How to Add Variety to Your Pull Ups

In terms of developing overall strength and promoting muscle growth, few exercises can be compared to the pull up. Primarily targeting the latissimus dorsi, but also working the rhomboids, lower trapezius, biceps and forearms, pull ups are a great compound exercise that will work almost your entire upper body at once. Adding variations to your exercises will shock the muscles and force them to grow, in addition to keeping your training sessions fresh and challenging.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Try a weighted pull up. Add additional weight by wearing a dipping belt or by holding a dumbbell between your feet. Grab the bar with a wide overhand grip and pull your body up until your hand is above your hands. Squeeze the lats and rhomboids for a count of one. Lower until arms are fully extended and repeat. If using a dumbbell between your feet, have a spotter assisting you through the exercise.

2. Try a static pull up. These are a test of your endurance. Set a time you think you would be able to hold your body up. For beginners, try ten to twenty seconds and gradually increase the time as your strength develops. Grab the bar with a wide grip and pull your body up until your head is above your hands. Now hold yourself in this position for the time you set, or if you are able to surpass this, until failure.

3. Try behind the neck. Grab the bar with a wide grip and pull your body up, squeezing your upper back. However, instead of coming up until your head is above your hands, bring your head behind the bar and come up to where the back of your neck touches the bar. Squeeze for a count of one and lower your body slowly. Repeat.

4. Do a one arm. Each side of your back gets worked independently in this variation, which is an extremely difficult exercise that takes both balance and strength. Grab the bar with one arm, while the other stays at your side, behind your back or on a towel hanging from the bar. Lift your body up with your one arm and concentrate on squeezing your back. Hold for a count of one and lower your body to the starting position. Complete desired amount of repetitions and switch arms. Although this is technically a chin up (where your grip is underhand), the strength you gain from this exercise makes it mandatory for anyone looking to blast their back.

Tips & Warnings

• All of these pull ups can be performed with a super wide, wide, medium and close grip. A close grip will work more of the biceps and lower lats, while a wider grip will target the upper back.
• If you are a beginner at these exercises, try performing them on an assisted pull up machine to learn the proper technique.
• For even more variation, try attaching a rope, towel or any other handle to hang from while bringing your body up.