Types of Pull-Ups
Studies suggest that adults lose 3-8% of their muscle mass per decade after the age of 30. Strength training exercises such as pull-ups can counter this. Here are 8 pull up variations to advance your fitness level:
- The Classic Pull-Up
- Chin-up
- The Hammer Grip Pull-Up
- Narrow Grip and Wide Grip
- Mixed Grip
- Around the world
- Muscle Up
- Towel Up
Benefits of Pull-Ups
Here are 10 benefits of pull-ups:
1) Work Many Muscles at a Time
Known as a compound move, pull up works out several muscle groups at the same time. Every time you do a pull-up, you work on your biceps, triceps, forearms, wrists, grip strength, lats, shoulders and core.
2) Good for Grip Strength
In addition to building up the bigger muscle groups, pull-ups effectively strengthen the grip.
3) Calorie Burner
You can increase the intensity, reps of the movement and choose from different pull up variants to burn calories in circuit training.
4) Helps in Cardio Workout
A cardiovascular routine is intended to increase your heart rate. While pull-ups are essentially a strength move, multiple sets of pull-ups with shorts pauses in between can boost the body's blood circulation.
5) You Can Do It Anywhere
One can do this exercise anywhere; at home, in a park, in a gym or anywhere possible. All you need is a bar and a place the bar can be firmly mounted.
6) Improves Mental Health
A 2018 study finds that performing regular strength training strengthens one's muscles and uplifts the mood. The study found that people with mild to moderate depression who performed resistance or strength training such as pull-ups saw "significant" reductions in their symptoms.
7) Improve Joint Fluidity and Bone Health
As per a study, 80% of joint activity happens at the shoulder joint during a pull-up. The same study also reveals that 50% of joint activity happens at the shoulder girdle, which includes the scapula and the collar bones.
8) Improves Posture
One immediate benefit of pull-ups is that this exercise helps you have a better posture. Since pull-ups target back muscles, it helps strengthen the back, enabling you to walk taller and look leaner.
9) Can be Customised to Suit Different Levels of Fitness
One can crank up or down the intensity of pull-ups based on fitness levels. This workout is beneficial for both beginners or advanced, as a cardio or strength training move.
10) Gives you a “V-Shape”
When done properly, pull-ups help men create the physical aesthetic of a narrower waist, broader back, and bigger arms, aka the “V-shape” many men aim to achieve.
Also Read: 5 Exercises to Boost Weight Loss
Chin-Ups Benefits
The main difference between a chin-up or a pull up is the way your hands are positioned. While in a pull up your hands are in the pronated position (hands facing against you), in a chin-up your hands are in the supinated position (your hands are facing you).
Just like pull ups, there are various advantages of chin-ups. It’s a compound exercise that targets multiple muscles simultaneously, including the latissimus dorsi (lats) and rhomboids in your back, biceps, and forearms.
Benefits of Kipping Pull-Ups
Kipping pull-ups are done by athletes looking to do hundreds of reps. This pull-up variation helps:
- Improve overall grip strength
- Grow a muscular back
- Improve gymnastic skills
Benefits of Assisted Pull-Ups
Assisted pull-ups are beneficial for beginners who are not yet ready to do a classic pull up. They target the same muscles as regular pull-ups and help one build (instead of gain) grip strength, improve stability and perfect the movement.
What Muscles do Pull-ups Work?
Every time you do a pull-up, you work on:
- The Latissimus Dorsi (the largest muscle in the back)
- Rhomboids (upper back)
- Trapezius (a muscle that stretches from the back of the neck to the shoulder)
- Deltoids
- Triceps
- Pectoralis (pecs)
- Brachialis (upper arm muscle)
- Core
Why Should You do Pull-Ups?
Pull-ups is one exercise that works several key muscles at the same time. Its intensity can be cranked up or down based on the individual fitness level and can be done almost anywhere.
Beginner Vs Advanced Pull Up
Since pull-ups test your overall upper body, the core strength required to perform it is considered quite high. However, the good news is that there are regression exercises and modifications that can act as a foundation for a proper pull-up.
Beginners can start by just hanging from the pull-up bar for 20-30 seconds. They can also use assisted pull up machines in the gym to strengthen the arm and back muscles. Advanced athletes can also make their pull-ups more challenging by trying different variations, or by adding weights or using one hand to do a pull-up.
