Hands down, one of the absolute best bodyweight exercises one can do is the pull up. A pull up done with proper technique works the latissimus dorsi, or “wings” to develop a strong, healthy, and powerful looking back. The pull up also provides benefits for many of the other muscles of the upper body including the biceps, the brachialis, the brachioradialis, rhomboids, lower trapezius and more. The grip strength developed as a result of training pull ups will increase strength, size, and appearance in the forearm muscles as well.

So, being such an awesome exercise, why don’t more people do it? I’m not sure exactly, but I have heard the excuse “I have nowhere to do pull ups.” and I’ve heard “I can’t do one, let alone a whole workout.” I’m telling you now, those aren’t valid excuses. Here’s why.

The pull up, while requiring more equipment than a push up, still only requires you have something higher than your head to grab on to. This is easily found in our environment. Many parks have pull up bars, and even if you aren’t near a park, you can still use a low hanging tree branch. In fact there are many things to use for doing pull ups if you look with fresh eyes. Fire escapes, landscape walls, and even the top of an open and sturdy door will work (be careful, and don’t let your wife catch you!). In the photo slide show that follows, there is a picture of a simple contraption made by running a length of rope through 2 pieces of half inch PVC and tying it into a loop. This provides 2 handles that can be slung over a tree branch or any other object to facilitate doing pull up work. All it takes is some scrap materials, and 1 minute of work and you have yourself a solid piece of workout equipment to get your arms and back in order. (do make sure to use rope with a strength appropriate to your body weight). Use longer rope to do body weight rows!

Now that we’ve gotten the first excuse out of the way, let’s tackle the second. If you cannot do a pull up it may seem like an impossible goal. How do you practice pull ups, if you can’t do them? Well, this one is fairly easy to tackle as well. There are a number of ways to progress towards doing a pull up. Here are a couple:

Body weight row progressions are a good place to start because you are working many of the same muscles involved in a pull up, in a similar (although not identical) recruitment pattern. Body weight rows can be done in any number of places using a low bar, or a towel or rope slung across a high bar or a tree branch. The more horizontal your body is, the harder the exercise, the more vertical your body is, the less resistance offered. Work your way towards getting very horizontal.

Jumping pull ups are a great way to develop a pull up and provide a good workout in themselves. Jumping pull ups work the same muscles as the pull up through the same range of motion, so the muscular and neurological adaptations to the exercise translate exactly towards your goal of doing a pull up. Grab your bar, and position a box or other stable surface beneath it at a height that allows you to be standing and just able to reach up and grab the bar. Give yourself a little hop, only enough to help you get through the range of motion and get your chin above the bar using as much of your upper body as possible. Slowly let yourself down and repeat. Use less and less hop each workout.

Test yourself frequently while working your progressions. As soon as you can do 1 pull up, start doing them whenever you can. While walking through the park, at work, where ever the opportunity exists, grab something and pull yourself up. Your 1 will quickly become 2, 3, 5, 10 and so on until you become the Pull Up Master!

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