The pull-up has often been a favorite among recreational gym-goers and elite athletes. It uses a simple movement pattern that involves pulling your body up to a bar. Because of this, it offers a host of functional benefits, earning it a deserved spot in many high-quality lifting programs.

At its core, the pull up utilizes the most basic of movement patterns. You pull your body to a raised position and lower down again. This shows things don’t have to be complicated to make them worthwhile! 

In the article below, we explore the main benefits of pull ups that can be seen when performed correctly. We also provide some handy tips on how to get the most out of them.

6 Benefits Of Pull Ups

Pull ups offer several functional and performance-related benefits. Whatever your exercise goal is, there’s a pull up benefit to help accomplish it. We’ve discussed the best six pull ups benefits below.

Easy To Perform Anywhere

One of the best things about pull ups is that you can perform them anywhere. All you need is a suitable space and anchor point to pull up on. Even if the anchor point is not a pull up bar, you can use it provided your safety is not compromised. 

Alongside this, pull ups cost nothing to perform. They require no equipment, no gym fee, and no maintenance cost. You can perform them in a gym if you want. However, the beauty is that you don’t need to.

Whether it’s a tree, bar, or basketball hoop, have a go at the pull up using indoor and outdoor environments. Visit a park and use a pair of monkey bars. Or, find a door frame in your house with a wide enough ledge to use.

Easy To Modify

Pull ups can be easily modified according to your ability level. This makes them suitable for a wide range of lifting populations and workout goals. It’s up to you how you choose to modify them.

If you want to make them easier, use a resistance band to alleviate part of your body weight when pulling. Loop the band around the anchor point before wrapping it around your legs or feet. This helps you to focus on the proper form by reducing the difficulty. 

If you want to make them more challenging, use a belt that you can attach weight to. Weighted pull-up increases the amount of weight you need to pull up, upping the difficulty. 

Whether your exercise goals relate to strength, power, hypertrophy, or endurance, the pull up can be modified as needed. Follow the correct loading recommendations for the rest of your training and adjust the pull up accordingly. 

Work Multiple Muscle Groups

Pull ups use multiple muscle groups when performing them correctly. Multi-joint movements allow more volume to be performed, which is a key determinant of muscular hypertrophy. This refers to the amount of reps, sets, and loads lifted to work towards muscle growth. 

This also increases exercise intensity, a key determinant of muscular strength. 

Your latissimus dorsi and lower trapezius muscles work as the primary movers. Your posterior deltoids, upper and middle trapezius, and biceps brachii muscles work as the secondary movers. To grip the bar, your brachialis, brachioradialis, wrist flexors, and wrist extensors muscles need to function. 

This makes the pull up a great exercise to add to your program whatever your exercise goals. Include them in a shoulder and bicep workout or any split of your choosing. If you’re looking for a compound movement with several benefits, pull ups tick all the boxes.

Develop Functional Movement Patterns

The basic movement pattern used for pull ups looks simple enough. It’s one that’s widely used throughout daily life and in sporting movements. Because of this, performing regular pull ups is a great way to develop functional movement patterns.

When sitting, standing, or moving around, we use key postural muscles to maintain the correct postural control. This includes the trapezius, posterior deltoids, and core, each of which is strengthened when doing pull ups. Strengthening these muscles via the pull up helps to improve posture, therefore enhancing daily functional movement and reducing injury risk. 

A study on postural control found that approximately 65.3% of children and adolescents had incorrect posture. Therefore, improving this should be a key aim of physical exercise programs.

In sports performance, our muscles generate the strength and power needed for certain movement patterns. Our latissimus dorsi and biceps brachii help us with throwing events, pulling events, and rock climbing. Our core muscles provide balance when moving and help us change direction at higher speeds.

Whether it’s part of your daily activity or sports performance, the functional movement patterns you perform can be improved by pull ups. Perform them as part of a pull-up bar ab workout to strengthen your core and functional movements.

Improve Grip Strength 

Most people tend to think of the larger, primary movers as the muscles that do all the work. However, it’s your hands and wrists that connect your body to the pull up bar. Without adequate grip strength, your primary movers wouldn’t be able to function. 

During pull ups, you need to hold and stabilize your entire body. Because of this, pull ups are a great way to improve your grip strength. 

When performing compound lifts such as deadlifts and barbell rows, you need grip strength to grip the bar. Even when holding a rugby ball or tennis racquet, your grip is being used.

Grip strength is a crucial consideration for older adults as it can provide information on an individual’s medical condition. Alongside this, it’s recognized as a vital determinant of health. That being said, improving your grip strength can have wide-ranging benefits.

Improve Body Composition

Whatever your exercise goal is, performing pull ups requires full-body coordination. Nearly all of your upper body muscles work to different degrees to pull your body up to the bar. Your core works to provide stabilization, allowing your primary movers to function and prevent injury.

Because pull ups use a large amount of muscle mass, they require a larger energy expenditure to perform them. This is the amount of energy our bodies use to perform important functions. Some examples of these functions include breathing and digestion. 

When correctly applied, this increased energy expenditure can improve body composition. For this to happen, you’ll need the right nutrition alongside it!

Tips To Maximize Pull Ups Benefits

• Ensure that you can tailor intensity according to your ability level. If you can’t manage a pull up, use a resistance band or assisted pull up machine to lower the difficulty. If you find pull ups easy, consider using a weight belt to increase the difficulty. 
• Different pull up variations can be used depending on your workout goals and target muscles. Other variations to consider include the wide grip pull-up and chin-up. This places more emphasis on the biceps brachii muscle as it uses an underhand grip, palms facing up. 
• When training for muscular hypertrophy, aim to perform a minimum weekly volume of 10 working sets. This is the suggested minimum amount for muscle growth. 
• As a compound, upper-body exercise, consider programming pull ups alongside other upper-body, pulling movements. Perform them towards the start of your workout. 
• The pull up can be programmed using different workout splits. Include it as part of a back and shoulder workout or back workout depending on your preference. 
• Make sure you follow the same technique cues for each pull up repetition. Keep a neutral back with your chest up and head facing forward. Exhale as you pull up and inhale as you lower down. 
• Maintain a controlled lifting tempo throughout each repetition. This ensures better muscle isolation and increases time under tension. This is the amount of time your muscles spend working against resistance. 
• When performing each repetition, think about the muscles you’re working. This better mind-muscle connection can help to increase muscle growth. 

Conclusion

When done correctly, pull ups provide several functional and performance-based benefits. They should be one of the first exercises on your workout list when looking to achieve the benefits above. 

Follow our handy tips to maximize pull-ups benefits when adding them to your routine. Whether you’re a normal gymgoer or an advanced athlete, you’ll likely benefit from doing them.

Frequently Asked Questions