Pull Up Bar Back Exercises
Pull Up Bar Back Exercises
Pull up bars are fantastic for building your back. Check out some great back-focused pull up bar exercises.
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Active Hang
• Hold the bar with both hands, feet off the floor.
• Pull your shoulder blades away from your ears, creating tension.
WHY IT WORKS: Active hangs improve your scapular strength and stability.
Archer Pull Up
• Hold the bar in a wide, overhand grip.
• While pulling up, move sideways so that one arm becomes straight.
• Reverse the movement with control.
PROGRESSION: This will help you build strength towards single arm pull ups.
Assisted One-Arm Chin Up
• Loop a towel around the pull up bar, holding both ends in one hand.
• Hold the bar in an underhand grip with your free hand.
• Pull yourself just over the bar.
WHY IT WORKS: This exercise makes one arm do the majority of the work, while still providing a little assistance.
Assisted Pull Up
• Tie a resistance band around a Pull Up Bar.
• Put one foot into the bar.
• Pull Up.
WHY IT WORKS: The band offsets part of your body weight, making it easier to pull to the bar.
Feet Assisted Kipping Pull Up
• Hold onto a pull up bar, with your toes on a plyo box.
• Lean forward, pushing your chest up and away from the bar.
• Go back to the starting position. Perform several reps.
PROGRESSION: Keeping your feet together, remove the box and continue exaggerating your rocks.
Frenchie Pull Up
• Hold a pull up bar with an overhand grip.
• Pull to the top position with your chin above the bar.
• Pause, holding your chest close to the bar for four seconds before lowering until your arms are straight.
• Pull up to the top, lower yourself halfway and hold for four seconds before lengthening.
• Pull up and lower yourself two-thirds of the way down, hold for four seconds, and lower.
GET GOOD FORM: At the halfway point your elbows should be at 90 degrees. At the two-thirds point they should be at 120 degrees.
Hang Tough
• Hold a pull up bar in a pronated grip (palms facing away).
• Let your body hang and hold on as long as possible.
GET GOOD FORM: Keep your body as still as possible.
Kipping Pull Up
• Move between hollow and arch movements.
• Cross your feet to keep your legs together.
• Rock yourself until you touch the bar with your chest.
• Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
REGRESSION: Stand on a plyo box and practice rocking without pulling up to the bar.
Leg Assisted Pull Up
• Stand on a plyo box or weight bench, with your chin close to the bar.
• Hold that bar, palms facing towards you, and slowly lower down.
• Return to the starting position.
TOP TIP: Keep your hands shoulder width apart.
Negative Pull Up
• Jump to get your chin over the bar.
• Lower into a dead hang, making sure to go as slowly as possible.
REGRESSION: You can use a plyo box or weight bench to help you get above the bar.
One Arm Active Hang
• Hold the pull up bar in one hand, with an overhand grip.
• Keeping your feet off the floor, pull your shoulder blades down and hang from the bar.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: One arm active hangs target your shoulder muscles, as well as your back.
Pull Up
• Grasp the bar, hands shoulder width apart.
• Keeping your back straight, pull up to the bar.
• Slowly lower down with control.
PROGRESSION: Once you have mastered the pull up, you can begin to learn a muscle up.
Pull Up Shrug
• Hang on a pull up bar and squeeze your shoulders together.
• Perform a shrugging motion, focusing on the beginning part of a pull up.
GET GOOD FORM: Don’t go too high and make sure you shrug with control.
Ring Pull Up
• Hang from a pair of gymnastic rings on a pull up bar.
• Pull against the rings until your chin reaches above them. Then lower yourself back down with control.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: Ring pull ups target your upper back, biceps, forearms, and grip strength.
Weighted Pull Up
• Wear a tactical weight vest or attach a kettlebell to a weight belt around your waist.
• Perform a pull up as normal.
WHY IT WORKS: Increasing the weight you’re trying to pull up increases the difficulty of the exercise, training your muscles further.
Wide Grip Behind the Neck Pull Up
• Hold a pull up bar in a wide, overhand grip.
• Pull yourself up to the bar, rising in front instead of behind.
TOP TIP: Stretch your neck forwards.
Wide Grip Pull Up
• Hold onto a pull up bar, hands facing away and wider than shoulder width apart.
• Pull up.
GET GOOD FORM: Squeeze your shoulders together and elevate your chest to remain in a straight line.
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