Words: Jonathan Wells
There are certain bodyweight exercises that fall short of the mark. The pull-up is not one of them.
Despite relying solely on your own weight – unless you have both a dipping belt and shed loads of self-confidence – the pull-up is one of the best tests of upper-body power, core strength, and grip.
But how best to execute this exercise? Which way should your hands face? How slowly should you pull yourself up and let yourself down? And what muscles groups does the move best work? If you’re unsure of any of these answers – it’s time to read up on the pull-up.
Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, and grip the bar – hands facing forward – a little wider than your shoulders. Squeeze the bar several times to optimise your grip – a technique that will also allow you to get a proper muscle contraction in your shoulders.
Before you begin, hang loosely from the bar and shrug your shoulders a couple of times to loosen your muscles. Also try a couple of reverse shrugs – pulling your shoulder blades together – to ensure all of your upper-back muscles are ready to work.
Clench your glutes, and push your thighs together, which will stabilise your lower body and stop you swinging, and then pull up into your first rep.
Tense all of your muscles and slowly pull up – keeping your eyes forward and breathing out – until your shoulders clear the bar. If possible, gently touch your collar bone to the bar to gauge the level to which you should be pulling.
Now, breath in as you slowly lower yourself back into a hanging position. Remember not to simply ‘fall’ back down, as this will mean you lose half of the exercise. Instead, take at least one full second to drop, and ensure than your arms straighten all the way between repetitions.
Repeat this, maintaining the same form throughout your entire set.
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