Pull-up Specific Exercises
This is article 3 of a 3 part series about performing safe, strong and effective pull-ups. Written by Jim Skoczen PT, DPT, OCS and owner of Full Circle Performance Physical Therapy.
If you’ve been following along with our performance series about pull-up training, you’ve gotten through the tough part. The first two articles were a lot of education, but now we’re getting to the fun stuff! What we’re going to review today are some basic exercises that you can incorporate into your workout routine and programming to help you get your first pull-up or improve your performance until you’re a PULL-UP NINJA!
You’re going to be on AMW in no time!
First for a little anatomy review from part 1 of our series… pull-ups require strength and control using your biceps brachii and latissimus dorsi muscles, as well as significant grip and core strength to perform correctly and safely! So these are going to be our primary target areas in your workout plan.
Pull-ups hit some great beach muscles!
So with that in mind, how do you effectively target these areas? Here are a few of my favorite exercises that I regularly utilize with my clients:
1. Banded double arm lat pull - the first exercise uses a resistance band or can also be done with a cable machine at the gym. This targets your latissimus dorsi, which is the large muscle running down your side and to your lower back. When performing this, focus on keeping your arms straight and elbows fully extended throughout the motion and finishing with a good squeeze pulling your shoulder blades back and down.
2. Banded single arm lat pull - this is similar to the above movement, but is good for isolating one side of your body. This can be especially helpful if you are recovering from an injury or know that you don’t have symmetrical strength in your shoulders or back (pro tip - almost no one does😂). Doing this in a half kneeling position, helps to minimize movement with your hips and back and keeps you locked in to your target areas.
3. Scap pull-ups - This is your most basic work on the bar and great place to start if you have never done a pull-up before or as a warm-up before a workout. This also is a great way to train your grip and shoulders in the specific position you need for this movement! Work on keeping your elbows extended and your shoulder blades actively pulling back and towards your spine. Activate these muscles and hold a good contraction for 2-3 seconds - this will bring your arms further behind your head and almost push you in a position like you were finishing an overhead press with your head forward.
L-sit pull-ups - these are a great way to train the pull-up motion when you have a tough time doing too many traditional reps. Set this up using a barbell in the rig (face outward to keep the bar the most stable). Points of performance for this exercise would be maintaining a vertical pull as similar to a true pull-up as possible (you’ll notice that you want to extend your hips and pull in more of a rowing motion). Focus on maintaining the L-sit position and pulling your elbows vertically down towards your hips - you can even put your feet on a box or step to assist with this position. Always try to go through the full movement pattern - arms completely extended to chin over the bar - as this will give you the most bang for your buck during training!
Now that you have some new exercises added to your arsenal, get out there and start crushing your pull-up goals!
If you have further questions or concerns, contact Full Circle Performance Physical Therapy or stop in for a full evaluation and assessment. The information shared in this post is not intended to be used as medical advice, and I recommend visiting a qualified PT if you need further assistance.
