There's no way around it-if you want a muscular upper body, you have to do pullups.
In fact,according to Jason Ferruggia, a performance-enhancement coach in Warren, N.J., "the pullup works so much muscle that, if it were the only exercise you did for your upper body, you could still develop an impressive physique." This month, our goal is to help you improve your pulling power, whether you're a beginner just bellying up to the bar, or an iron veteran trying to widen your lats' wingspan.
"I can't do a single pullup."
Lacking the strength to do pullups doesn't make you a girly man-but relying on the pulldown machine while forever avoiding pullups does. To save face, try developing your pulling strength with an elastic flex band (available at elitefts.com). Tie the band to the bar, and let the loop hang down to about knee height. Grab the bar overhead, and place your feet on the band. Straighten your legs-you should feel the tension of the band supporting your weight somewhat, but you'll still have to pull hard to complete a rep. "The band should allow you to get one to two sets of three to five reps," says Ferruggia. In each succeeding workout, try to get another rep in each set-when you can do eight to 10 reps, switch to a lighter-tension band and start the progression over. "Keep switching to lighter bands until you can do a few reps without a band," adds Ferruggia.
"I can do 10 or more reps."
You're now ready to add weight to your pullups. You can do this by hanging a weight plate from a chain around your waist. "You can also move to more advanced variations of the pullup," says Ferruggia, "such as the subscap pullup," in which you push the bar away from you (as in a bench press) on the way down, which activates the subscapularis, a muscle that makes the chest look thicker.
Pullup FAQs Aren't lat pulldowns enough?
No. "Moving your body through space increases the levels of neuromuscular activity needed for increases in size and strength much more significantly than just moving a fixed object with your limbs," says Ferruggia. In other words, pulldowns work fewer muscles and never prepare you to perform better pullups. You can use them for high-rep sets, but you should substitute pullups in their place whenever possible. What's the difference between pullups and chinups?
Chinups are performed with the palms facing you; pullups, with the palms facing outward. Chinups work the biceps harder, while pullups target the brachialis (the arm muscle between your bi's and tri's) better, but both moves are excellent and should be cycled back and forth in your training.
ya, i do that crap all the time. it should be one of the many exercises in every man's routine. don't neglect them, pull-ups are the key to building those upper pectorialis and the lats.
-- Dan
Wicked!! Many thanks. Until now I didn't know the real difference between a Chinup and a Pullup.
I already include both in my workout but from now on I will definitely by working harder on my Pullups!!
-- Daniel
I have to just nod my head in silent agreement. My younger brother loves pull-ups and does them religiously. We have a bar set up on the door to our bathroom and he never goes through it without pumping out at least 20. I workout 5 days a week, and he joins me an avg. of 2 of those. my workout is much longer, and harder than his...yet he is ripped and gets compliments all the time because of his build, and I am always frustrated because i put in more effort and consider myself much stronger...i think im going to make a change and start doing my pull ups.
-- Brandt
love the pull-ups, can't wait to hit the gym and do them tomorrow.
-- Dan
Resistance bands...can't believe I never thought of that before. will try thanks
-- Andy
my wait is 77 and ny stomacke is increase , my hips also last 1 year my appendix operation held so that resone my waight is increse plz give some tips to me reduce my wait and body shape .my stomacke size is 38.
-- mazhar
I have to fully agree with this article, but what about one-handed pull-ups? Are they even worth doing, or should I just stick with adding weights with the regulars ones?
-- Chan S.
You guys wanna be fit instead of just looking fit hit up CrossFit.com.
-- Mike is Invincible
as usual you guys know what your doing.
-- Anonymous
I just started to do pullups like 2 months ago and I have noticed a great deal of difference.
When I started it was hard for me to do 5, now I am doing 15-20 on every given day that I am at the gym.
-- Kalik Crick, Brooklyn, NY
yo u aint lying pullups hit everything when done correctly they hit the whole upperbody from back chest abz 2 forarmz try 2 do supersets of pushupz 2 pullupz 4 some real SIZE! 4 sets!
-- jonny blaze
That is a perfect way
-- Mark
If you use a pullup machine with more weight than you weigh is that still "cheating" or not working out as effectively? Also, what could you use at home as a pullup bar?
-- Mike
I can do pull ups and chin ups, but there is a "point of no return" with the postion of my arms. If my arms become straight there is nothing to get me back up. Am i doing them right or should I focus on getting all a way down?
-- Stebee
I'm at about 1 unassisted pullup by I can see how they're really important. That part about pushing away to build up subscapularis is BS though, even if that does work that muscle I think it would just pronate the shoulder girdle (slumped shoulders) which aint a great look.
-- Matt P
If you can do a one arm pullup. Then your 1 of the few that can. This is a very hard technique. I'm sure MensFitness would like to see a sample clip of that.
-- chris
Pull-ups are a true test of your strength. Your goal besides looking good is to being able to handle your own body weight. Isn't that part of everyones goal?
-- Doug M
i have to pegs above my garage door like the ones used in wrestling practice how does this very from the standerd pullup, chinup.
-- corey m
Should pullups be done on a daily basis regardless what muscles you are working out?
-- Robert R.
One handed pull ups, what is he Electra or something?
-- Anonymous
of course pull-ups work at making you stronger. why do you think pull-ups are a key part of any military special operations training? also your not really doing 10 pull-ups if you dont come the whole way down to a dead hang and if you have to kick to get back up.
-- Anonymous
nobody ever said he could do a one-arm pullup. he said he could do 1 pullup, unassisted. sheesh. i can do like 4 of them, though.
-- phil
pull ups are probably the best upper body workout. doing pull ups will not make you look slumped over, it actually has the opposite effect. Im currently deployed to iraq, and i have been doing the Recon Ron Pull up Program every day for two months. When i arrived her, i was doing 7 max set. After working with this program, i have increase my max set to 13. As a marine, pull ups are the foundation of our physical fitness test. My goal is to be 20 or more by the end of this deployment.
-- Jay
dan, you're an idiot! explain to everyone how a pulling motion is going to work your pecs....
-- pat
I was wondering if you always have to go all the way down? Because I can do 10 reps easily but I don't go all the way down. Does going all the way down matter that much?
-- Chris
Pulls ups are very good, i try to do 6 sets of 10-15 a day.
-- Wes
Try holding yourself in the upright position for 20 seconds (kind of need a clock somewhere handy) then doing as many as you can. Ripped arms will result...
-- Johnny Bizzle
the only way i know to do a one-handed pullup is to grasp the bar with your hand body-centered, then grasp that wrist with the other hand for pulling and balance. that's as close as the human body can come, i think, to a 'one-handed' pullup.
-- willis drummond
holding your wrists makes it a 2 arms chin up with one hand on the bar . try towel pulls they help your grip strength needed for 1 arm pull ups
-- Matt, UK
The pullup is the best exercise, and if you mix it with some dips and pushups. Try doing a tri sets, you do a set of 10 pushups, then without resting 10 pullups and last 10 reps of dips. thats a great workout. do as many as you in each tri set, this will boost your strength and youll get ripped
-- Anonymous
Does anyone on these boards use a spell checker?
-- Jason
working out makes me sweat...ewwww!
-- Lawrence
this is one of the best work outs you can do. make sure to keep proper form and not let your body swing during each rep.
-- Peter
I tried doing a 1-handed pullup. Damn near impossible. I wonder if there is a standard way of doing them...
-- Dan
Thanks i gotta keep that in mind
-- Ferdinando
i used to just go up and down, but recently i have been going very slow and i can see and feel the results
-- Mike Lowery, Helsinki
For those just starting out, try doing a U. S. Marine routine called UBD or Upper Body Development - start with 1 pullup, then do 10 pushups, then 2 pullups and 10 pushups, etc. Follow this up to 5 pullups/10 pushups and then work your way back down. By the end of this routine you will have done 30 pullups and 100 pushups!!
-- RT
just do ladders. 2 push ups, 1 pull 4 push ups 2 pulls. 6 and 3 so on and so forth with no rest. its starst to feel like a killer later on
-- albert
I can do 5 sets of 20 pull ups and or chinups, wide and/or close grip. I do about 60 -80 pull ups/chinuos a day
not seeing any major changes in physique... just increase in strength...no way to bulk up thats for sure but a great exercise never the less
-- Frank
My name is Vinny and im 44 years old, I was a hardcore bodybuilder for many years until i injured my back and neck a few years ago which are now both fused with titanium. I started doing Bicep Pull ups and Lat Pull ups for two Months now and the results are Amazing!!! My whole upper body grew as if i were Bodybuilding again and my Biceps are getting very large and Vascular!!
-- Vinny DiStefano
Frank, you wont see any increase in your apperance because you are doing so many pull ups that there is not much resistance for your muscles, to build mass you need med reps
-- Matt
Frank, you need to add some weight if you can do 20. Let's say you weigh 180 lbs. If your doing 20 reps, then you're max is probably 300 lbs. Hang 60 lbs off a weight belt, then crank out 8 sets of 3 reps with a 60 sec rest between. Then eat and watch yourself grow.
-- Mark
pull ups making my back look like a v . i do pulls ups everyday with a 25ld.my back looks better than my friends back because they dont like pull ups.
-- fernando
I go to The Citadel, a military college in south carolina, and did about 120 pullups in a latter structure today, I only did this because the gym was closed...looks like i will be doing a whole lot more of these essential exercises.
-- Tyler
i am a 140 pound runner who works out vigorously and never really built that much size once i started doing pull ups i got stronger and more cut
-- jamal
Does anyone know if those pull up bars from Golds gym are any good. what height do you place it in your door frame.
-- Wali
If anyone needs a pull up bar, just use the door frame (that is is the board on top is thick enough) and it works well if you are below 6 feet, once you get above six feet it doesn't work as well. everytime I go into my bedroom i just do a few
-- Anonymous
This stuff is true, do mid rep pull ups everyday and your back will be strong and defined.
-- - Jay
2 weeks ago I could do 5 at age 44; this week I can do 8.
-- guns
Quote from Wali: "Does anyone know if those pull up bars from Golds gym are any good. what height do you place it in your door frame. "
I just instelled one this morning. It is very sturdy and providing you have a wide enough doorway 36" it works fantastically. I even installed brackets near the floor so that i can move it and do bodyweight hamstring curls.
-- mgduuk@hotmail.com
if you want a pullup bar that can travel, or just don't want to damage a door frame, they have something called the door gym. I got it, and my pullups have improved significantly.
-- Anonymous
one arm pull-ups a usually reserved for rock-climbing training fanatics. however one can begin by grabbing the wrist then forearm then elbow then nothing. you should be able to preform at least 5 set of 15 before really trying to train one arms
-- Seth
pullups and chinups are the shit. if youre not doing them in your work out, then your missing out!!!
-- luis
