-up with a wide grip with the intent of creating the much sought after V-shaped back, wide grip pull-ups are tough on the shoulder capsules.  We recommend performing pull-ups with a narrow grip, as well as a neutral grip (palms facing each other) to avoid should impingement syndromes.

In studio we have a C.H.E.K Triple Cross machine that has 3 chin-up bars.  Each of the bars is a different thickness.  To substantially increase an already challenging exercise and to increase your forearm strength use the thickest bar (like grabbing onto a soup can).

To perform the pull-up, grab the bars shoulder width apart with your palms facing away from you (pronated grip).  While inhaling, raise your torso so that your chin passes over the top of the bar.  Pause at the top.  Slowly lower yourself down to the start position while exhaling through pursed lips.  Be sure to fully extend the arms at the bottom.

Unless you are able to perform three sets of 20-25 reps there is no need to add additional weight plates to this exercise.  Doing so only increases the risk of developing shoulder injuries.  This is especially so for exercisers in their forties and up.