Pull-up (exercise)

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A U.S. marine performing a pull-up Marine Pull-ups.jpg
A U.S. marine performing a pull-up

A pull-up is an upper-body strength exercise. The pull-up is a closed-chain movement where the body is suspended by the hands, gripping a bar or other implement at a distance typically wider than shoulder-width, and pulled up. As this happens, the elbows flex and the shoulders adduct and extend to bring the elbows to the torso.

Contents

Pull-ups build up several muscles of the upper body, including the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and biceps brachii. A pull-up may be performed with overhand (pronated), underhand (supinated)—sometimes referred to as a chin-up—neutral, or rotating hand position.

Pull-ups are used by some organizations as a component of fitness tests, and as a conditioning activity for some sports.

Movement

Beginning by hanging from the bar, the body is pulled up vertically. From the top position, the participant lowers their body until the arms and shoulders are fully extended. [1] The end range of motion at the top end may be chin over bar or higher, such as chest to bar. [2]

Pull-ups are a closed-chain, compound movement involving flexion at the elbow and adduction or extension of the shoulder joint. [1] [3] [4] The trapezius, infraspinatus, and brachialis muscles are most active at the beginning of the pull-up; the latissimus dorsi, teres major, and biceps brachii reach peak activity during the middle of the movement, and the triceps brachii and subscapularis experienced maximum activity at the top of the movement. [5] There is similarity to the pull-down in terms of the muscle activation. [6]

A 2017 study found that pronated grip activated the middle trapezius more than the neutral grip, but that overall the muscle activation of different grip variants was similar. [7] Muscle activation is significantly different depending on whether the pull-up is completed individually or in a set without resting between repetitions, which is more efficient due to muscle and tendon stretch-shortening rebound. [8]

Overhead movements such as pull-ups reduce the subacromial space and create a risk of shoulder impingement. According to one study, the pronated grip pull-up with hands at shoulder width apart led to less risk of impingement than other variations studied. [9]

Variations

Pull-up techniques

Pull-ups can be done with a supinated, neutral, or pronated grip; devices allow the grip to rotate during the pull-up. [10] [11] The pull-up performed with a supinated grip is sometimes called a chin-up. [1] [7] A pull-up may be completed using different widths of hand position; studies have found that participants freely choose a grip that is between 20 and 50 percent wider than shoulder width. A grip that is too wide could increase the injury risk or reduce the number of repetitions able to be completed due to lengthening the lever arm. [6] [9]

NameDescriptionPicture
Standard Pullup.gif
WeightedTo increase the difficulty, weights are added using a dip belt, weight vest, or other means. [1] Weighted, wide-grip pullup video.gif
One armA one arm pull-up is performed by using only one arm to lift the body; [12] another variation is using only one finger. [13] Onearmpullup.gif
KippingAn easier version in which momentum is built by swinging the legs. Kipping pull-ups have lower muscle activation in the upper body but greater activation in the lower body and core; it is possible to perform them faster and complete more repetitions before encountering upper-body fatigue. [14] Kipping pull-ups are considered high risk for injury and are a major cause of shoulder injury in CrossFit athletes. [15]
Muscle-up A pull-up that transitions to a dip; it is more difficult than a pull-up and requires significant strength and technique to execute. Originating in gymnastics, it is also popular in CrossFit where it may be performed with kipping. [16] [17] [18] Muscle-up.gif
AssistedThe effective weight of the participant is reduced by such means as resistance band, counterweight, or resting the feet on a surface to make the exercise easier. Assisted pull-ups can be used to increase pulling strength among those who cannot do an unassisted pull-up. [1] [19] Dip and pull-up machine.jpg
Eccentric Beginning from the top position of the pull-up, the participant gradually lowers themselves into the dead hang position. This can be used as a progression to performing a standard pull-up. [1]

Equipment

Performing a pull-up using a joist Horni pozice shybu (cropped).jpg
Performing a pull-up using a joist

Pull-ups are commonly performed using a bar; [3] doorway mounted bars are sold for use in home gyms. [10] They can also be completed by grasping towels, [3] rotating handles [3] [11] or gymnastics rings. [20]

Use

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit members in a team pull-up competition. USMC-120412-M-UY543-003.jpg
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit members in a team pull-up competition.

Pull-ups are a common way to measure upper body strength, endurance, and strength-to-weight ratio. [1] [21] The strength to do a pull-up is correlated with job-related tasks in some careers such as firefighting, police, and military. [21]

Pull-ups are used as a conditioning activity for many sports, especially those that require pulling strength, including rock climbing, gymnastics, rope climbing, rowing, and swimming. [1] [5] They are also used by police and military to increase muscular strength among their members. [7]

Some organizations allow women to use a flexed arm hang as a substitute for a pull up in fitness tests after discovering that few female recruits could complete a pull-up. According to a 2003 study in college-age women, one third of participants were able to complete a pull-up after a twelve-week full-body strength training program. [21]

Guinness World Records

The Guinness World Record for the most consecutive pull-ups was set by Japan Coast Guard diver Kenta Adachi in 2022 with 651 pull-ups, taking 87 minutes. [22] [23] The Guinness World Record for the maximum amount of weight added to a weighted pull-up was set by David Marchante of Spain in 2016, with 104.55 kilograms (230.5 lb). [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biceps</span> Muscle on the front of the upper arm

The biceps or biceps brachii is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly which is attached to the upper forearm. While the biceps crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints, its main function is at the elbow where it flexes the forearm and supinates the forearm. Both these movements are used when opening a bottle with a corkscrew: first biceps screws in the cork (supination), then it pulls the cork out (flexion).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latissimus dorsi muscle</span> Large, flat back muscle

The latissimus dorsi is a large, flat muscle on the back that stretches to the sides, behind the arm, and is partly covered by the trapezius on the back near the midline. The word latissimus dorsi comes from Latin and means "broadest [muscle] of the back", from "latissimus" and "dorsum". The pair of muscles are commonly known as "lats", especially among bodybuilders. The latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle in the upper body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bench press</span> Exercise of the upper body

The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a compound movement, the muscles primarily used are the pectoralis major, the anterior deltoids, and the triceps, among other stabilizing muscles. A barbell is generally used to hold the weight, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warming up</span> Part of stretching and preparation before performing a physical activity

'Warming up' is a part of stretching and preparation for physical exertion or a performance by exercising or practicing gently beforehand, usually undertaken before a performance or practice. Athletes, singers, actors and others warm up before stressing their muscles. It is widely believed to prepare the muscles for vigorous actions and to prevent muscle cramps and injury due to overexertion.

Muscle fatigue is when muscles that were initially generating a normal amount of force, then experience a declining ability to generate force. It can be a result of vigorous exercise, but abnormal fatigue may be caused by barriers to or interference with the different stages of muscle contraction. There are two main causes of muscle fatigue: the limitations of a nerve’s ability to generate a sustained signal ; and the reduced ability of the muscle fiber to contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handstand</span> Hand-balancing posture in gymnastics and hatha yoga

A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand, the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart and the legs together. There are many variations of handstands, all of which require the performer to possess adequate balance and upper body strength.

Bicep curls are a group of weight training exercises in which a person bends their arm towards their body at the elbow in order to make their biceps stronger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strength training</span> Performance of physical exercises designed to improve strength

Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, involves the performance of physical exercises that are designed to improve strength and endurance. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate a variety of training techniques such as bodyweight exercises, isometrics, and plyometrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoulder shrug</span>

The shoulder shrug is an exercise in weight training used to develop the upper trapezius muscle.

In weight training, training to failure is repeating an exercise to the point of momentary muscular failure, i.e. the point where the neuromuscular system can no longer produce adequate force to overcome a specific workload. Two systematic reviews published in 2021 found no benefit to training to failure on hypertrophy, while one of the reviews found some evidence that not-to-failure training is superior for strength.

Closed kinetic chain exercises or closed chain exercises (CKC) are physical exercises performed where the hand or foot is fixed in space and cannot move. The extremity remains in constant contact with the immobile surface, usually the ground or the base of a machine.

A bent-over row is a weight training exercise that targets a variety of back muscles. Which ones are targeted varies on form. The bent over row is often used for both bodybuilding and powerlifting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pull-down (exercise)</span> Strength training exercise

The pull-down exercise is a strength training exercise designed to develop the latissimus dorsi muscle. It performs the functions of downward rotation and depression of the scapulae combined with adduction and extension of the shoulder joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of exercise</span> Overview of and topical guide to exercise

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:

The upright row is a weight training exercise performed by holding a weight with an overhand grip and lifting it straight up to the collarbone. This is a compound exercise that involves the trapezius, the deltoids and the biceps. The narrower the grip the more the trapezius muscles are exercised, as opposed to the deltoids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muscle-up</span> Bodyweight exercise

The muscle-up is an advanced strength training exercise, within the domain of calisthenics. It is a combination routine of a radial pull-up followed by a dip. Variations exist for the rings as well as the bar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverted row</span>

The inverted row is an exercise in calisthenics. It primarily works the muscles of the upper back—the trapezius and latissimus dorsi—as well as the biceps as a secondary muscle group. The supine row is normally carried out in three to five sets, but repetitions depend on the type of training a lifter is using to make their required gains. This exercise is lighter on the joints compared to weighted rows. The exercise can also be performed with mixed, underhand, or overhand grips with either wide or narrow hand placement. The exercise is also known under various names such as supine row, bodyweight row, Australian pull up or "horizontal pull-up".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power tower (exercise)</span>

A power tower, also known as a knee raise station, and as a captain's chair, is a piece of exercise equipment that allows one to build upper body and abdominal muscle strength. When only the forearm pads alone are used for performing abdominal exercises, the power tower requires minimal arm strength as it is stable and movement occurs in the hips and torso. The equipment commonly has a backrest and forearm rests that form the chair, with vertical handles at the ends of the arm rests. The word "power" comes from the addition of other powerful arm exercises such as parallel horizontal handles for performing dips, a pull-up bar attached to the top for chin-ups and pull-ups, and push-up handles that are usually found on the bottom for Atlas ("deep") push-ups.

Velocity based training (VBT) is a modern approach to strength training and power training which utilises velocity tracking technology to provide rich objective data as a means to motivate and support real-time adjustments in an athlete's training plan. Typical strength and power programming and periodisation plans rely on the manipulation of reps, sets and loads as a means to calibrate training stressors in the pursuit of specific adaptations. Since the late 1990s, innovations in bar speed monitoring technology has brought velocity based training closer to the mainstream as the range of hardware and software solutions for measuring exercise velocities have become easier to use and more affordable. Velocity based training has a wide range of use cases and applications in strength and conditioning. These include barbell sports such as powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting and Crossfit, as well as rock climbing.Velocity based training is widely adopted across professional sporting clubs, with the data supporting many periodisation decisions for coaches in the weight room and on the field.

A training sled, weight sled, or fitness sled is a piece of exercise equipment that provides resistance as the user pushes, pulls, or otherwise moves the sled along a flat surface. Commercial sleds allow easily adjusting the weight or resistance and are supported on feet or wheels that allow moving the sled across surfaces such as grass, turf, or pavement without damage. Training with sleds has become increasingly popular since 2015, due in part to their availability in Crossfit gyms. Sled pulling and sled pushing are commonly used forms of training for sprinting.

References

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Further reading