Pull-ups on the horizontal bar: Technique, types, methods and rules. Pull-up technique on the horizontal bar: wide, medium, narrow grip. Pull-up program for beginners

Pull-ups are one of the most accessible and effective exercises for working with your own weight. While performing pull-ups, not only the muscles are properly pumped, but the spine is also stretched, and this is really important for athletes during the period of growth, when you already want to pay attention to physical training, and start working with a barbell too early due to a weak back.

You can do pull-ups anywhere you have access to a horizontal bar, including on the street, with instructions with step-by-step photos or videos on the Internet at hand. Of course, there is no need to talk about a serious increase in muscle mass solely with the help of a horizontal bar, but there is no doubt that the exercise will help emphasize the relief of the muscles of the back and arms and increase strength indicators.

Types of pull-ups on the horizontal bar vary depending on the choice of grip. Below are the main methods, among which you can choose options for a person with any level of training.

Using a narrow grip

This version of the exercise with a narrow grip is better suited than others for working out the muscle group: serratus and deltas, in addition, it can become a preparatory exercise for athletes at the initial stage of training for mastering a number of more complex variations of pull-ups.

Additionally, while working on the exercise with a narrow grip, the lateral and front bundles of the shoulders work, but you should understand that it will not be possible to pump up the deltoids exclusively with pull-ups with your own weight.

How to do:

Place your hands as close together as possible so that the thumbs on both hands touch each other. Bend your back slightly at the lower back, leaving your arms slightly bent at the lowest point. Perform pull-ups as many times as you can do.

The most classic option is with a medium straight grip. The exercise is aimed at developing general muscles in the upper body. Such pull-ups are not traumatic and can be performed with additional weights over time. During pull-ups, the following muscles will be active: deltas, latissimus dorsi, abs, trapezius and forearms.

How to do:

Grasp the horizontal bar with a medium grip so that your thumb clasps the horizontal bar, lift your torso, leaning slightly back at the top point. Try to keep your chin beyond the bar and keep your arms as straight as possible at the lowest point.

How to do a straight wide grip pull-up to your chest?

The main distinguishing feature of pull-ups with a direct grip is the limited range of motion. This exercise is one of the most dangerous, as it can cause injuries to ligaments and joints!
You can do it exclusively with your own weight.

What muscles work during the exercise? The greatest load will be on the muscles: “wings”, back and trapezius.

How to do:

Choose a grip approximately 10-15 cm wider than shoulder level on each side. Start by pulling up with your lats, being careful not to strain your biceps. The main role in this exercise is played by the arms, although the load falls on the back. When performing pull-ups with an overhand grip, look in front of you and try to reach the bar with your chest without touching it. The lower back can be slightly arched.

How to do a pull-up with a wide straight head grip?

This version of the exercise can cause injury, and in addition, it causes not the most pleasant sensations during execution. They make it larger in order to expand the latissimus in the upper part - these are the muscles that receive the greatest load. It is very important to pay attention to even the slightest problems with the spine, shoulder joints or neck, since if there are any, then doing the exercise is strictly prohibited!

How to do it:

Take a wide grip, while slightly bending your elbows, which will move slightly to the sides during the pull-up. At the bottom point, the exercise is no different from the previous one, but after overcoming the “dead” point, you need to try to stretch your neck as much as possible so that it touches the crossbar. It is not recommended to use weights during this exercise.

Narrow reverse grip for pull-ups

Types of pull-ups with a reverse narrow grip are, in principle, easier than with a classic one. In addition, this option allows the use of weights, which, with a reasonable approach, develops muscle mass and strength indicators.

During the exercise with a narrow grip, the following muscle groups will receive the greatest load: the latissimus dorsi and biceps. In addition, the serratus, trapezius and rhomboid muscles are involved in the work, quite a bit, but the abs and pectoral muscles are still worked out.

How to do it correctly:

When performing pull-ups with a narrow reverse grip, you should try to straighten your arms at the bottom point, rising at the top to chest level. You should try to do the exercise using the “wings” of your back, although you won’t be able to completely eliminate the arm muscles. During the exercise, do not help yourself by rocking; try to press your elbows as close to your body as possible.

How to do pull-ups with a wide reverse grip?

With this exercise you can shift the load from the latissimus to the deltoids and biceps muscles of the shoulder. The downside of the exercise is its risk of injury, which means it cannot be performed with weights.

How to do it correctly:

Grab the bar with a wide reverse grip. Allow a slight bend in the elbow joint at the lowest point. At the top point, you should strive to ensure that the chin and the crossbar form two parallel planes.

Neutral grip for pull-ups

A pull-up option that is quite convenient to perform.

It allows you to evenly distribute the load between the muscles in the upper body and does not contribute to injury. The exercise is good for developing muscle groups in the back, biceps and shoulders.

To perform the exercise you will need a special type of horizontal bar - with handles for parallel bars. Your arms will need to be straightened all the way at the bottom point. As for the amplitude of movement, it should be maximum.

Working with narrow parallel arms

You can pull yourself up in this way using handles that need to be secured to the crossbar. The exercise is well suited for working the muscles of the posterior deltoids. Additionally, the pectoral and serratus muscles, as well as the biceps, take part in the work.

You need to perform it by grabbing the handles, pulling yourself towards them with maximum effort with your chest. During the exercise, you will need to bend your back, tilt your shoulders back, trying to complete the main task - reach the handles.

What type of pull-ups is better to choose? It all depends on what muscles you want to work and whether you are going to use weights. In any case, it should be understood that different options will help to work the muscles in the upper body. Choose the types of pull-ups on the bar that are suitable for you at this stage of training, study thematic photos and videos on the site and develop the agility, strength and power of your body.

Pull-ups are considered a basic exercise that engages the joints and muscles of the upper shoulder girdle and back.

It belongs to one of the highest classes in terms of difficulty of execution and is difficult for beginner athletes and girls. It is often replaced by the graviton training option, but it does not always allow you to work out all the zones that are included in the work when doing pull-ups on a classic horizontal bar. That is why, if you want to bring your back and upper shoulder girdle to perfection, it is worth studying the technique of doing pull-ups and mastering various types of this exercise.

Pull-ups involve almost the entire shoulder girdle and back, including small muscle groups that remain in a relaxed state during other types of loads.

This exercise is used to train the following muscle groups:

• targeted: latissimus dorsi muscles;
• synergizing: include the biceps, brachioradialis and brachialis, teres major and minor, infraspinatus, middle and lower trapezius, pectoralis minor, rhomboids, posterior deltoid, and levator scapulae;
• stabilizing: long head of the triceps.

Thus, it turns out that pull-ups that are ordinary at first glance can improve the growth of muscles throughout the upper body, chest, back, and arms.

Benefits of Pull-Ups

Pull-ups have many advantages over alternative exercises for the upper shoulder girdle. The most important of them is the absolute undemandingness of equipment. All the athlete needs is a bar fixed just above his height. Using various variations of pull-ups, you can work out various muscle groups well and sculpt the relief of the upper shoulder girdle, back and chest, based on personal preferences and goals.

With pull-ups you can:

• give the top part a V-shape;
• achieve good back relief;
• develop the muscles of the upper back and shoulder girdle to the maximum;
• develop grip strength;
• improve weight performance when performing back exercises;
• increase the production of growth hormone and achieve excellent results in a shorter period of time;
• increase energy consumption, which will lead to weight loss.

Among other things, pull-ups differ from other exercises in their high degree of variation. Using different grips, you can work different muscle groups to achieve perfect mass and shape.

Where should a beginner start to learn how to do pull-ups?

Rarely does anyone succeed in doing pull-ups the first time, so it is important for beginners not to force their body with excessive muscle tension. Unsuccessful, exhausting attempts to pull your chin up to the bar the first time in 99% of cases result in microtraumas, so you should give preference to a set of preparatory exercises.

First you need to master the technique of “negative repetitions”. The essence of this exercise is to assume a position as if the pull-up has already been completed and the body returns to its original position. To do this, you will need a horizontal bar and a low support (bench, stool, etc.). The main thing is that its height is just enough so that the athlete, standing on it, can calmly reach the horizontal bar with his chin.

The technique for performing negative repetitions is as follows:

• Starting position - standing on a chair, chin at the level of the horizontal bar bar, arms bent at the elbows and fixed at an average distance from each other on the bar.
• Next, the legs are bent so that the arms tense, holding the body in its original position.
• The arms are slowly straightened, as when coming out of a pull-up.
• Then the athlete returns to the starting position. If necessary, you can help yourself with your legs (lean them on a support) or ask an assistant to lift you from behind.

You shouldn’t overload yourself right away; 3 sets of 5 repetitions will be enough. It is not recommended to accelerate or sway while straightening your arms. All movements should be as smooth as possible.

Before starting training with pull-ups, it is advisable to warm up the muscles well and stimulate the cardiovascular system with a warm-up. But even here you should be restrained so as not to start the main training feeling tired.

Pull-up technique

Before starting training on the horizontal bar, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of experienced bodybuilders and their mentors on how to do pull-ups correctly:

• you cannot involve anything other than the muscles of the back, arms and chest in the process of lifting the body;
• to avoid injuries, there is no need to accompany the pull-up with jerks and sudden movements;
• the body must be in a strictly vertical position during ascent and descent;
• rises are performed while exhaling, and you need to lower while inhaling.

Otherwise, the technique for performing pull-ups varies depending on what type of exercise is performed.

It is advisable to start mastering pull-ups on the horizontal bar as such with a direct grip. It is simpler to perform, but in different variations it helps to work out the entire upper shoulder girdle and back.

The technique for performing pull-ups with a straight grip may differ depending on the grip width:

• when doing pull-ups with a classic grip (medium), the lift is made to the level of the chin - at the peak point it should be slightly above the crossbar, the gaze is directed forward;
• when pulling up with a narrow grip, the body is lifted until the bar is at chest level, and the gaze is directed to the hands;
• When performing pull-ups with a wide grip, the chest (its middle part) should be located in the upper peak at the level of the horizontal bar; the maximum load falls on the latissimus dorsi muscles.

There is an opinion that a greater effect from pull-ups using a straight grip is achieved with a high lift of the body - at the peak at the level of the crossbar, the midline of the chest or at least its upper part is located. At the same time, the back bends slightly in the lower back, and the head is thrown back.

When performing pull-ups with a wide and medium grip behind the head, you need to stretch until the level of the crossbar coincides with the top line of the body (just above the clavicle bones). It is important not to make sudden jerks, but to keep your back straight. You can tilt your head slightly forward so as not to injure the back of your head while lifting.

The reverse grip is good for working the biceps and back muscles. The closer the hands are placed to each other, the more the biceps are involved. Otherwise, the technique is similar to performing pull-ups with a direct grip:

• the hands are located at a selected distance from each other;
• During lifting, the back is straight, slightly arched in the lower back;
• the head is slightly thrown back;
• movements are smooth, without jerks or distortions.

You can pull yourself up to the level of your chin or to the middle of your chest. Here the goal of the training plays a role: if you plan to load your arms as much as possible, pull yourself up to the chin, and if there is a need to pump up your back muscles, pull yourself up to your chest.

Parallel pull-ups are no different in technique from the previous versions, with the exception of the position of the scapular bones. In the upper peak position, you should bring your shoulder blades together as much as possible, and your elbows should be slightly pulled back. The back is in the same position as in the previous versions - slightly arched in the lower back, without lateral distortions.

The effect is also repeated: with a narrow grip, when the hands are located close to each other, the biceps and chest muscles are maximally used, and with a wide grip, the latissimus dorsi muscles work more actively.

This method is suitable only for experienced athletes with good strength training, as it has a greater range of motion compared to previous techniques. Pull-ups are performed with a forward or reverse grip. Hands at an arbitrary distance from each other.

Technique:

• Dead hang at the bottom with a neutral (medium) grip.
• Rhythmic pull-up to the middle of the chest.
• Quick return to starting position.

Ideally, there should be no delays between the upper and lower peaks. The intensity and amplitude of movement are maximum, resulting in more active training of the upper shoulder girdle and back.

Head pull-ups

This method of pulling up is more difficult to perform, as it combines the classic exercise with pulling up by the head.

The technique is as follows:

• Hands on the bar are placed slightly wider than shoulders, legs are crossed and bent at the knees.
• A classic pull-up is performed up to the chest. Then the body returns to its original position, arms are completely relaxed and straightened.
• A pull-up is performed with the hands behind the head. Return to original position.

Alternating between classic pull-ups and behind-the-head pull-ups helps work out the maximum number of muscles.

The technique resembles a pull-up with a parallel grip, but the difference is that the athlete holds on to a regular horizontal bar, that is, the hands are not just located towards each other, but are on the same line. The value of this exercise is a deeper study of the shoulder and brachioradialis muscles, as well as the biceps. The muscles of the buttocks and abs are involved.

Technique:

• The athlete hangs under the horizontal bar perpendicular to its direction. The hands are brought together.
• The pull-up begins slowly, as the head approaches the horizontal bar, it is moved to the side, the shoulder touches the horizontal bar.
• Return to hang.
• The pull-up is the same as the previous one, but this time the head is moved in the other direction.
• Return to original position.

Pull-ups are done by tensioning only one arm, the second is used to hold the body in an upright position.

Half-Moon or one-arm pull-up

This pull-up is practiced in preparation for one-arm pull-ups. A neutral grip or pronation is suitable for this exercise.

Starting position - hanging with arms straight and relaxed. The body is pulled up only on the right or only on the left hand. The second one is “stretched” at this time, as a result of which the line of the arms and shoulders forms a “half moon”. After mastering this type of pull-up, you can move on to

Secrets and subtleties of pull-ups

Even those who easily perform several sets of various pull-ups do not always know 100% of the facts about this exercise. The most popular questions that can be heard from experienced and beginner athletes concern the range of motion, the most effective type of grip, the height of the body lift and much more.

Up to the chest or up to the chin?

The most popular question concerns the difference between chin-up and chest pull-ups. Famous coaches and athletes recommend practicing pull-ups to the chin when using a reverse grip, and to the chest - in combination with a straight grip. With this combination, the risk of injury is significantly lower, which is especially important for novice athletes.
In general, pull-ups to the chest are more effective in terms of pumping up the back muscles, while pull-ups to the chin allow you to better work the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle and arms. Pull-ups that are too high can be dangerous because lifting your chest higher than the bar will place maximum stress on the muscles between your shoulder blades, which can lead to injury.

Weighting - when is it necessary?

Using extra weight when doing pull-ups can be beneficial or harmful depending on several factors:

• mastery of pull-up techniques - if there is the slightest doubt that you are doing everything correctly, it is better not to use weights;
• condition of the back and spine - if there is a tendency to injury or problems with the spine, it is better not to use aggravation;
• if you are overweight (more than 13 kg), the burden will be unnecessary.

In general, experienced athletes who have ideally mastered the exercise technique resort to using additional weight when doing pull-ups.

Ideal amplitude - what is it?

Pull-ups “to the maximum” will benefit those who have already achieved certain results and are fluent in the pull-up technique. Discomfort and acute pain in muscles and joints should be a signal to stop training.

A small amplitude is more effective and less dangerous if training on the bar is intense and/or with additional weights. Exercises in this mode do not harm the joints and stimulate maximum muscle growth. However, it is worth remembering that severe restriction of movement and minimal range of motion will not lead to the goal of muscle growth and increased strength. Everything should be in moderation.

It is important to remember that the concept of ideal amplitude when doing pull-ups is as individual as food preferences. The athlete must listen carefully to his muscles to understand in what range of movements is best.

The “swinging” technique - to use or not?

Attempts to show a good quantitative result through the deceptive “swinging” technique leads to loosening of the joints, and has minimal effect on the muscles. By using it, a beginner risks never achieving significant results. Moreover, failure to comply with the pull-up technique often leads to injuries that imply a ban on any load. It is better to do fewer repetitions, but with high quality, than to waste time and joints, deceiving the body with the laws of inertia.

Which grip should you choose?

The main rule is that the grip should be tight. The width and direction depend on the training goal. If you plan to pump up your arms and shoulders, a narrow or medium reverse grip is suitable. For high-quality back work, a combination of wide and straight grips is ideal.

Without pulling up, it is impossible to create an ideal athletic body with a V-shaped back and chest. To master this seemingly simple way to increase mass and strength, you will have to spend several months. But it's worth it - your body will become really strong and beautiful. The main thing is to carefully study the technique of performing various types of pull-ups and systematically train to achieve your goals.

Be sure to read about it

- This is a very simple, but at the same time very effective exercise. In addition, all you need to perform pull-ups is a bar in the yard or a wall-mounted horizontal bar at home. In principle, there is no need to visit the gym, but you can get even better results.

This article is devoted to pull-ups on the horizontal bar. You will learn about this exercise everything you need to know in order to get the maximum benefit from it and achieve an excellent result.

What do pull-ups give us?

It would seem like an ordinary yard exercise that kids indulge in on sports fields. But not everything is as simple as it seems. In fact, pull-ups have very great potential and improve many physical qualities of an athlete. Namely:

• Increased strength and mass

• Increased stamina

• Strengthening the hands

• Increased grip strength

• Giving muscles relief

• Improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system

• Improving overall fitness

Main types of pull-ups

A type of pull-up involves changing the width of the grip and the grip itself (direct or reverse). The emphasis of the load placed on certain muscles depends on these changes.

So, for example, wide-grip pull-ups place the main emphasis on developing the back muscles, and when doing close-grip pull-ups, the main load falls on the biceps.

There are three types of grip widths: narrow, medium and wide. With a narrow grip, the hands are as close to each other as possible, with a medium grip, approximately shoulder-width apart, and with a wide grip, the hands should be placed at the maximum distance from each other, but within reason, of course.

• Pull-ups with a straight wide head grip. This type of pull-up develops the latissimus dorsi muscles and makes them wider, in other words, gives your back a triangular shape.

• Pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a straight wide grip to the chest. Similar to the previous one, this type of pull-up also develops the latissimus dorsi muscles, but in this case the muscle increases not in width, but in thickness.

• Pull-ups with a straight narrow grip. These pull-ups perfectly pump up the lower lats and also significantly engage the biceps.
• Reverse close grip pull-ups. Here the back muscles receive minimal load, and the main emphasis falls on the biceps. This type of pull-up will be a real “lifesaver” for those who have stagnated biceps growth when using barbells and exercise machines.
• Medium grip pull-ups are a compromise option between training the biceps and back muscles. These are the kind of pull-ups that beginners should do, and then move on to narrow or wide ones.

There are also special types of pull-ups that are based on the basic ones, but slightly modified. They are a little more difficult to perform, but their effect is much greater.

• Pulling up the Gironde

This type of pull-up is named after the famous Vince Gironda, a bodybuilder, trainer and designer of some exercise equipment. Its peculiarity is that here the lats receive a much greater load than in classic pull-ups to the chest.

• Rocky Pull-Ups

This type of pull-up is more difficult than the previous one. By alternating between head pull-ups and Gironda, the exercise becomes more intense.

• Side to side pull-ups

By shifting the weight of the body to different sides, we also transfer most of the load to the left and right side of the latissimus muscles. Thus, loading them alternately, but with a stronger load than in conventional straight pull-ups.

• One arm pull-ups

The hand that holds not the belt, but the crossbar, receives a significantly greater load than the other. Using this type of pull-up and gradually holding the belt lower and lower, you can do it on one hand - hence the name.

How to do pull-ups correctly?

When performing pull-ups, as in other exercises, the main thing is not quantity, but quality! To achieve good results and protect yourself from possible injuries, you need to perform pull-ups technically correctly.

Here are a few rules on how to do pull-ups correctly:

• Pull-ups should be performed without swinging.

• Movements should not be jerky.

• At the top of the exercise, the chin should be higher than the bar (if using a medium or narrow grip). With a wide grip, you should try to touch the bar with your chest.

• The position of the body must be strictly vertical

• Don't forget to breathe properly. When moving up, exhale, and when moving down, inhale.

• When performing pull-ups on the horizontal bar, you should also not forget about grip strength.

Different Purposes of Pull-Ups

You can do pull-ups for different purposes. This could be increasing muscle endurance, giving them more volume, or tightening to make the muscles stronger.

All this is possible, but the main thing is to know how to do pull-ups in order to pursue the goal with which you approached the horizontal bar.

Endurance pull-ups

To make the body and target muscles more resilient, you need to perform pull-ups as often and as much as possible, again within reason, of course.

Thus, the most optimal endurance training program would be to perform 4-5 sets of pull-ups with the maximum number of repetitions. It is worth exercising in this mode 4-5 times a week.

Pull-ups to develop strength

A slightly more cunning method already works here. During any exercise, muscles work in two phases - “positive” and “negative”.

When the weight is lifted (in this case, lifting the body), the muscles work in the “positive” phase, and when the weight is lowered, in the “negative” phase. The growth of strength and volume indicators of your muscles directly depends on these two phases.

Thus, in order to extract maximum strength results from pull-ups, it is necessary to force the muscles to work predominantly in the “positive” phase. This means that when doing pull-ups, you should do slow lifts and fast lowers. Approximately 2-3 seconds to rise and 1 second to lower.

This type of pull-up is quite heavy and therefore you need to train in this mode for 3-4 approaches with a number of repetitions of 6-8; if you get more, then you should start doing pull-ups using weights, for example, hanging a weight from your belt. You should exercise in this mode no more than 3-4 times a week.

Pull-ups to develop mass

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar make it possible to acquire a decent volume of muscles and their mass. To do this, it’s worth using the rules of the “positive” and “negative” phases to force the muscles to work mainly in the “negative” phase.

Pull-ups should be performed by quickly raising the body and slowly lowering it. I use 2-3 seconds to lower and 1 second to rise. Do 2-3 approaches 8-12 times, again, if you can do more, use weights.

This regime involves a strong load on the muscles, because it is in the “negative” phase that the muscle fibers receive the maximum micro-tears. Therefore, muscles need more time to recover and you should train in this mode no more than twice a week.

Conclusion

Of course, pull-ups, to one degree or another, involve all the goals described above, but using a certain pull-up pattern you can place maximum emphasis on increasing endurance, strength or muscle mass.

Having analyzed all of the above, we can conclude that pull-ups are a truly universal exercise, which, despite all its simplicity, has an amazing effect!

By the way, here’s an optimistic and motivational video of a man doing 80 pull-ups! Is it hard to repeat? :)

We hope that this article will be useful to you and help you improve your results. Leave your questions and opinions on this matter in the comments to the article.

Close-grip pull-ups on a horizontal bar are one of the most effective and easy-to-use exercises for developing the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms. In order to exercise on the horizontal bar you don't have to go to the gym at all.

You can install a crossbar at home or visit a sports ground, which can be found in almost any yard.

What muscles work?

One of the best basic exercises, close-arm pull-ups work the following muscles:

• (biceps);
• shoulder muscles;
• lower part of the lats.

Unlike, in which the back muscles are used much more fully, as well as the deltoids of the shoulders.

For a beginner turnstile, your own body weight is enough to achieve visible results. Professional athletes use additional weight in the form of weights suspended from a special belt or weighted vests.