Pull-ups are an exercise that ought to be included in everybody’s repertoire. I could probably write an entire book about the many reasons to include them in your workout, but I will force myself to limit it to a few main benefits and provide some tips for increasing the number of repetitions that can be performed.
Because so many people are concerned with the subject of weight loss, I’ll begin by pointing out how pull-ups help achieve that goal. Though pull-ups are not typically thought of as a cardio exercise, they can get your heart pumping in hurry.
Boosting the heart rate increases calories burned, so that’s fat melting away with every rep. To increase the burn even more, minimum rest intervals can be included, or they can be part of a super-set with another exercise.
A great benefit for general fitness is the impact on grip strength. Grip strength and endurance are necessary for nearly all lifts done in the gym, and pull-ups are one of the most efficient ways to improve both.
Pull-ups are also a fundamental compound exercise for the upper body. That means they incorporate multiple muscle groups, and thus can lead to growth in size, strength or tone. When it comes to achieving such goals, no other back exercise stands their equal.
Convenience is a very handy benefit of the exercise. You can do them just about anywhere. There is no specialized equipment needed. If there is a bar or some equivalent to hang from, you can do pull-ups.
Intensity for pull-ups can be easily elevated. Adding a weight hanging from your waist or hanging a kettle bell from your feet will exponentially increase the difficulty.
Additionally, multiple variations of pull-ups can be done without requiring special equipment. Reverse, wide or narrow grip pull-ups are just a few variations of pull-ups that can be done simply by changing the position of your hands.
These benefits are why the pros rely heavily upon them. When I was fortunate enough to participate in a workout with Jason Poston, IFBB Men’s Physique Professional, he featured the exercise as a necessary component of back strength. When a man who placed top three at Olympia says to do pull-ups, you do pull-ups.
One reason why this essential exercise is overlooked is how difficult it can be to perform. Many gym goers choose to do pull-downs rather than pull-ups, but the substitution is not remotely as beneficial for back or overall fitness.
Maybe you can’t even do a single pull-up without assistance. Instead of relying on the ease of the pull-down machine, try using the assisted pull-up machines. Making a little progress each time can quickly lead to the ability to perform pull-ups without weighted help.
Even if you can only do a few pull-ups, that is better than not doing any. The only way to get better at pull-ups is to do them. Do as many as you can and then add assistance to finish your set. Eventually you will be able to get through every set on your own power.
If weighted assistance machines are not available, that doesn’t provide a valid excuse to avoid pull-ups. Resistance bands can be hung from bars to use as aids, or a partner can hold your feet, allowing you to use your legs to get up.
In short, if you are not including pull-ups in your routine, you are missing out on an exceptional exercise. Don’t allow excuses to keep you from making progress. Find a bar and start pulling yourself up to a better level of fitness.
