The pull-up is one of the most badass and beneficial exercises you can do. This versatile compound bodyweight exercise can be done anywhere, anytime, as it requires nothing but a bar, and there are many different variations you can master.
The beauty of the pull-up is that this exercise can be regressed or progressed, and can meet you wherever you are in terms of your current fitness level, technical ability, and experience.
In just over 3 years, I’ve helped over 4000 people from over 84 countries, of all fitness levels and genders excel at pull-ups with my world class pull-up program, The Ultimate Pull-Up Program. I have also provided a lot of free pull-up specific content in my blog, and on Instagram.
This week I am sharing 5 exercises that can help improve your ability to do pull-ups. Some of these exercises are fairly innovative.
#1) Scapula Pull-Ups And Eccentric-Only Pull-Ups
Both of these exercises improve pull-up specific technique, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, lumbo-pelvic stability, and grip strength.
Coaching Tips For Both Exercises:
- Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You may also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Figure out what hand width and grip works and feels best for you.
- Set your body so your head, torso and hips are in a stacked position. Fully extend your knees. You may cross one foot over the other and dorsiflex your feet (point them towards you), or you may keep your feet side by side, and plantarflexed (point them away from you).
- Do not allow your shoulders to elevate towards your ears, or roll forward.
- Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
Key Points Scapula Pull-Ups:
- Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and move each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate). When you do your body should elevate a slight amount.
- Do not allow your elbows to bend/”pull.”
- Hold for a count in the top position, then lower to the starting position with control. When you are lowering your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements and should protract, and upwardly rotate. Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned.
Key Points Eccentric-Only Pull-Ups:
- If you need to jump up to the bar, initiate the pull-up by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and move each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate), and drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the floor.
- Take 3-5 seconds and lower to the starting position with control. When you are lowering your shoulder blades should protract, and upwardly rotate. Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned.
- Lower in a single fluid movement. The lowering shouldn’t be jerky.
#2) Prone Bodyweight Pulls
This exercise strengthens the “pull-up” muscles, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. This exercise can also be a great way to work on your pull-ups if you don’t have access to a bar.
Coaching Tips:
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface, and loop the band around your ankles. Or you may do what I did, and may secure the band by putting one end under a closed door. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- In the starting position, your arms should be fully extended, and in an overhead position.
- Now draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip, and pull your body forward. When you reach the end position, your elbows should be at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso, and you should really feel the muscles around your shoulder blades and lats working.
- Gain a moment of control, then perform the reverse movements and press your body backwards so your arms return to an overhead and fully extended position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move. Do not allow your shoulders to shrug towards your ears. Keep your shoulder blades depressed.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
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#3) Overhead Barbell Hold + Hanging Kettlebells
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular stability, lumbo-pelvic stability, and grip strength.
Coaching Tips:
- Hang a band around both ends of a barbell, and attach a kettlebell to the band. Press the barbell into an overhead position (or start with barbell in an overhead position). Once you are in the overhead position, your entire body should remain in a fixed position.
- Keep the barbell over your head. It should not drift ahead or behind of your body. Keep your wrists in a neutral position. Now hold for the target length of time.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
#4) Inverted Rows
This exercise, which strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, has a great carryover to pull-ups. Even if you can already perform pull-ups with ease, this exercise is still beneficial to do.
Coaching Tips:
- Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart, but figure out what hand width works and feels best for you.
- Set your body so it is in a relatively straight line from the top/back of your head to heels.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- Perform an inverted row. Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and draw your shoulder blades together and towards your spine (retract). Do not initiate the movement with your arms, and do not use momentum.
- In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out. They should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso.
- Return to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movement (protraction) as they did during the rowing/concentric component. Think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.
- In the starting position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- Exhale after you have initiated the row and are approaching the top position; you may inhale and “reset” as you are descending, or you may do a full reset when you are in the starting position. Do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Hollow Body Hold + Overhead Weight Lowering
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. The overhead weight lowering makes this exercise extremely anti-extension in nature.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a weight, and extend your arms so the weight is above your chest.
- Lie on the floor. Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Keep your neck in a neutral position, chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and contract your anterior core muscles.
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the ground, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (and feel your anterior core muscles). Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- While keeping your body in a fixed position, lower the weight behind your head, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Once you reach your end range, return the weight to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate.
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