The pull-ups

Last month, we started a series of articles concerning the basic movements of bodybuilding by the dips which allow to work the pectorals and the triceps depending on the used variant.

Today, we will study more closely the pull-up or the chin-up. This basic movement has for objective to workout the back muscles and to a lesser extent the biceps.

The conventional version

You are being suspended from a bar, making a wide grip, it means higher than the width shoulders or at the ends of the bar, the hands facing the bar (pronation), the goal will be to mount the body until the bottom of the chin is at the height of the bar. Once in this position, the practitioner will slowly let down her body until his arms are completely straight and then will begin the next repetition. To appropriately stimulate the back, it is important to bring the shoulder blades down and back while puffing out the torso.

In this version, the back will be working to expand it. Indeed, the stretching caused in low position will contribute to flare the back.

In the high position movement, the muscles on the top of the back are the most stressed and will gain details especially in the inner part.

The pull-up neck version

In this version, the starting position is identical to the previous version so-called conventional. The difference is that the practitioner will no longer to bring his chin at the level of the bar but at the base of his neck. In many cases, it is essential to turn the back to the bar or to the machine drawbar in order to perform the movement in good conditions.

This method is very burdensome for the shoulders joints and neck. Turning back to the machine allows to be better positioned to the axis bar.

By using this technique, the work will always target the width of the back and the top center of the upper back (rhomboid, posterior deltoids and trapezius).

The supination pull-up/ neutral grip

This version is done with the palm of hand turned toward you. The grip is the width or slightly lower than the shoulders. The movement is done in the same way as the conventional version, in the other words the chin has to rise slightly above the bar.

The supination pull-up make the biceps stressed quite significantly. On the back, they are worked in their outer part and their thickness. The supination pull-up causes an opening of the shoulder blade to have a higher amplitude movement and a stronger contraction.

The neutral grip is carried out in the same way as the supination pull-up. This version allows to workout the thickness of the back. The amplitude is slightly more reduced and the contraction is a little shallower than the version with the hands supine because the shoulder blades opening is smaller.

These latest two versions are used to stretch the back at the most in their lower external part while working on their thickness.

They are the complementary of the conventional and neck version that are mainly executed to extend the back and to give more details at the top of the back.

The pull-ups are the basis of all back workout. Many athletes that were built wide and thick back integrated one or more pull-up in their training when they first started and often continue to practice them even occasionally because they know that the pull-ups are the basis for having a good back.

So even if this exercise is difficult, demanding and request a good technique of performance for best results, practice them under the version that corresponds to your goal and I can assure you that you won't be disappointed.