You should do at least ten pull-ups even in physical education classes at school. This is the sports minimum for a healthy guy. However, even this number of repetitions is not possible for many of the guys. Fitness trainer and Guinness Book record holder Manvel Mamoyan tells about typical mistakes that prevent you from pulling up more, and advises a set of exercises that will help you start pulling up a lot and qualitatively.
Why can’t I pull up on the bar?
This question often arises among beginners, and not only guys, but also girls. The most common reasons: excess weight, weak muscles, incorrect technique. With the first two points, everything is clear, but what is behind the wrong technique?
Delayed breathing
From the extent to which the muscles are oxygenated in the process, depends on the effectiveness of the exercise. How it is necessary: when moving up, a nose inhale is made, and when lowering – exhale with the mouth. Inhalation and exhalation must necessarily be done at each repetition.
Swaying the body
Swaying the body disrupts the tempo and technique. Make sure that your body is exactly perpendicular to the ground when performing the exercise.
Jerks
You spend unnecessary force on jerks and perform the exercise due to inertia. Such measures create the illusion of performing the exercise, the muscles do not get the necessary load and do not train. Instead, it is better to use preparatory exercises until you can pull up cleanly.
How to do more pull-ups on the bar
There are plenty of recommendations and instructional videos on the web about pull-ups: different training schemes, technique breakdowns and success stories. If you want to achieve results in pull-ups, take note of a few effective exercises and important tips.
Don’t expect instant results
Be prepared that it won’t be easy at first. Your arm muscles will be sore, you will rub calluses, and the number of repetitions will grow very slowly. Remember – this is normal! And don’t give up on your workouts.
Start with a warm-up
To make muscles and ligaments work to the fullest – warm them up. This will give a boost in results and protect you from injury.
Use preparatory exercises
The first exercise. You can do it with the help of a child’s tourniquet or bars. Standing on the ground, take a straight horizontal grip and pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. Do as much as you can, don’t stop when it gets harder.
Second exercise. Static develops tendons and joints, which is very important in pull-ups. Static exercises should be a mandatory part of your workout. On the same child’s bar, repeat the first exercise and stay at the top for as long as possible. You can also use the hang on the bar to strengthen your grip.
The third exercise. Here you will need either sports elastic bands or a friend who can take part of the load on himself. If you use rubber bands, then fix them on the bar, and on the other side of the legs, and try to pull yourself up. This way you will be lifting less weight. Instead, you can ask one of your companions to hold your legs. The effect will be about the same. Just make sure you don’t push yourself out at the expense of the leg rest.
Fourth exercise. Pull yourself up halfway so that you get a right angle at the elbows. Hang like this until failure. Exercises at first can also be made easier with the help of a rubber band.
If you can already do a few pull-ups
If you are already pulling up with your own weight several times, then increase the number of exercises. Here, it is important to exercise regularly and make sure that the exercises are performed correctly. If you are practicing and the number of pull-ups does not grow, try training with weights. You can start by using a backpack with a couple bottles of water or a stack of books. It’s also possible that a muscle group is lagging behind. Try changing your grip or adding additional exercises.
Why do pull-ups in the first place?
First of all, pull-ups are one of the easiest and most accessible exercises. There is a bar in every yard, and you can pump a large group of muscles on it. To form a beautiful torso and a broad back, pull-ups are one of the most important exercises. In addition, pull-ups have a huge number of variations to develop different muscle groups and not get bored with the monotony of training.
Secondly, pull-ups make you healthier. The problem of many people is congenital and acquired spinal disorders. Often doctors in such cases advise various types of gymnastics, massages and other ways to strengthen the back. Pull-ups can serve as a prevention of such diseases, as well as a way of treatment. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor in order not to do harm.