4 Moves to Help You
Master the Pull-up
Provided by American Council on Exercise
“How many
pull-ups can you do?” If you’re a health and fitness professional, you’ve
probably been asked this a few times by a client, friend or a random person who
notices your healthy lifestyle. But what does the ability to do an unassisted
pull-up have to do with fitness? Because performing the pull-up involves moving
the entirety of your own bodyweight up against gravity, it takes incredible
upper-body strength and trunk stability.
The
pull-up has long been used to assess overall upper-body strength as it is a
“pulling” motion, one of the five essential movement patterns described in the
ACE Integrated Fitness Training® (ACE IFT®) model. By mastering the pull-up
along with the bend and lift, single-leg, pushing and rotating movements, we
are better equipped to move effectively and efficiently in our daily lives.
The major
muscle groups required to perform an effective pull-up include the large back
muscles—latissimus dorsi and rhomboids—as well as the
posterior deltoids and biceps. The trunk and other stabilizers also play a role
in the ability or move the body up and down against gravity. When performing a
proper pull-up, it is important to “pack the shoulders” or set the shoulder
blades (scapula) in the correct and most powerful position to ensure that the
right muscles are doing the work. Grasp that bar and, before beginning the
pull-up motion, maintain straight arms and pull the shoulder blades down the
back and together (as if putting the scapula in your back pocket while pinching
them together). Maintain this position of the shoulder blades as you engage the
back and arms to pull yourself upward.
Because
performing a full, unassisted pull-up is a challenging task for most people,
the following exercises should be a part of your routine if your goal is to
complete this essential movement pattern without assistance. Perform each of
these four exercises as a part of your strength-training routine. To improve
overall strength, perform two to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions using a
weight that only allows you to complete your goal repetitions and sets safely.
Assisted
Pull-up
Place one
end of a super band around the pull-up handles. Depending on the length and
tension of the band, place either your foot/feet or knee/knees into the bottom
loop. Perform a standard pull-up and allow the band to help you maintain proper
form and raise your head above the bars. To increase or decrease the level of
difficulty, change the type of band to allow for an increase or decrease in
assistance.
Until
necessary strength is established, this move helps to establish the correct
movement pattern for executing the perfect pull-up.
TRX
Biceps Curl
Using the
TRX or other suspension system, lean back with arms straight. Turn the palms
inward and bend the elbows, curling the hands in toward the chest. This will
bring the body upward. Keep the elbows high and curl the hands all the way in
to the chest. Slowly release back to the starting position while maintaining a
straight line from head to feet. To increase or decrease the intensity of this
exercise, move the feet closer to (harder) or farther away from the anchor
point (easier).
This move
helps to develop strength in the biceps and shoulders with the use of body
weight against gravity.
Straight-arm
Pull-downs
Using a
cable machine with the lat pull-down bar attachment,
place the hands shoulder-width apart on the bar. Back up and hinge forward at
the hips, while also bending the knees slightly. Keeping the arms straight,
engage the lats and press the bar down to the thighs.
This move
is great for improving both lat strength as well as
the trunk stability necessary for mastering the pull-up.
Eccentric
Chin-ups
Use a
step, band or a jumping start to bring your chin above the bar. Slowly lower
yourself down to where your arms are fully extended. To make this either more
or less difficult, vary the time that it takes you to lower your body. The
slower the movement the more difficult it will be.
Research
has shown that eccentric movements contribute to faster strength gains, but be
warned post-exercise soreness is also more likely.
AUTHOR
Jacqueline Crockford
Jacque Crockford, MS, CSCS, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer
and Exercise Physiology Content Manager at ACE. She has been a personal trainer
and performance coach for over 14 years. Jacque grew up in the fitness
industry, participating in YMCA sports and teaching gymnastics and swimming
from a young age. She was on Kansas State University’s women’s rowing team, and
she currently competes in triathlons throughout the country. Jacque has been
featured in several publications, including LA
Times, New York Post, Health, USA Triathlon, SHAPE and Women’s Health.