You should not consider yourself anywhere near being strong, fit or in shape if you can't do a pull up. Thanks to the modern age of "all show - no go" fitness machines we've had at least a generation of trainers doing everything they can to avoid hitting the pull up bar. Pull downs, back machines, bands, on and on and on trying to "fix" a exercise that was never broke in the first place. We all know not to fix things that aren't broke don't we? If not we certainly should!
With that behind us many may start their Bodyweight Training journey with the need to build strength and power in their pull up ability. This will reap tremendous benefits - the more pull ups you do regularly the better you will look and feel. Ninety days of pull ups will likely leave you looking like an action movie star or superhero.
Follow these suggestions and you'll be doing sets of twenty in no time!
- Avoid Going to Failure. In building Pull Up strength and power it's been shown again and again it's best to avoid going to failure in sets. Always leave a rep or two in the bank. Do more sets while avoiding going to failure rather than blowing out all your energy on only one or two sets. Even though this may seem counter intuitory this will quickly turn into huge jumps in strength. Olympic athletes swear by this method. Try it and you will too!
- Pull With the Lats First. Pull with your back muscles first NOT with your arms. Obviously your lats being much larger muscles they possess more power and endurance than your biceps. Use this to your advantage.
- Keep Your Elbows Pointing Back and Down. This will aide you in firing your lats in the movement. Try to image elbowing someone behind you in their stomach. Like the guy who convinced you to add this grueling exercise to your Bodyweight training sessions (just kidding!)
- Get your Chin over the Bar. There's no need to go chest to the bar like some trainers claim. Anything much beyond your chin does little to add further to your back development. Instead consider your chin going over the bar as a good solid rep.
- Lose Body Fat. The leaner you are the better your pull up ability will become. Fat people don't do many pull ups and pull up masters are very rarely (if ever) fat. When you set a goal of putting up massive numbers on the pull up bar it's good encouragement in the quest to also get lean. One drive compliments the other quite nicely!
- Switch Up Your Grips. Okay technically speaking pull ups are when your palms are facing you. Chin ups are when your palms are facing away from you. Neutral grips are when you are using a bar that allows your palms to be facing each other. Do a few sets of each when you train upper body. This will help build your back from different angles and also do wonders for your grip strength!
There's no better feeling than being able to hop up and grab the bar pounding out easy reps of pull ups. It's a lost art even the big and strong in bodybuilding gyms are usually unable to manage. Put in smart and steady work and you'll be leaving jaws open and fielding questions on how you built up your new found pull up power! Feel free to tell them about our guide.
