What Muscles Do Pull-Ups Exercise?
Pull-ups are a very effective and intense body weight exercise. Great exercises for building overall strength and functionality, pull-ups are very effective at exercising a wide range of body muscles, directly and indirectly.
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Biceps
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Pull-ups place a tremendous amount of strain on the biceps muscles of the arms. When executing a pull-up movement, the biceps are one of the main muscles utilized in the raising and lowering segments of the exercise.
Latissimus Dorsi
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The latissimus dorsi, which is the large muscle on the lateral sides of the back, is responsible for supplying much of the force needed to execute a pull-up. The latissimus dorsi muscle contracts and tightens throughout the entire phase, both lowering and raising, of a pull-up.
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Forearm Muscles
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The muscles of the forearms are worked in a secondary, or supporting, manner when a pull-up exercise is performed. When a pull-up bar is grasped, the muscles of the forearms tighten and contract in order to help secure a strong grip on the bar.
Deltoids
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The muscles of the front shoulders, or deltoids, provide significant lifting stability and are worked considerably during the execution of a pull-up exercise. The deltoids contract and supply significant lifting and lowering power during the entire pull-up movement.
Abdominals (Core Muscles)
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The core muscles of the body, mainly the abdominal muscles, receive significant muscle stimulation during execution of a pull-up. During the lifting and lowering phases of a pull-up movement, the abdominal muscles contract in order to help stabilize the body core--which helps to make the pull-up easier and more efficient.
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