Correct pull-ups with a narrow grip - what muscles work when placing your arms backwards and forwards on the horizontal bar? Weighted pull-ups. What are the benefits of doing pull-ups?

Pull-ups are universal exercises. When you pull up, you work with your own weight. As a rule, when you decide to start doing pull-ups, the question arises: what muscles work during them? To get an answer to this, you need to understand how to do pull-ups correctly, what types and techniques of pull-ups exist.

Exercises on the horizontal bar are a complex type of training. Pull-ups are a cyclic exercise, and are based on repeating the same action a certain number of times. The complex consists of a cycle of exercises repeated in a similar sequence. This exercise works all the muscle groups of the upper body together. Each cycle is divided into several phases. So:

Starting position - placing your hands on top of the horizontal bar, clasp the crossbar with your fingers, hang on it with straight arms
Lifting the body
Hanging on bent arms
Lower to starting position

Starting position: arms (hands) on the bar, body straightened, heels brought together, toes pointed. The load is predominantly placed on the shoulder girdle and arms, the muscles of which strive to hold the body in this position. This phase takes the longest compared to the others. There is a recovery from the previous pull-up. If you unsuccessfully pulled yourself up and hung, swaying, use the efforts of your leg muscles or core to fix a static position. If your arm gets tired, shift your weight to the other for a while.

Keep in mind that breathing becomes deeper during exercise as it greater endurance muscles need more oxygen.

The next phase is lifting the body. With the effort of the muscles, the elbow and shoulder joints are bent and then extended, while the body tilts slightly back, and the legs and hips protrude forward to maintain balance. The load is placed on the biceps brachii muscle. The force with which it works is determined by the width of the grip. The lift is performed while exhaling, occasionally while holding your breath.

After this phase, hang with bent arms on the crossbar. By and large, based on the rational technique of doing pull-ups, this phase should not exist. However, when performing exercises on the crossbar, it is still present, although it takes up the maximum short time. When hanging with bent arms, the muscular frame of the body is maximally tense, and breathing is very difficult.

In conclusion - return to the starting position. When lowering the body, the same muscles that lift it work, but in the opposite mode. In essence, they slow down a body that falls down under the force of gravity. The slower this “fall” occurs, the greater the load on the muscles. If you hang suddenly, you can simply slide off the horizontal bar.

When pulling up it is required collaboration not only the upper muscle groups of the body, but also the joints: elbows and shoulders.

The horizontal bar will give a load and make it work effectively:

Muscles of the midsection, such as the obliques, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis (abs), and the straightening muscle.
Deltoid. Superficial muscles of the shoulder, making its contour attractively sloping. Pull-ups involve the posterior deltoid muscle.
The trapezius is a broad superficial flat muscle that stretches from the back of the neck to the middle of the back and laterally to the shoulder joints. Moves the shoulder blades and supports the arms.
The teres major is a flat, elongated muscle.
The latissimus dorsi is superficial, occupying the lower back. They play a big role in pull-ups. Athletes call them “wings.”
Diamond-shaped - located between the shoulder blades.
Biceps. Or the biceps muscle - large, clearly visible. It is auxiliary when pulling up, its role is to bend the arms at the elbows and rotate the forearms. Located on the front side of the shoulder.
The infraspinatus is a triangular flat muscle that is located under the scapula.
The triceps brachii muscle, also known as the triceps. Attaches to the back of the humerus.

Description of pull-ups

Most professional athletes are convinced that pull-ups are exactly the exercises that are necessary to build a wide back. There are several rules for performing exercises on the horizontal bar, despite the fact that their types and methods vary.

Do not do other exercises before doing pull-ups. This important rule. Start your workout with pull-ups. If you start training the bar after other exercises, the muscles that are used during the pull-up will be fatigued, which are the forearm muscles, latissimus dorsi and biceps. As a result, you will not get the proper load and the desired result. Pull-ups require the use of quite a lot of physical strength, so it is better to perform them on unloaded muscles. To verify this, simply compare the number of pull-ups you can do at the beginning and end of your workout.

Professional athletes are advised not to use wrist straps. By doing pull-ups without them, you can significantly increase the strength of your biceps and strengthen your grip on the bar. It is especially important to do without straps in the first two approaches. It’s okay if you can’t do as many repetitions as you did with wrist straps. Over time, the ability to not only do the same amount will return, but your grip strength will also increase. Of course, for those who cannot pull themselves up without wrist straps, it is simply necessary to use them.

When doing pull-ups, it is best to hold onto the horizontal bar not with your fingers, but with your palm, that is, all fingers, including the thumb, should be on top of the bar. With this grip method, the main load is distributed to the latissimus dorsi muscles, making it easier for the biceps, which are the weak link in this chain. It takes time to master this grip. But once you get used to it, you can see a noticeable effect on your back muscles.

Half pull-ups are not a panacea for those who are unable to do them completely. With such under-pull-ups, the latissimus dorsi muscles only partially contract, which means that there is no point in them as such. That is, if it’s hard for you to do pull-ups, but you want to master this exercise, don’t chase the quantity. It’s better to do a minimum number of, but full, pull-ups. Improve your results over time.

Various pull-up techniques

To find the answer to the question of what muscles are pumped up during pull-ups, you need to understand the types of grips when doing them. After all, depending on its type, different groups are worked out.

This type of grip is divided into two types: narrow forward and narrow reverse. To perform this, you need to grab the crossbar slightly narrower than shoulder width. Try to raise your head and torso as high as possible when performing the exercise. With this version of pull-ups, the lower and upper chest and shoulders are pumped well.

When performing pull-ups with a reverse narrow grip, the hands on the bar are positioned in such a way that the thumbs are turned out, looking in directions opposite to each other. During pull-ups with reverse grip Those very “wings” are especially involved and trained and the desired biceps are pumped up.

To perform this type of pull-up, you need to place your arms as far as possible from one another, raise your head up, and bend your back a little. When bending your elbows, your shoulders should be parallel to the bar. The thumbs are on top of the bar of the horizontal bar. It is necessary to stretch upward not with the help of your hands, but by bringing your shoulder blades together. During the peak phase, try to fix the position in which the chest touches the bar. Wide-grip chest pull-ups intensively work the lower latissimus dorsi and paired orbicularis muscles.

When pulling up with a wide grip behind the head, the broadest muscles of the middle part, round paired and trapezius actively develop and work. It is performed as follows: with your back arched as much as possible, your hands are fixed on the bar in a wide grip, your elbows are lowered. From the starting position, smoothly and slowly begin to pull yourself up, and at the top point, place your head under the bar of the horizontal bar so that the back of your head touches it. This type of pull-up is quite complicated and dangerous, so it is not recommended for beginners. In the process of performing pull-ups with a wide grip behind the head, the shoulder joint is especially heavily loaded. Based on this, it is extremely necessary for training experienced athletes and not only to properly stretch the muscles of the shoulder girdle in order to avoid injury.

Pull-ups in this way are perfect for those who have just started doing them, since the load when performed with a medium grip is distributed evenly. The reverse medium grip pull-up effectively engages and works the biceps and lats. Their elaboration and development is necessary for subsequent performance of pull-ups in more complex ways described above. The technique is quite simple. Grasp the horizontal bar with your hands, hands shoulder-width apart, turn them so that the palms with the inner side are turned towards you. Start pulling up by moving your shoulders back a little, but your head should be in a strictly horizontal position.

Whatever method of pull-ups you choose, almost all muscles will still work in one way or another during the exercise. And if you decide to pump up your abs while doing pull-ups, raise and lower your legs in the process.

Another method recommended for those who have just started doing pull-ups. The exercise is simple and non-traumatic. By following the execution technique, you can work out the biceps, brachioradialis muscles, and lower part of the broad back muscles well. The bonus will be the development and strengthening of the elbow joint area. The peculiarity of pulling up using the described method is that to perform it you need not one horizontal bar, but two bars at once, which are located in parallel.

There are two ways to perform pull-ups with a parallel grip:

Grasp the bars with your hands, straighten your torso as much as possible, smoothly and slowly lift your body up, fixing the position at the highest point, and also smoothly lower down
Place your hands on the bars one after the other. When pulling up, your back should be tilted back as much as possible. Turn your head to the side. Pull yourself up, at the peak point, fix the position in which you need to touch the bar with your lower chest.

There are also more complicated types of pull-ups described, for example, with clap, with rolls, and so on.

Ways to make your pull-ups more effective

If you are determined to achieve maximum results, to pump up certain muscle groups extremely quickly by doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar or bars, follow a few simple but very necessary recommendations.

You need to pull yourself up as smoothly and slowly as possible, carefully focusing on the sensations in the muscles. To work hard exactly those that you want to develop and train with a specific method of pull-up exercises
To achieve the best results, give your muscles time to rest and recover from intense training. This means that there is no need to overload them or exhaust them with frequent training. Especially at the initial stage. At a minimum, this approach can very quickly cool the ardor with which you initially began training. Moderation is important in everything, and in sports too.
The ideal sports schedule would be one in which training is conducted three times a week, with a mandatory interval a day for rest and recovery.
A rather subjective question regarding the duration of the workout. It is quite difficult to determine its duration if you practice on your own. The only thing you can focus on is your own well-being. If you work out in the gym, the trainer will create a program for you with the duration of classes that will correspond to your gender, age, physical fitness, health, presence or absence excess weight. If you are working out on your own, do not overload your muscles in pursuit of quick results! This can cause you to injure yourself, damaging your joints or tearing your muscles. The load and duration of training should increase gradually.
Take rest breaks between sets. The workout should consist of several approaches. For those new to pull-ups, it is best not to do large number repetitions in one approach. It will be more effective more approaches with a small number of pull-ups in each.
A very important condition for achieving the desired result is nutrition. After all, from what we eat, the body takes building substances for muscle growth. And they need protein. It is precisely this protein-rich food that should be included in the diet.

Thus, by following all these simple rules and recommendations, observing regularity and systematic training, with the help of pull-ups you can achieve well-developed, beautiful muscles back, chest, arms, shoulders and abdominals, making the body strong and harmonious.

Pulling up means lifting your own body by bending your arms against the force of gravity. The exercises are performed on a horizontal bar, which is considered a universal exercise machine that works a large number of muscles. Knowing what the exercise is called is one thing, but it is more important to know which muscles work when doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar, how to do pull-ups correctly using different types of grips: the load on different muscle groups is regulated, so you can quickly make your body sculpted and beautiful.

What is a pull-up

This is one of the best universal exercises, capable of building muscle mass, increasing body endurance, and improving health. During this exercise, a person grabs the bar of the horizontal bar and hangs on straight arms, after which, bending his arms at the elbows, he lifts his body up until his arms are completely bent at the elbows (the chin should go above the bar, and the bar itself should be at shoulder level). At the same time, all the back and shoulder muscles are fully involved when pulling up and develop harmoniously.

Such movements are natural for a person; he was created with this skill. Their lives depended on the strength of the backs and arms of primitive hunters, the ability to lift their bodies and throw them over an obstacle. Now this exercise is the safest from the point of view of natural biomechanics, since it does not injure the spine, but, on the contrary, stretches it, helps strengthen cartilage and stimulates the production of synovial fluid in the intervertebral capsules. With systematic training using various types grips strengthen the muscle corset.

By the head

lats;
trapezoidal;
diamond-shaped;
round dorsal;
neck muscles;
biceps;
rear deltoids;
brachialis.

As a rule, a wide head grip is used. This method works great on the lats and upper back. You can use a narrow and medium grip, but there are opinions that they are not effective for developing the back. In addition, you need to monitor your sensations - these types of training are dangerous. If you do not feel any discomfort, then continue exercising, taking into account that pulling yourself up by the head with any grip is generally prohibited for people with an injured neck and shoulder girdle injuries.

To the chest

One of effective exercises to develop the relief of the back - pull-ups on the horizontal bar to the chest. In this exercise, two movements that are anatomically convenient for the back are performed: bringing the elbow joint to the body with the elbows moving back and bringing the shoulder blades together. Thanks to these movements, all muscle groups of the back are involved, which affects the rapid development of strength characteristics and appearance. Activated:

lats;
diamond-shaped;
trapezoid;
round large and small;
anterior and posterior serrations;
biceps;
forearms;
press.

The introduction of all these groups into work simultaneously leads the body to severe stress, to which the latter responds with adaptation, which is expressed by rapid growth muscle mass and increased strength. When pulling to the chest, the work of the muscles is controlled to eliminate jerking and inertial movement when performing a traditional lift to the chin. The main thing in this exercise is the execution technique.

What muscles are involved when doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar?

To perform this complex exercise, several muscle groups are involved at the same time, movement occurs in the shoulder and elbow joints. The work of the muscles when pulling up on the horizontal bar begins with activating the hands, fingers, and forearms to make a secure grip on the bar. After which paired large shoulder, back, and shoulder girdles are included in the work.

Back muscles

An important role in physical development play pull-ups on the latissimus dorsi muscles. They are responsible for the ability to rotate the arms in the shoulder joints to the center and inside the body, they move the arms behind the back, back and to the center of the body. Athletes called them “wings.”
The next muscle group is the trapezius or trapezius muscles. They are located at the base of the skull, extending down to the middle of the back and to the sides diagonally to the shoulder joints from the thoracic spine. The trapezius moves the shoulder blades and supports the arms. Well-pumped trapezius muscles form a beautiful pattern on the back in the form of an inverted herringbone.
The deltoids are responsible for the beauty, strength and contour of the shoulders. They consist of an anterior middle (lateral) and posterior bundle. Exercises on the horizontal bar develop only the posterior bundles; they do not fundamentally affect the others, but they do have a strengthening effect.

Abdominal muscles

The main muscle group of the abdominal wall is the abs, these are those coveted squares on the abdomen, and in addition, the oblique, transverse and erector torso muscles. This muscle group is functionally important for human body and is responsible for movement, stabilization when performing exercises, maintaining posture in a standing and sitting position. Strong abdominal muscles during pull-ups are a reliable foundation for body development and the key to successfully performing exercises on the bar.

Arm muscles

Pull-ups on the arm muscles are just as effective as on the back muscle groups. The forearm consists of finger flexors/extensors, brachioradialis for bending the arms at the elbows, pronators for turning the palms down, and supinators (turning the palms up). These muscles help make a secure grip on the bar with your hands. The biceps are auxiliary, thanks to which the rotational movement of the forearms and flexion of the elbows occurs.

What muscle groups work when pulling up?

Depending on the type and grip used, different muscle groups work. In general, the following muscle groups are activated during a pull-up:

dorsal;
chest;
shoulder;
arm muscles

However, it is not enough to know about the muscle groups involved in the exercise. If the execution technique is incorrect, then the training will not only not be beneficial, but will become dangerous:

According to observations, when beginners perform the exercise, they throw their head back, lift their chin, reach for the bar, jerking their legs, as if they are trying to climb an invisible ladder. Many more amateur athletes instinctively throw their body up as they inhale, squeezing their shoulders together. This absolutely cannot be done, otherwise you can damage the cervical vertebrae and develop an intervertebral hernia.
It is necessary to monitor your breathing. Before going up, take a deep breath, hold your breath and rise, exhaling the air at the top. This will make it easier for the lats to work, and they will push your body up. In addition, holding your breath will help keep the small back muscles intact from stretching.

Straight grip

Traditional way They do pull-ups even in physical education classes at schools, without thinking about which muscles work when doing pull-ups with a direct grip. Only after a while with regular training do reliefs on the body become noticeable. A direct grip on the horizontal bar means fixing your hands on the bar with your palms facing away from you. This exercise works the muscles in the back, forearm flexors, biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles.

Reverse pull-ups

Exercises that use a reverse grip on the horizontal bar are easier to perform. Beginners learn this type of exercise more easily because their shoulders and back are not yet sufficiently developed, and their arms (biceps) are stronger. Therefore, a reverse grip is recommended, which mainly works the biceps. Gradually, in this exercise you can pump up the broad back muscles. To perform the exercise correctly, you need to turn your palms towards you and grab the bar, your shoulders slightly pulled back.

Parallel grip

Pull-ups with a parallel grip or, in other words, a neutral grip, when one palm is turned towards you, the other away from you, are designed to develop the lower sections of the latissimus muscles. To do this, during the execution the range of movements should be short, and the touch to the crossbar should occur with the chest. If, with a narrow grip, you make the maximum amplitude and touch the bar with your chin, then it is not the lats that work, but the biceps. The parallel grip is used as a finishing exercise after working the lats.

Types of pull-ups for different muscle groups

There are many types of pull-ups, where the emphasis is on specific muscle groups. The grip width of the bar, the way you position your hands, the vector and amplitude of movements determine which muscles work the most on the horizontal bar. In fact, all types are divided according to following criteria:

Grip width. A narrow grip if the athlete’s hands are fixed on the bar narrower than the shoulders. Medium grip – hands are shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Wide grip - the distance between the hands is significantly greater than the width of the shoulders.
The grip method is direct and reverse.
Upper body position - pulling up to the chin, to the chest, behind the head.

The methods described above are basic, pull-up technique different types varies only slightly. The main thing is to train hard on the horizontal bar, learn to breathe correctly when doing the exercise, then your muscles will quickly get stronger and you can give your body heavier loads: with lifting and inversion, with rolling, dead weights, double and single, with clapping and other elements .

Wide grip

If you pull yourself up with a straight wide grip, you can successfully swing your trapezius, lats (upper part), and rounds. When pulling up behind the head with a wide grip, the trapezius, lats (lower part) and round pairs work. Wide-grip pull-up technique:

Make a wide, straight grab of the crossbar.
When bending your arms, you need to make sure that your forearms form a right angle with the bar of the horizontal bar, and your shoulders are kept parallel to it, and your thumb should be next to your palm, and not wrap the ring around the horizontal bar.
We lift the body by bringing the shoulder blades together until the chest touches the bar.

Narrow grip

When pulling up with a straight narrow grip, the brachialis, lower back (latissimus), and serratus anterior muscles are pumped. Close grip pull-up technique:

Direct grip on the bar.
Palms almost touching each other
Hang and arch your back slightly.
Keep your legs crossed so as not to sway and make the exercise more difficult.
Bend your arms, trying to reach your chin to the bar.
Start a negative (reverse) movement. Lower yourself smoothly without jerking, fully extending your arms.

With a reverse narrow grip, the emphasis is placed on other muscle groups - the lower lats and biceps. For reverse pull-ups, the athlete needs to touch the bottom of their chest to the bar. Technique:

Reverse grip of the bar - palms facing you, thumb closing the horizontal bar into a ring.
Lifting the body is carried out with the help of the shoulder blades - you need to feel how the shoulder blades work when flattening, and try to reach the top point of the horizontal bar with your chest.
Slow return to starting position.

Medium grip

Exercises with a classic medium grip pump up the shoulders, forearm flexors, triceps, biceps and back. The neutral grip pull-up is performed similarly to the direct grip technique described above, but the hands are shoulder-width apart. The crossbar touches top part chest, full smooth straightening of the arms below. With the classic reverse grip, the biceps and lats are pumped.

What muscles work when doing pull-ups?

Do not confuse push-ups and pull-ups on parallel bars - they are not the same thing. When doing pull-ups on the uneven bars, the hands grasp the bars, the legs are above the head: brought to the chest (baby pose) or straightened vertically upward, the back is parallel to the floor. It turns out that you will perform pull-ups to your stomach. Trained athletes can do approaches with weights, which will serve as a backpack with a load. When working on parallel bars, the main load falls on the biceps. The deltoids, lats and abs get some training to keep your legs above your head.

Video about how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar

What to do if you can’t pull yourself up? No matter how many repetitions you do, it’s all in vain, this exercise doesn’t work... But you want to look pumped up in your own photo, and not lose face in front of your friends who have already conquered the horizontal bar! A training program following the execution technique will help you, which can be found in the following videos.

Correct pull-up technique

One of the most important exercises for the back muscles is the pull-up bar. It is this simple exercise that engages a large number of muscles and promotes human growth. All you need is a horizontal bar. This “simulator” can be found in every yard or sports field, and can also be installed at home. You won’t be able to significantly increase your weight, but you can strengthen your muscles and get a beautiful body contour. Pull-ups on the horizontal bar can completely replace training in the gym, and also help save money and time

It is necessary to start pulling up on the horizontal bar from the first workouts. To do this, you need to do a short warm-up, but do not stretch. It is better to include stretching as the final part of the exercise, as it relaxes the muscles of the body and the nervous system.

Pull-ups should be done at least 4 to 6 times each workout. And the number of exercises is the maximum possible. The first approach can be done with a regular grip. To increase the load on the back muscles, the grip should be made wider than the shoulders. When performing the exercise, pay attention to the coordination of movements, do not jerk on the horizontal bar, pull yourself up smoothly and slowly to make the exercise more effective. With proper pull-ups on the horizontal bar, a movement technique is developed that promotes rapid growth muscles. After each approach, pause for up to 3 minutes. Do not forget about proper breathing: when lowering, inhale, and when pulling up, exhale.

Types of pull-ups:

1. Grip with your palms below, shoulder-width apart.

This type of pull-up is considered the most popular among all sports enthusiasts and masters. Many people believe that this exercise only works the biceps, but this is far from true. When performing such exercises, the muscles of the chest and back actively work.

2. Close grip pull-up.

When performing an exercise with a narrow grip, the lower part of the back muscles in the area of the waist and

3. Pull-up by the head with a wide grip.

When performing this exercise, the back muscles are involved, and they are also stretched in breadth.

4. Pull-up to the chest with a wide grip.

This exercise actively works the broad muscles of the back, arms and chest.

Strength exercises on the horizontal bar

Such exercises are in a great way to relieve tension after a tiring day at work, help strengthen the muscles of the back and arms. You can perform strength exercises on the horizontal bar at home if you have a horizontal bar.

All exercises on the crossbar are divided into regular exercises - the hands are located directly away from you, reverse - the hands are located with the palms facing you, and cross - one hand with the palm facing you, and the other - vice versa.

For active muscle growth, use the following strength exercises:

1. Hang on the horizontal bar for 5 minutes, keeping your shoulders level with the bar.

2. Pull yourself up and try to hang on one hand so that your chin is above the horizontal bar.

3. While hanging, raise your legs as high as possible. This exercise works the abdominal muscles well.

Exits on the horizontal bar

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar and strength exercises must be supported by various outlets. This is done in order to train all the muscles of the body. There are such types of exits as one-arm exit, two-arm exit, rivet, inversion lift, behind-the-back exit and one-arm exit. Each of these exercises involves working the abdominal, back and arm muscles. Depending on the grip of the hand, some exits are easier to do, others are more difficult.

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar mean muscle strength, a sculpted figure and healthy image life. It perfectly develops and stretches the biceps and forearm muscles, and also strengthens the hand grip. The biceps develops in width, gradually gaining the shape of a ball when bending the arm.

In order to develop the muscles of your arms and back, you need to do as many different pull-ups as possible. These are the most accessible exercises that both adults and children can perform anywhere (in the gym, at home or even on the street). Experts have long come up with a huge number of different different options such training. Each pull-up technique on the bar is unique and requires strict adherence. Only in this case can you be sure of an excellent result.
A very effective program consists of 4 exercises, each of which is aimed at developing specific muscle groups. Her athlete followers have long noted how good she is.

Correct technique pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a lower middle grip
This is the most common exercise. It is ideal not only for strong and experienced men, but also for weak, novice athletes. Here we train the biceps, lats, pectoralis, brachialis, teres major, as well as the trapezius and abs.

The technique for performing pull-ups of this type is to create a shoulder-width grip. In this case, your palms should be directed towards you. Inhaling, you need to rise, closing your shoulder blades. It is imperative to try to touch the horizontal bar with your chest or at least your chin. It is recommended to linger for a few seconds at the highest point.

There should be as many repetitions as possible, as much as you can. This will be a kind of warm-up. After this we move on to the next exercise.

Upper middle grip
Another popular pull-up variation to perform maximum quantity once. Its effectiveness depends on this. At the same time, the shoulder, pectoral, and latissimus muscles develop. Abs and trapezoid work.

The starting position is similar to that indicated in the previous exercise, but the crossbar is grabbed so that the palms are facing away from you. The technique of pulling up on the horizontal bar is to rise as you inhale and lower as you exhale. The legs should not dangle during the process. It is better if they are crossed, but tense. Everything needs to be done carefully, smoothly and slowly.

Wide grip pull-up technique

In this case, the grip is upper, i.e. palms are directed exclusively “away from you”. This is how we actively train the trapezius and latissimus muscles. Your hands should be about 25 cm wider than your shoulders.

You need to rise not with the strength of your arms, but with the help of your latissimus muscles. When you are at the top, your forearms are parallel to the bar. By adding extra weight around your waist, you can double the effectiveness of this workout.

Narrow grip

There are 2 options for execution - direct or reverse grip. In any case, we develop the muscles of the arms, which work very actively here. The hands on the crossbar are located 20 cm narrower than the shoulders. Now we gradually begin to pull ourselves up, breathing correctly. It is important that there are no jerks during the execution of the task.

Let's look at the main types of pull-ups on the horizontal bar. When performing pull-ups on the horizontal bar, many muscles of the arms, shoulder girdle and back work. The rule here is: the wider the grip, the more the back works. And, accordingly, the narrower the grip, the more the arms and muscles of the shoulder girdle work

Using different variations of pull-ups in one workout allows you to achieve a harmonious workout of all the muscles involved in the pull-up and better feel their work in conditions of different trajectories of movement and a shift in the emphasis of the load on them, as well as prevent overstrain and unnecessary overload of the joints.

Pull-ups with a regular medium grip on a horizontal bar. Technique and muscles

This grip can be called classic, because... it is the simplest and most understandable and is possible on any horizontal bar. The average grip, in turn, is divided into direct, reverse and parallel.

a) straight medium grip

The most classic grip of all. The technique for performing pull-ups with this grip describes actions that are also appropriate when performing pull-ups with other grips.

Place your hands with your palms facing away from you on the bar, shoulder-width apart. Thumb from below closes the grip into a “lock”. When doing pull-ups, keep your legs straight and keep them together. You should pull yourself up with muscle strength, without jerking or jerking (true for all grips). This is when moving up (positive phase). When moving down (negative phase), you should not completely relax your arms to avoid injury. The descent must be controlled. It is believed that the biceps work better in the negative phase than in the positive phase, so many trainers recommend going up 2 times faster than going down. Correct execution A repetition is considered to be completed at the top with the chest touching the bar, and at the bottom with the arms fully extended.

Muscle groups trained: trapezius and latissimus dorsi, biceps, triceps, muscles of the shoulder girdle and forearm.

b) reverse medium grip

Classic #2. Easier to perform than straight. An excellent grip for pumping up your biceps.

Pull-up technique: The reverse middle grip is performed in exactly the same way as the straight one. The only difference is that this time we place our hands on the bar with our palms facing us. The thumb also closes the "lock". Pull-ups are performed taking into account the same rules and techniques as described for a direct grip. In the positive phase, you need to bring your shoulder blades together. At the beginning of the movement, you must ensure that your shoulders do not rise and are pulled back and down.

Muscle groups trained: biceps, latissimus dorsi.

c) parallel medium grip

Just like with a reverse middle grip, pull-ups with a parallel middle grip are easier for a beginner athlete to perform than with a straight one. Also, using both a reverse and parallel grip helps ensure the most optimal range of motion in the elbow joints, while minimally loading the wrist joints.

Pull-up technique: With this grip, you can perform pull-ups on almost any home exercise, simply by grasping the pipes to which the bar itself is attached. The direct grip technique is also appropriate here. Elbows when pulling up naturally pass close to the body.

Muscle groups trained: latissimus dorsi, biceps.

Close-grip pull-ups on a horizontal bar. Technique and muscles

A variation of pull-ups, in which the biceps, muscles that lower the shoulder girdle and the lower bundles of the latissimus dorsi muscle are included in the work as much as possible.

a) straight narrow grip

Pull-up technique: With our hands (palms facing away from us) we grab the bar at a minimum distance of hands from each other. The thumb from below closes the “lock”. When pulling up, the gaze is directed to the hands, the back is arched. We strive to touch the bar with the lower chest.

Muscle groups trained: lower part of the latissimus dorsi, brachialis (brachial muscle), serratus anterior muscles.

b) reverse close grip

Pull-up technique: The grip is performed in the same way as a straight grip, but here the hands grab the bar with the palms facing towards themselves. Also, when pulling up, we try to touch the apparatus with the lower part of the chest, but at the same time it is necessary to bring the shoulder blades together and move the shoulders back.

Muscle groups trained:

c) parallel close grip

Pull-up technique: Performing pull-ups with this grip is similar to doing pull-ups with a reverse narrow grip. Except that the palms are now parallel and facing each other.

Muscle groups trained: lower latissimus dorsi, biceps.

Wide grip pull-ups on a horizontal bar. Technique and muscles

This is the most difficult version of the pull-up, not only because it has the maximum amplitude of shoulder adduction, but also because this option places the highest demands on the strength and combined work of the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint.

a) pull-ups with a straight wide grip to the chest

Pull-up technique: We grab the bar with a grip wider than normal, much like when doing a bench press with a barbell. Here for better work lats, the thumbs should be placed on top of the bar, and from below close the grip into a “lock”, as on other grips. When doing pull-ups, try not to strain your biceps. Pay attention to the position of the body - elbows looking down, eyes looking up, back arched, shoulder blades pulled together, chest reaching towards the bar. This is the only way to fully engage your back muscles.

Muscle groups trained: paired teres muscles, upper part of the latissimus and trapezius muscles of the back, biceps.

b) wide grip with head pull-ups

Pull-up technique: The technique is similar to pull-ups with a straight wide grip to the chest; we also grab the bar, but there are some nuances here. There is no need to arch your back when doing pull-ups. The legs cannot be crossed; we line them up in line with the body. At the top point, the crossbar should be behind your head. Be sure to watch your elbows - they should always point straight to the floor.

Muscle groups trained: paired teres muscles, top and middle of the latissimus and trapezius muscles of the back, biceps.

Pull-ups with a grip along the horizontal bar. Technique and muscles

Pull-up technique: grab the bar fist to fist. The fists are locked into a “lock” with the thumb. When doing pull-ups, we alternately move our heads to the left and then to the right of the crossbar. At the top point, we touch the crossbar with our shoulder. With each new approach, we change the position of the hands relative to each other.

Muscle groups trained: lower latissimus dorsi, brachialis (brachial muscle), serratus muscles.