24 Ways to do a Pull Up

One of the greatest signs of strength is someone’s ability to control their own bodyweight.  Pull-ups may very well be the most difficult standard bodyweight exercise…People generally skip on pull-ups for one reason.  They are hard.  If you don’t have the pull-up in your workout routine,  ADD IT TODAY.

It should be noted that all of these exercises begin with arms fully extended, and end with the chin passing above the bar without any stretching of the neck.

Here are 24 different variations of pull-ups you might want to try:

1. Strict pull-up: Plain old pull-up, no kipping, no wiggling, just chin over the bar.

2. Kipping pull-up: a pull-up, which uses momentum, generated with movement from the feet, shoulders, hips and torso (google: kipping pull-up for more definitions)

3. Chin-up: Similar to a pull-up but hand grip is reversed to palms face back toward you, rather than away from you.

4. L-Pull up: When hanging from the bar, lift legs up so they are parallel to the ground, if someone looked at you from the side your upper body would be perpendicular to your lower body.  While keeping your body in the L shape do a regular pull-up bringing your chin over the bar.

5. Side-to-Side pull-up: Do a regular pull-up but at the top of the pull-up, while the chin is above the bar.  Move your head over to your right hand, then back to the left over your left hand.

6. Crunch pull-up:  While hanging from the bar bring your knees and feet into your chest so your body is crunched up into a ball, then do pull yourself up until the chin crosses the bar.

7. V-pull up:  A variant of the L pull-up, bring your feet up almost to your hands so that your body is in the shape of a V.

8. One-Arm pull-up: Using one arm (with the other arm hanging), do a full pull-up.  Sounds challenging, but it can be done.

9. Close Grip pull-up: Keep the hands close together.

10. Dyno pull-ups:  One of my favorites.  Do a pull-up, but as you get to the top of the pull-up, release one hand and reach up as high as possible (this works best if you have a target about 2 feet higher than the bar to reach for.)

11. Chest to Bar: Make sure the chest touches the bar on each and every pull-up.  Discipline.

12. Plank pull-ups: Very challenging.  Hold your body in a plank position so it is perpendicular to the floor and pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.

13. Right-Side pull-ups: Hold the bar with each hand on opposite sides of the bar (Your body will be in position so that if you don’t move to the right or left when you pull-up, your head will hit the bar).  Pull up and move your head to the right of the bar…go up until your shoulder touches the bar.

14. Left-Side pull-ups: Hold the bar with each hand on opposite sides of the bar (Your body will be in position so that if you don’t move to the right or left when you pull-up, your head will hit the bar).  Pull up and move your head to the left of the bar…go up until your shoulder touches the bar.

15. Wide-Grip pull-ups: Use a very wide grip

16. Circle pull-ups: Starting at the hang position, move your body in a circle so that at the hang position that is the bottom of the circle, and the normal position at the top of a pull-up is the top of the circle

17. Thick Bar pull-ups: Do pull-ups on a much thicker bar than usual

18. Towel pull-ups: drape a towel over the pull up bar, grasp each end of the towel in a different hand. do pull-ups either straight up or side to side.

19. Fingertip pull-ups: Rather than taking a full hand grip of the bar, try using only your fingertips

20. Weighted pull-ups: use a dumbbell, kettlebell, weighted vest, or anything else to add weight to yourself.

21. Paused pull-ups: Pause for 3 seconds at the top of your pull-up

22. Mixed grip pull-up: One hand grips like a chin-up, one like a pull-up

23. Slow descent pull-up: Go very slow on the descent of the pull-up.

24. Resistance pull-up: Use a band or someone holding you as resistance to going up on the pull up

As I mentioned briefly above, there is only one real way to call something a pull-up.  You must start the pull up with your arms fully extended, and end with the entire head above the bar. 

Thank you to all who have been reading this blog so far.  I encourage comments to start discussion , give feedback, or offer suggestion.  If you like what you have read please use the “add this” bar to tell Digg, stumbleUpon, or any other site that you enjoyed the post.  And again, thank you all for reading.

Flickr Credits: .B.P.M.