The pull-up is the best move around to test your functional strength. The reason pull-ups are so difficult is because you need to be strong, stable, and relatively lean to do them (since you’re pulling your own body weight). If you are ever in a situation where you are hanging from a cliff, deadlifts will not be of much help to you.
One issue with pull-ups is that they require a lot of strength. This move is not possible to do if you are not very strong and/or too heavy. Although there are variations and alternatives you can use, you will still have to work up to your first-ever pull-up. We'll go into more detail about that later, as well as outlining a plan that will help you improve your pull-up skills within a month.
Benefits Of Pull Ups
There are many benefits to doing pull-ups. The benefits of practicing habits will help you stay motivated to continue doing them.
In this section, I compiled a list of what I believe to be the most beneficial aspects of doing pull ups.
Benefit #1: Improve Your Posture
This is the greatest benefit of performing pull ups.
improperly aligned spine poor posture when sitting hunched over a computer all day Bad posture is a very common problem in today's world. This can be caused by an improperly aligned spine, sitting in poor posture, or spending all day hunched over a computer. The two most common causes of back pain are spending too much time sitting, and having a weak back.
If you do pull ups regularly, you will develop a strong back, which will lead to better posture.
* Even if pulling up is more of a lifestyle issue, it will help you improve your sitting habits by keeping your back straight while you are sitting.
Benefit #2: Develop Muscular Back And Arms
Pull ups are a great way to build muscle in your upper and lower back as well as your biceps.
Even professional bodybuilders use them regularly in their workouts, which shows how effective they are.
Benefit #3: Improve Your Grip Strength
Grip strength is the most fundamental type of strength.
If you have strong arms but a weak grip, most of your strength will go to waste and you won't be able to express it fully.
Benefit #4: Develop Functional Strength
Performing pull ups is one of the best exercises to do if you want your training to be immediately beneficial and transferable to your everyday life.
Strong back and arms will help with every physical activity, from carrying groceries to climbing.
Benefit #5: Opens The Way For Other Advanced Movements
Becoming proficient in pull ups will enable you to perform other advanced calisthenics movements.
Such movements, for example, are:
- Front lever
- Ice cream makers
- Skin the cat
- Back lever
- Back lever pulls
- Front lever pulls
- One arm pull ups
- Etc.
One-Month Pull-Up Training Program
This is a 30-day program that will help beginners achieve their first pull-up. The program is three days per week. This program is designed for beginners, but it can also help non-beginners who are stuck at a certain level to improve their back training.
You should perform each of the three workouts below every week, taking at least one day of rest between each workout. Continue this for four weeks. Each workout consists of 3-4 exercises and lasts about 30 minutes. Progressions can be done using a heavier load. Try to gradually increase the amount of weight you're lifting each week, making sure that the increase is small enough that you can still feel your back muscles working.
Day One
- Dead Hang: 4 sets of 30 seconds, resting 45-60 seconds between sets. (Add weight if you can, using a belt and weight around hips.)
- Isometric Pull-Up Hold: 4 sets of 10 seconds, resting 60-90 seconds between sets. (Perform a 10-second hold at the top of the pull-up.)
- Inverted Barbell Row: 4 sets of 5 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Use a pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulders. Add weight and go heavy.)
- Lat Pulldown: 4 sets of 6-8 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Add weight and go heavy, perform controlled eccentric and get a full lat stretch between reps by elongating the arms at the top.)
Day Two
- Towel-Grip Dead Hang: 4 sets of 30 seconds, resting 45-60 seconds between sets (Add weight if you can, using a belt and weight around hips.)
- Eccentric Pull-Up: 4 sets of 5 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Lower yourself to a count of 3 to five seconds.)
- Band Assisted Pull-Up: 4 sets of 5 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Choose a band that will make you struggle for your last rep, yet still maintain good form. Don’t use the momentum from the band to propel yourself back up.)
- Supinated-Grip Dumbbell Bench Supported Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Be sure to have palms facing away from you as you row.)
Day Three
- Fat-Grip Dead Hang: 4 sets of 30 seconds, resting 45-60 seconds between sets (Add weight if you can, using a belt and weight around hips.)
- Band Assisted 1 ½ Pull-Up: 4 sets of 3-5 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Start at the bottom of the pull-up. Pull your chin over the bar, and perform a slight pause to engage the back muscles. Go down about halfway so that your elbows are in line with your eye. Pull yourself back up. That is a 1 ½ pull-up.)
- Lat Pulldown: 4 sets of 8-10 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets (Add weight and go heavy, perform controlled eccentric and get stretch between reps by elongating the arms at the top.)
- Seal Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets.
How to Do the Perfect Pull-Up
There are five key points to remember when doing pull-ups: * Start with your palms facing away from you and grip the bar shoulder-width apart. * Exhale as you pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. * Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. * Inhale as you lower yourself back to the starting position. * Remember to keep your core engaged throughout the entire movement.
- Find the Right Grip: Grip the bar with both hands slightly wider than shoulder-width with palms facing away from you. You can vary this based on your goal. However, you should master the pull-up with this grip before taking a wider or narrower grip. When you are set up, think about getting as much of your palm on top of the bar as possible. You should apply pressure with your pinky into the pull-up bar, which will help you engage the lats more.
- Start from a Dead Hang: Unless you perform eccentric pull-ups, you should start your pull-ups in the dead hang position — with your arms fully extended and feet off the ground.
- Stabilize Your Core and Set Your Shoulders: Before doing a rep, pull your belly button navel inwards, brace the core, and pull the shoulders down away from your ears. This specific position will ensure that you’re pulling with mainly your lats and not engaging your traps or arms more than you need to.
- Elbows and Pinkies to the Hips: By thinking of applying pressure to the bar through the pinkies, you can increase lat engagement. Make sure your knuckles stay on top of the bar and pretend that you’re driving your elbows to your hips through your pinkies.
- Pause at the Top, Lower Under Control, and Repeat: Once you get to the top of the pull-up, be sure to lean back slightly and hold yourself briefly, flexing the back muscles. Then, lower yourself slowly as you feel the stretch in the lats. Lowering yourself downwards under control is a great way to increase muscle growth and is called the eccentric training phase of the movement.
Benefits of the Pull-Up
Below are three main benefits of the pull-up. Pull-ups are beneficial for upper body strength, back growth, and improving back health for other lifts and movements.
