#8 PULLUP
The Pullup is the best exercise to shape a classic V-tapered torso. It’s also one of the most primal. The ability to pull the body up into trees to evade predators was vital to human survival. Today, few tasks require us to pull our own body weight, and, as a result, our back muscles have become weak. Plenty of things we do require us to push with our hands, like pushing ourselves out of bed or up from a car seat. All this pushing with little pulling results in poor grip strength and a pathetic posture—head forward, shoulders rounded, hunched back—that leads to shoulder injuries.
Pullups will forge strong shoulders, forearms, and hands to give you the functional strength of a professional mover and a handshake that shows people you mean business. Most important, hanging vertically provides much-needed spinal decompression that lubricates your intervertebral disks. Like hitting a Handstand or a Deep Squat, hanging from a bar for as long as you can once a day is a guaranteed way to make you feel and move better right away.
As with the Row, the Pullup requires something from which to hang. Best options include a freestanding Pullup unit, a door Pullup bar, or a TRX suspension trainer (or pair of gymnastics rings) that is vertically anchored to a sturdy rafter, tree branch, or power rack. If you don’t want to spend money on equipment, you have several alternatives at home or in a hotel room. One, you can hold on to the top of a sturdy door with an overhand grip. (Place a towel or book underneath the door to unload the hinges.) It will feel better on your hands and fingers to wrap a thick towel over the top of the door before you grab it. Door Pullups are actually a bit harder than regular Pullups because of the friction between your body and the door as you go up and down. In addition, they keep your elbows closer to your body and prevent you from cheating because you can’t swing your body back and forth. A tree branch, ledge, or horizontal bar at a playground makes for good Pullup opportunities. If none of these options works for you, there are equipment-free substitutes at the end of this chapter.
The PULLUP Progression
Level 1 Ground Zero: DEAD HANG
Level 2 Beginner: FLEXED HANG
Level 3 Intermediate: ECCENTRIC PULLUP
Level 4 Advanced: PULLUP
Level 5 Superhero: SELF-ASSISTED SINGLE-ARM PULLUP
Level 1: Ground Zero
DEAD HANG
You can’t do a Pullup if you can’t Dead Hang, so this is the place to start. Hang from the bar in a hollow-body position with your legs fully extended and slightly in front of your body instead of having your legs bent behind your body as most people do. Legs extended makes it easier to brace your core and squeeze your glutes to prevent your lower back from hyperextending during the movement. If you can’t find a high-enough apparatus to hang from so that your legs can fully extend without touching the floor, just move your legs farther in front of your body. Or bend your knees in front of you. This is still a stronger core position than bending them behind you. Remember, the Dead Hang is a hanging Plank, so it’s all about keeping your ribs and shoulders down, squeezing your glutes, and bracing your core.
As with Rows, I suggest using a hook grip. Wrap your fingers over the top of the bar and your thumb under. From there, clasp your thumb around your index and/or middle finger. Flex your wrists slightly so that your pinkie finger will slide over the top of the bar. This is your strongest gripping position. It stabilizes your shoulders by creating an external rotation force that screws them into the sockets.
Your Goal
You should be able to do multiple sets of 60-second holds before moving to the next level.
How to Do It
Starting Position
• Grab the bar or handles of a suspension trainer with a hook grip.
• Set your head in a neutral position with your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips, and ankles, and keep your gaze centered between your hands.
• Assume a hollow-body position with your legs straight and your toes pointing away from your body: Squeeze your legs together, tense your thighs, clench your glutes, brace your abs, and pull your ribs and shoulders down.
• Pull your ribs and shoulders down.
• Clench your abs and glutes.
• Squeeze your legs and feet together.
• Point your toes.
Perfect Execution
• Hold this Dead Hang position for time while actively maintaining hollow-body mechanics for the duration of the exercise.
• Focus on deep belly breathing to prevent your ribs from rising.
Regressions
MAKE IT EASIER: Perform Self-Assisted Dead Hangs by placing your toes on the floor. You’ll need to hang from something stable that allows you to keep your arms fully extended.
EVEN EASIER: Add more self-assistance by placing your feet flat on the floor, not just your toes.
EASIEST: If you still find the previous regressions too challenging, simply perform a Hanging Bridge as outlined in Chapter 8. A horizontal Hang is easier than a vertical Hang because you’re supporting less of your total body weight.
Progressions
MAKE IT HARDER: Perform a Close-Grip Dead Hang. Progressively bring your hands closer together until your thumbs touch.
EVEN HARDER: Perform an Uneven-Grip Dead Hang. Place a thick towel or rope around the bar or handle and hold the towel ends in the assisting hand. The lower you grab on the towel with your assisting arm, the harder the other arm will have to work.
• The lower you grab the towel, the harder it is.
HARDEST: Perform Single-Arm Dead Hangs. Place the hand of your working arm directly above your same-side shoulder. Move your nonworking arm behind your back or out to the side for extra counterbalance.
• Counter balance with your arm out to the side.
Level 2: Beginner
FLEXED HANG
The Flexed Hang adds a bend to your elbows, making it harder to hang from that position. Your first goal is to be able to perform a Flexed Hang in the midrange of a Pullup position with your elbows bent at 90-degree angles (a). Your next goal is to do a fully Flexed Hang with your elbows fully bent (b) and your body in the top of the Pullup position with your chest as close to the bar as possible. Note: If you have longer arms (particularly forearms), your chest probably won’t touch the bar even if your elbows and shoulders go through a full range of motion. Just focus on getting your elbows close to your ribs without shrugging your shoulders or driving your head forward.
I like to say that if you can own the tops and bottoms of a given movement, you will own everything in between. The Dead Hang prepared you for the starting position of a Pullup; the Flexed Hang prepares you for the finish. These isometric holds will help you build the strength to perform full-range-of-motion reps of Pullups.
Your Goal
You should be able to do multiple sets of 30-second holds before moving to the next level.
How to Do It
Starting Position
• Grab the bar or handles of a suspension trainer with a hook grip.
• Set your head in a neutral position with your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips, and ankles, and look between your hands.
• Assume a hollow-body position with your legs straight and your toes pointing away from your body: Squeeze your legs together, tense your glutes and abs, and pull your ribs and shoulders down.
• Arms bent at 90 degrees make this one easier to hold.
• Tense your glutes.
• Cheat into position by jumping or stepping on a box.
Perfect Execution
• Cheat yourself into the top of the Pullup position by either jumping up or stepping from a sturdy chair, step, or bench. Use your legs to assist your upper body.
• Hold this Flexed Hang position for time while actively maintaining hollow-body mechanics for the duration of the exercise.
• Focus on deep belly breathing to prevent your ribs from rising.
• Try to hold the fully Flexed Hang for 30 seconds.
Regressions
MAKE IT EASIER: Minimize the range of motion by performing a Flexed Hang with your elbows bent at 90-degree angles (a). You can also break up longer holds into shorter 5- to 10-second holds with 2- to 5-second breaks between holds.
EVEN EASIER: Use a neutral grip with your palms facing each other. This variation emphasizes your forearms.
EASIEST: Use an underhand grip with your palms facing your body. This move is an unmatched biceps builder.
Progressions
MAKE IT HARDER: Perform Close-Grip Flexed Hangs. Bring your hands closer together until your thumbs touch.
EVEN HARDER: Perform Uneven-Grip Flexed Hangs. Place a thick towel or rope around the bar or handle and hold the towel ends in the assisting hand. The lower you grab on the towel with your assisting arm, the harder the other arm will have to work.
HARDEST: Perform Single-Arm Flexed Hangs. Place the hand of your working arm directly above your same-side shoulder. These are extremely challenging, and even the most advanced trainees will still need to use some self-assistance.
Level 3: Intermediate
ECCENTRIC PULLUP
Practicing the second half of a Pullup will help you master the first. Your muscles are stronger during the eccentric (or lowering) phase of an exercise when they are lengthening as opposed to the concentric (or lifting) phase when they are shortening. Eccentric Pullups allow you to focus on the lowering portion of the exercise to build up the strength you need to eventually be able to pull yourself up without assistance. You can apply eccentric-only emphasis to any advanced movement in this book as long as you take at least 3 to 5 seconds to smoothly perform the lowering portion of that movement.
Your Goal
You should be able to do multiple sets of 10 reps before moving to the next level.
How to Do It
Starting Position
• Grab the bar or handles of a suspension trainer with a hook grip.
• Set your head in a neutral position with your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips, and ankles, and keep your gaze centered between your hands.
• Assume a hollow-body position with your legs straight and your toes pointing away from your body: Squeeze your legs together, tense your thighs, clench your glutes, brace your abs, and pull your ribs and shoulders down.
• Slowly and smoothly lower to a Dead Hang. No jerking!
Perfect Execution
• Cheat yourself into the top of the Pullup position by either jumping up or stepping from a stable chair, step, box, or bench. The goal is to use your legs to assist your upper body.
• Then slowly lower your body to a Dead Hang, taking at least 3 to 5 seconds to do so while maintaining hollow-body mechanics during the descent.
• Cheat back up again and repeat.
• In the Dead Hang, your arms are extended straight.
Regressions
MAKE IT EASIER: Shorten the lowering time to 1 or 2 seconds or as slowly as you can do it with control.
EVEN EASIER: Use a neutral grip with your palms facing each other. This variation emphasizes your forearms.
EASIEST: Use an underhand grip with your palms facing your body. This move is an unmatched biceps builder.
Progressions
MAKE IT HARDER: Lengthen the lowering time to 6 to 10 seconds or more.
EVEN HARDER: Perform Close-Grip Eccentric Pullups. Bring your hands closer together until your thumbs touch. You can also make it harder on your shoulders by placing your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
HARDEST: Perform Uneven-Grip Eccentric Pullups. Place a thick towel or rope around the bar and hold the towel ends in the assisting hand. The lower you grab on the towel, the greater the mechanical disadvantage to that arm, making it harder on your working arm.
Level 4: Advanced
PULLUP
The Pullup is the exact opposite movement pattern of the Handstand Pushup, making them perfect exercises to superset, or alternate between. A good rule of thumb is to perform at least as many total sets/reps for Pullups as you do for Handstand Pushups. If you have a history of shoulder pain, poor posture, or doing lots of overhead pressing, then do two to three times as many sets/reps for Pullups as for Handstand Pushups to correct this structural imbalance. Pullups are all about persistence, and many people need to get over the mental block that comes with never having been able to do them before. You can do it; you’ll see.
You can perform Pullups using many different grips. A normal grip is overhand with your hands about shoulder-width apart. You can go wider to make your upper back and rear shoulders work harder or closer to emphasize your forearms and biceps. Use an underhand grip to shift the work more to your biceps. Many pullup bars have a neutral-grip option where your palms face each other. Using a suspension trainer allows you to rotate your hands as you pull, which tends to be easier on the shoulders.
Your Goal
You should ideally be able perform multiple sets of 10 reps before progressing the next level.
How to Do It
Starting Position
• Grab the bar or handles of a suspension trainer with a hook grip.
• Set your head in a neutral position with your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips, and ankles, and look between your hands.
• Assume a hollow-body position with your legs straight and your toes pointing away from your body: Squeeze your legs together, tense your thighs, glutes, and abs, and pull your ribs and shoulders down.
• Keep your shoulders and rib cage down.
• Don’t swing your legs.
Perfect Execution
• Pull yourself up from a Dead Hang until your elbows reach your ribs and your chest is as close to the bar as you can get without shrugging your shoulders or driving your head forward. Don’t worry about getting your chin over the bar!
• Hold this position for 1 or 2 seconds, then slowly lower your body back to a Dead Hang while maintaining hollow-body mechanics throughout the movement.
• Your forearms should be vertical.
• Hold this position for 1 or 2 seconds.
• Tense your core, glutes, and legs.
• Pull your elbows toward your rib cage.
Regressions
MAKE IT EASIER: Shift to a neutral grip with your palms facing each other.
EVEN EASIER: Use an underhand grip with your palms facing your body.
EASIEST: Perform Self-Assisted Pullups by keeping your feet on the floor and using your legs for assistance. Start by only using one leg for assistance. If you need more help, use both legs.
Progressions
MAKE IT HARDER: Increase the range of motion by performing Close-Grip Pullups. Bring your hands closer together until your thumbs touch.
EVEN HARDER: Shift the work to your upper back, lats, and rear shoulders with Wide-Grip Pullups. Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
HARDEST: Perform 1½ Pullups. Pull yourself up, but then lower yourself only halfway down until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Then pull yourself all the way back up again and finally lower all the way down to a Dead Hang. That’s 1 rep. Repeat.
Level 5: Superhero
SELF-ASSISTED SINGLE-ARM PULLUP
This is another “tweener” exercise to ease you into a true Single-Arm Pullup. Here, one arm does 70 percent or more of the lifting. The best place to start is with Staggered Pullups. The hand of the working arm should grab the pullup bar or handle as normal. Wrap a towel around the bar for your assisting hand. This shifts more of the load onto your working arm. Make sure to keep your hips and shoulders square to the ground.
Your Goal
You should ideally be able to perform multiple sets of 10 reps per side.
How to Do It
Starting Position
• Grab the bar/handle with your working arm just above your shoulder as usual. Wrap a towel around the bar and grab both ends with your assisting hand.
• Set your head in a neutral position with your ears aligned with your shoulders, hips, and ankles, and look between your hands.
• Assume a hollow-body position with your legs straight and your toes pointing away from your body: Squeeze your legs together, tense your thighs, clench your glutes, brace your abs, and pull your ribs and shoulders down.
• Shift your weight to your working arm.
• Keep your elbows tight to your side.
• Grab higher on the towel to make it easier.
• Archer Pullup
• Climber Pullup
• Hold the top position for 1 or 2 seconds.
Perfect Execution
• Pull yourself up from a Dead Hang until your elbows reach your ribs and your chest is as close to the bar as you can get without shrugging your shoulders. Don’t worry about getting your chin over the bar!
• Hold this position for 1 or 2 seconds, then slowly lower your body back to a Dead Hang while maintaining hollow-body position.
Regressions
MAKE IT EASIER: Shift to neutral grip with the palm of your working arm facing inward.
EVEN EASIER: Use an underhand grip with the palm of your working arm facing your body.
EASIEST: Perform Single-Arm Squat Pullups. Hold on to a pullup bar that’s set low enough so that your feet touch the ground and you can sink all the way down into the Deep Squat position. You can also hold on to the handles of a TRX or another suspension trainer that’s vertically anchored above you. Pull up with one arm, using only as much assistance as you need from both legs. Progress by performing Single-Arm, Single-Leg Squat Pullups with only one leg providing assistance. You can use your arms and legs equally for more of a total-body fat-loss exercise or choose to use mostly your arms for more of an upper-body muscle builder.
Progressions
MAKE IT HARDER: Use less self-assistance by grabbing lower on the towel.
EVEN HARDER: Use less self-assistance and decrease your leverage with Archer Pullups. Fully extend the arm of your assisting hand directly to the side. You can also progressively place fewer fingertips on the bar until only one or two fingers remain.
HARDEST: Perform Climber Pullups, also known as One-Handed Pullups. Inspired by the gripping work of rock climbers, this is the most advanced Self-Assisted Single-Arm Pullup option because one hand is supporting your entire body. Grab the bar or handle with your working arm. Then grab the wrist of your working arm with your assisting hand. Pull your body up using only as much assistance as you need from the assisting hand. Make it harder by moving the assisting hand lower on your arm.
Variations
1. Side-to-Side Pullup
Begin this exercise like a normal two-arm Pullup, but as you pull your body upward, slowly shift your weight as much to one side as you can. Then lower back to the starting position. You can either switch sides every rep or perform all of your reps on one side before switching. Make this harder by starting with your hands a bit wider apart to make your leading arm pull more of your body weight.
• Neutral grip
• Shift more of your body weight on one arm.
• Lower to the starting position before pulling up to the other side.
Variations
2. Spider Pullup
Another way to shift more work to one side of your body during Pullups is to add leg movement. A Spider Pullup has you flex your hip and bring one knee to the same-side elbow as you pull your body up. You can make it harder by fully extending that same leg to the side once you reach the top position. This forces you to shift more weight to the opposite arm for counterbalance. You can either perform all of your reps on one side before switching or switch sides every rep.
• Underhand grip
• Raise your knee to your elbow.
• Move at your hips, not your lower back.
Variations
3. Cross-Body Pullup
This is very similar to a Spider Pullup, except that you rotate your hips to bring a knee to the opposite elbow as you pull yourself up. Note that you will not be able to do this exercise with as much range of motion as a normal Pullup. This is a killer core exercise.
• Overhand grip is shown.
• Rotate at your hips, not your lower back.
Variations
4. Row to Pullup
This is a great stepping-stone exercise to a regular Pullup. It also works all of your upper-body pulling muscles from every angle in between a horizontal pull (Row) and a vertical pull (Pullup). With your feet on the floor, perform a Row and then sit your hips back until you end up with a vertical body position at the top of a Pullup. Reverse the movement and repeat.
• Brace your core.
• Your feet should be directly under your knees.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Sit back when in the top position.
Equipment-Free Pullup Options
1. Wall Slide
This is a great warmup/corrective exercise or a substitute for Pullups if you are unable to find something to hang from. It can be performed either facing or facing away from a wall or closed door. For the facing version, stand right in front of a wall with your toes touching the wall. Place your hands and forearms on the wall and then slowly slide them up the wall until your arms are fully extended without allowing your ribs or shoulders to rise or your lower back to overly arch. Reverse the movement and repeat. For the facing-away version, place your heels, head, upper back, and butt against the wall. Slowly slide your arms up and down. For both versions, you’re trying to mimic the Pullup motion and use the wall to create enough friction to provide some tension to your upper-back/midback muscles.
• Press against the wall to create friction resistance.
• Keep your armpits forward.
Equipment-Free Pullup Options
2. Band Pulldown
Wrap a single resistance band around an overhead bar or other anchor point and hold one end in each hand. If the anchor point isn’t high enough to achieve enough resistance or get enough range of motion, simply get on your knees. Pull the band to your armpits with the same form cues as a Pullup, reverse the movement, and repeat. Make it harder by grabbing higher up on the band or by using a thicker band.
Equipment-Free Pullup Options
3. Band Curl and Iso Towel Curl
Stand on a resistance band and grab the ends in each hand. Keeping your elbows tight to your sides and your shoulders down and back, flex your elbows and raise your hands to as close to your shoulders as you can. Reverse the movement and repeat. If you don’t have bands, you can use a towel. Step on one end of a towel and kneel on the other leg. Hold the other end of the towel in one hand so your elbow is bent at 90 degrees with your forearm parallel to the floor. Pull on the towel as hard as you can and hold for time. You can also stand on the middle of a beach towel and exercise both arms at the same time.
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