Pull Ups

Upper Body Exercise

Pull ups are probably the most effective upper body exercise you can do as part of body weight workouts; however, most people’s technique sucks.

Let’s perfect yours.

Dead hang and kipping pull ups are an extremely effective upper body workout, targeting the muscles of the back and biceps. Kipping in particular requires explosive and coordinated movement from the rest of the body, which makes it a Brass Ring Extreme Fitness favorite.

(Not quite ready for the real deal? Try jumping pull ups, the next best thing).

Starting position – The Hang

The exercise begins by hanging from a bar. Hands should be a little wider than the shoulders. Palms can face in, out, or they can alternate – one in/one out.

For the Dead Hang, simply pull the body up until the chin is over the bar. Skip to the last graphic for dead hangs.

For Kipping, follow the steps below closely. Kipping takes a bit of practice–but it’s worth it.

Step 1 – The Back Swing

Swing the hips and shoulders back, while keeping the feet and hands in about the same position. Arms are completely straight.

Step 2 – The Front Swing

As the hips and shoulders swing forward the feet stay relatively in line with the hands.

Step 3 – UP!

From the front swing, an explosive pull with the arms and pop of the hips propels the body up to the bar.

Once up, a push away from the bar naturally puts you into the back swing, and it’s “thank you sir, may I have another?”

It’s often helpful to practice the front and back swing without actually pulling up to the bar to get a feel for the timing of the exercise. After a little practice, you can get a feel for when to pull.

back – front – back – front – back – front – UP!

Scaling

Make it Easier:

• Try Jumping Pull Ups.
• Break up larger sets into small sets with rest periods in between efforts.

Make it Harder:

• Wear a weight vest.
• Do sets of high reps.
• Do it better. Do it faster.

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All Techniques

Box Jumps – Burpees – Front Squats – Jumping Pull Ups
Kettlebell Swings – Pull Ups – Push Ups – Running Technique
Sit Ups – Squats – Sumo Deadlift
Sumo Deadlift High Pull – Thrusters – Tuck Jumps

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