Working out from home is more practical than ever as it allows you to get the sweat rolling without having to risk getting infected when you go outside. There are many exercises you can try from the comfort of your home. If you want to put your body to the test, we highly suggest you begin doing pull-ups at home.
What are pull-ups?
A pull-up is an upper-body exercise in which you pull yourself up from a bar, hence the name. There are many variations of a pull-up but the most common see you hanging from a bar with your hands far apart from one another. To proceed with the pull-up, you bend your knees for better balance and you begin to pull-up slowly. One repetition is counted when your chin goes above the pull-up bar.
This simple but complex exercise forces you to use various muscles located within your chest, arms, back, and shoulder area. Due to its difficulty, the pull-up is often used as a measurement to gauge once tested. What makes the pull-up difficult is that you are basically carrying your entire body weight with you.
One way to improve your pull-up routine is by throwing in resistance bands to the mix. If you try pull up bands for your usual routine, you get a ton of benefits. For instance, the extra resistance makes the work out more intense. The pull-up bands also help improve your form just in case you’re having a hard time doing pull-ups properly.
Types of Pull-Ups
There are several variations of the pull-ups, each focusing on a specific part of the body, says Men’s Journal. Some are more difficult than others and really require a great physique. Here are some of the most popular variations you can try.
- Weighted pull-ups – a variation of the standard pull-up wherein you add additional weights to your body. Aside from weighted vests, others tie a weighted plate around their waist. If you are going to try this out, don’t force yourself by adding too much weight at first.
- Behind-the-neck-pull-up – instead of pulling up with your face facing the bar, you pull-up until the bar reaches the back of your neck. It’s a harder variation of the pull-up that focuses on your back.
- Muscle-ups – Quite possibly the hardest variation of the pull-up. Instead of going just above the chin, you go upwards even more until your body goes above the bar and your hands are extended. It requires the use of momentum and explosiveness.
Doing Pull-Ups Properly
What’s great about the pull-up is that it’s easy to execute. The only difficulty lies in whether or not you can carry your own body weight. When at home, we don’t suggest hanging from any random bar to do pull-ups as the bar itself might not be able to accommodate your weight. A lot of accidents have been caused by people who do pull-ups where it’s not intended to be done.
You can buy pull-up bars online. These are special pieces of home gym equipment that you can attach to any door or ceiling. These allow you to do a wide range of pull-up variations from the comforts of your home. To avoid injuring yourself, make sure to install the pull-up bar properly so as to avoid having it give out because of your weight.
As long as you have a pull-up bar at home, it’s best to try squeezing in a few reps here and there. Pull-ups are a great way to build your upper body strength and physique. Moreover, they are the perfect home workout as there isn’t a lot of intricate gym equipment that’s required.
If you feel pain in your chest, shoulders, or arms, it’s imperative that you stop pull-ups for a while. This is an intense workout. Carrying your entire body’s weight isn’t easy so don’t be surprised if you feel a little sore after a few repetitions.
If you are just starting out, don’t focus on doing the other variations of the pull-up first. Keep in mind that those are reserved for people that have already mastered the standard pull-up. Not only are they more difficult to execute, but they also require a lot more strength than what a regular pull-up needs.
Benefits Of A Pull-Up
The difficulty of pull-ups is well worth it considering how there are quite a few benefits behind doing them. Healthline shares that there are seven key benefits that make pull-ups the workout to do when you’re at home. The muscles being worked out during this exercise are focused on the back and shoulders. If this is what you are hoping to improve for your physique, then a pull-up can get you the work you can usually get from bicep curls, lat pulls, and shoulder presses. Only this time, the workout targets all of these muscles all at once.
Pull-ups also increase your grip strength. Grip strength is essential for many athletes – most particularly to those who are in combat sports. Aside from that, grip strength is also a must when carrying Olympic bars and weights. If you feel that you are lacking in grip strength, doing pull-ups at home is a must.
Overall, pull-ups help improve your body’s physical capabilities and performance. This shouldn’t be a surprise considering pull-ups are one of the best forms of bodyweight training. It’s a general rule that if you are able to carry your body’s weight, this means you are in great shape and you can perform well too. Pull-ups are a great way to challenge yourself mentally and physically. If you are new to doing pull-ups, expect a lot of difficulty at first. It might surprise you to see how difficult it is to carry your own body. As you progress, you’ll feel more confident knowing that pull-ups are more doable.
Working out at home is possibly more recommended as compared to going to the gym. Luckily, it’s easy to set up your own home gym without having to spend thousands of dollars on equipment. Simple but challenging workouts like the pull-up assure that you can get a complete exercise even if you don’t step outside.
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