Pull-ups are an empowering, effective, and exciting exercise to do! While pull-ups are challenging for people of all genders, ages, and backgrounds, achieving one or many consecutive pull-ups is a realistic goal for MANY!
If pull-ups are a goal of yours, here are 5 innovative exercises you need to do! Even if you have no desire to do pull-ups, all of these exercises will still be beneficial to do.
#1) Prone Band Resisted Bodyweight Pull-Ups
Do you want to practice pull-ups but don’t have access to a bar? Or do you already do pull-ups and want an additional exercise to add to your arsenal? If so, look no further… This exercise strengthens the “pull-up” muscles, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Make sure you can do this properly with bodyweight only BEFORE you add resistance. This exercise is so much tougher than you’d expect!
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.
- Lie on a towel on the floor, and in a prone position. Set your body so it is in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Place your hands on the floor. In the starting position, your arms should be fully extended, and in an overhead position.
- 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.
- Now draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip, simultaneously drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards your feet, and pull your body forward.
- When you reach the end position (resembles the top position of a pull-up), your elbows should be at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso, and you should really feel your lats and the muscles around your shoulder blades 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. When you do so, your shoulder blades should spread apart from your spine, move away from the opposite hip, and move around your ribcage.
- During the pulling component, do not allow your shoulders to shrug towards your ears, or shoulder blades to elevate. Keep your shoulder blades down/depressed. MANY people make this mistake here, and during regular pull-ups.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.
- Exhale after you’ve initiated the pull and as your body is traveling towards the “top” position.
Do 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps.
#2) Band Resisted Psoas Marches + Isometric Wall Press
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability. Bonus, you will also strengthen your hip flexors.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Lie on the floor, and so your head is relatively close to a wall/other surface. Figure out what distance works and feels best for you. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Bend your elbows and press your hands backwards into the wall. Do not allow your elbows to flare out. Maintain this pressure against the wall for the duration of the exercise.
- On one side, use your hip flexors and bring your knee and thigh in towards your body. For the duration of the exercise, keep your knee and thigh relatively close to your body. At the very least, your thigh should remain in a vertical position. Do not allow your leg to get pulled forward.
- 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 tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt).
- Slowly press against the band with your foot, extend your knee and lower your leg towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Gain a moment of control, and then return your leg to the starting position. You may perform all reps on one side before switching sides (what I am doing, or you may alternate sides, which is easier).
- When you return to the starting position, pause and do a proper reset.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 5-10 reps per side.
#3) Single Arm Plank + Single Arm Banded Row
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side).
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Grab onto a band or cable. There should be resistance for 100% of the exercise.
- On the planted side, your hand can be directly below, or ahead of your shoulder (like what I’m doing). Do what works and feels best for you.
- Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning or screwing your hand and fingers to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt, and squeeze your glutes.
- Perform a single arm row. Do not allow your elbow to flare out.
- Return to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blade should perform the reverse movements as it did during the rowing component. Think about moving your shoulder blade away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip. Do not keep it pinned.
- Pay attention to your non-working/supporting side. Push your body away from the floor/towards the ceiling and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug towards your ears, or shoulder blade on the planted side to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a plank position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to pike or collapse, or weight to shift from foot to foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps per side.
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#4) Single Arm Floor Presses + Posterior Band Resistance
This exercise strengthens the rotator cuff muscles, particularly the subscapularis. The subscapularis is the biggest and strongest rotator cuff muscle. It is responsible for the internal rotation and adduction of the humerus, and stabilizes the shoulder.
If you don’t have a kettlebell, you may also use a dumbbell.
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a band so it’s behind you, and hold the band in your hand (or loop it around your wrist).
- In the same hand, hold a kettlebell in a regular position (or dumbbell).
- Lie on the floor, and bend your knees. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace).
- Now perform a single arm press.
- Gain a moment of control when you are in the top position, and then return the kettlebell to the starting position with control.
- In the bottom position, do not allow your elbow to flare out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.
#5) Strap Inverted Rows
This exercise, which strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and grip, has a great carryover to pull-ups. Even if you can already perform pull-ups with ease, this exercise is still beneficial to do.
As you can see, I am holding onto the straps versus using the rings. This is more taxing in terms of grip. Aside from this, the same key points in form apply to regular inverted rows.
Coaching Tips:
- Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated) or are in a neutral position, 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 hips (or heels). As I am intentionally doing more of a vertical pulling movement here, I am keeping my knees bent.
- 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 in towards your spine and down towards your opposite hip.
- 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 movements as they did during the rowing component. Think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip. 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, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, 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.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.
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