Very difficult and extremely cool: how to start doing pull-ups | Well actually

TThe pull-up has long been considered an important measure of physical fitness. From 1966 to 2013, American public middle and high school students were required to perform pull-ups as part of the presidential fitness test (an assessment that Donald Trump considered reinstating). Members of the United States Marine Corps have long been required to perform pull-ups as part of their regular fitness test, and prospective British Royal Marines must complete at least three to four pull-ups before they can join them.

There’s no definitive data on how many adults can perform proper pull-ups, but two things are clear: They’re very difficult and they look extremely cool.

“When a new client comes to me, the most common exercise they would like to be able to do is pull-ups,” says Emily Schofield, a certified personal trainer at training company Ultimate Performance. “Achieving that first good rep is one of the most satisfying milestones you can achieve in the gym, because it is a true, hard-earned display of strength, coordination and control.”

Do you want to literally and figuratively practice on others at the gym? Here’s how to start doing pull-ups.

What is a pull-up?

To perform a pull-up, a person begins by hanging from a bar with their arms fully extended and their feet off the ground; this is also known as dead blocking. From there, they raise themselves until their chin is above the bar, then lower back down with control.

“Done well, it’s a controlled, deliberate movement,” says Schofield. “There is no kicking, jerking or reliance on momentum.”

What are the benefits of pull-ups?

Pull-ups build upper body strength, especially the back, says Mathew Forzaglia, certified personal trainer and founder of Forzag Fitness. “It also helps develop core stability, which prevents the body from swaying during consecutive repetitions and improves grip strength,” he says.

The muscles most worked by exercise, according to the Cleveland Clinic, are the latissimus dorsi (or “lats”) — the large, wide, fan-shaped muscles that extend from the lower back to just below the shoulder blades — and the trapezius (or “traps”) — the triangle-shaped muscles that run from the neck to the mid-back. They also work the shoulders, forearms, biceps, triceps and abdominal muscles.

When Schofield performs a pull-up, she says she doesn’t just focus on using her arms: “Putting too much emphasis on your biceps to perform the movement will tire you out quickly and decrease how effectively you target your lower back,” she explains, adding that the lats should do the bulk of the work.

Besides being awesome in the gym, pull-ups also help with functional strength. Because pull-ups force the body to work as a single unit, they improve “strength, coordination, and neuromuscular control,” while also helping with posture, improving performance on other lifts, and overall improving the physique, says Schofield.

Can anyone do pull-ups?

For the most part, yes.

Many women in particular seem to doubt this. And can you blame them, when the New York Times published an article titled Why Women Can’t Do Pull-ups? (Admittedly, the article was controversial at the time, and several media outlets and blogs published rebuttals.)

Schofield says many women she works with “instantly reject the idea that they will ever be strong enough to do a pull-up.” But she stresses that neither age nor gender should be considered a barrier to exercise.

“I’m training a client who is about 70 years old, and she can perform a full set of eight pull-ups with more strength and control than people half her age,” says Schofield.

Some people need to be especially careful when performing pull-ups, Schofield says, especially those with shoulder injuries, elbow pain, or any type of upper-body joint problem.

“In these cases, I would always prioritize rehab and strengthening work before attempting exercise,” she says.

How do you do a pull-up?

One of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to pull-ups is jumping directly onto the bar, says Schofield. Most people will need to build a base of strength before they can perform the exercise successfully.

To do this, choose exercises that strengthen the muscles you will need to perform a pull-up. These include:

Forzaglia also recommends inverted rows using TRX straps or a barbell installed in a squat rack. “This helps develop the fundamental pulling strength needed to progress,” he says.

Even if you can’t complete a pull-up, it’s worth spending time on the bar, says Schofield: “This might mean attempting partial reps, holding the first position, or controlling the descent phase.” » All of this helps the body learn to coordinate movements, she explains.

Regardless of gender, achieving a full pull-up can be a slow process. Countless programs claim to be able to teach people how to do pull-ups in 30 days. This might be possible for some. But performing a pull-up depends on a number of factors, including basic fitness, body weight and physical constitution. While the exercises above are all relatively safe, it’s a good idea to work with a certified personal trainer who can offer you the best personalized advice. And encouragement.

“Because pull-ups are difficult, people tend to avoid them when they’re struggling. But that’s exactly when they should be practicing them the most,” says Schofield. “The key is to practice, practice, practice.”