Negative pull-ups are an exercise that strengthens the back and is suitable for beginners

Classic pull-ups are the basics, we have known about them since school. But not everyone knows that only one element of this exercise can be used in training. Then your muscles will be pumped in a completely different way. We are talking about the so-called negative pull-ups. Today, together with a fitness trainer, we will understand why to perform them and what benefits they bring.

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“Negative pull-ups are an exercise that involves only the eccentric phase, that is, lowering from hanging. This type is most often practiced among beginners in order to strengthen the back muscles and teach the technique of classical pull-ups. But it can also be used by experienced lifters, because in the eccentric phase the muscles will spend more time under load, which will make them stronger. Any professional lifter knows that the eccentric phase is just as important as the concentric phase. That’s why it gets special attention.

What are negative pull-ups?

In fact, anyone who has performed regular pull-ups has also performed negative pull-ups, they just didn’t know it. They start when a person touches the bar with his chin, this is the starting position. The main task is to slowly unfold the arms, so that all the necessary muscles are maximally tensed. And then you need to return to the starting position.

If you have enough strength, then you can do the positive phase as usual, due to the strength of the arms. Then the exercise will be similar to classic pull-ups, only with special attention to the final phase. Or you can find a lower bar, so that you can jump to the starting position without wasting energy. Or climb the ladder, if we are talking about a sports complex.

The exercise itself is not difficult, everyone can perform it. It is often preparatory, so that it was easier to do the classics later. But this does not mean that experienced athletes neglect it. Negative pull-ups are an eccentric phase of the movement, when the muscles lengthen. And this phase is no less important than the concentric phase, when muscles shorten. Thanks to it, muscle mass can be significantly increased. This will be especially noticeable in the initial stages of training. The coordination of muscle contractions will also improve.

Learning to perform negative pull-ups

If you look superficially, the exercise is no different from the original, but everything is much more complicated. The most important thing is that you need to unfold your arms very slowly, so that the muscles are maximally strained.

Negative pull-ups

Tehnika

• Take the starting position. This can be done by jumping or doing a regular pull-up.
• At the initial point of amplitude, your shoulder blades should be lowered and brought, elbows maximally pressed against the body, forearms should be in the plane of the body.
• Then perform the negative phase – descend as slowly as possible until your arms are almost completely straightened, your shoulder blades are raised and you are in the hanging position – the starting position in the classic pull-ups.

What muscles are engaged by negative pull-ups?

As for the load, it falls on the same muscles as when performing classic pull-ups. This is not surprising, because the movement is done in the same way. The deltoid, triceps and biceps muscles of the shoulder are engaged. As well as the trapezius, rhomboid and broadest muscles. It is not for nothing that pull-ups are considered a great way to strengthen not only the arms, but also the back. Also, this exercise increases grip strength.

Variations and progression of the exercise

If we talk about how to overcome the positive phase of the exercise, it turns out to be quite diverse. You can find a low tourniquet, so that the feet stand on the ground, giving the opportunity to push off and at the expense of this to overcome the initial phase. You can use any elevation to make a jump from it, it can be a step platform, a few disks or a plyo-box. Alternatively, ask someone who works out nearby to help you with this exercise.

Moving on to the types of grips. You can grip the bar at shoulder width, wide or, on the contrary, narrow. A wider grip will load your back, while a narrow grip will mainly load your arms. You will also have to choose between supinated or pronated grip. The first is when the thumbs are facing in opposite directions, and the second is when it’s the other way around.

The difference between the two is not only that. The straight grip, i.e. the pronated grip, activates the muscles of the back more, and more specifically, the upper part of the broad muscles. And at the same time it is weaker than the supinated grip. The reverse grip, unlike the straight grip, better loads the muscles of the arms, and due to this other muscles may be underloaded. So you can combine both grips, alternate them.

With progression, everything is quite trivial: you can increase the number of repetitions or the time of arm extension. Remember: the longer you lower to the lowest point, the more your muscles are strained. And if these options are too boring for you, we can suggest using additional weights on the belt. Then the exercise becomes much more difficult.

Additional recommendations

Do not forget about warming up, it is the most important part of any workout. Pay special attention to warming up the hands, because it is on them that the main load will come. Conduct a joint warm-up, do not think that it is you who will avoid injuries. They come when you least expect them. And injuries are always painful, always a forced break in sport.

Be careful with the choice of the number of approaches, too. Overload is just as dangerous as injury. If your body turns out not to be ready for work, the muscles will then be very sore, and you will also have to take a break at least a few days to recover. Besides, negative pull-ups are only part of the training process, leave your strength for other exercises.