The Forgotten Pullup

With all of the "sophisticated" exercise programs out there today that may require specialized equipment and instructional/motivational DVDs, many people have forgotten about pullups,

Pullups are one of the most straightforward exercises. You "simply" pull your body up to an overhead bar and then lower yourself back down again. Anyone who remembers doing pullups in gym class, probably also remembers a number of children in gym class that could not even do one pullup.

Pullups are fantastic to incorporate into your weekly exercise regimen.

I am not a big fan of doing the same exercises during every workout. Changing things up not only makes your workouts less monotonous, it also allows you to engage many more muscle groups in a varying manner. This will allow the other muscle groups that are not being engaged, to recover and to be ready for their next physical challenge.

Jacque Crockford, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist noted; "Because performing the pullup involves moving the entirety of your own bodyweight up against gravity, it takes incredible upper-body strength and trunk stability."

Pullups are an excellent way to strengthen and elongate muscles and may even improve your posture too. Pullups engage multiple joints and muscles in a dynamic and compound movement. These muscles include; pecs, lats, erector spinae, obliques, traps, rhomboids, deltoids, rotator cuff, biceps, forearm muscles and wrist muscles.

Pullups can also result in that "V shaped-look" that many men covet, but pullups also greatly benefit women.

Pullups will help to build core strength and functional strength to aid you in performing your activities of daily living, such a physical work inside and outside of your home. This will reduce your risk of injury, while building grip and forearm strength too, which weaken with age.

You can watch the video in the link below, for proper pullup form.

This is a brief synopsis of the major points of the video:

1. Place your hands on the pullup bar, palms facing forward, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your legs slightly bent and your knees together.

2. Focus on your latissimus dorsi, your back muscle, and feel the contraction as you're pulling yourself upward. It's not necessary to get your chin over the bar.

3. As you pull up, open up your posture by pushing your stomach forward and keeping your sternum high. Visualizing pulling your elbows down through the floor can help you feel your back muscles more.

4. Pull up to a slow count of three, pause while squeezing your back muscles, then come down to a slow count of three.

5. Between reps, let yourself hang while looking down and relaxing, to allow the latissimus dorsi to pull away from your scapula.

6. Make sure all your movements are slow and controlled.

Pullups can be customized to your strength level, so the link also covers beginner, intermediate and advanced pullups, as well as alternate exercises if you don't have a pullup bar.

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