How to Do a Pull-Up

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm Les Whitley. Today I'd like to show you how to do a pull up the proper way. There are a lot of different crazy ways that people have tried to do pull ups, but the most effective is still the basic. You have a couple of different ways to grip your hands, slightly wider then shoulder's width, right at shoulder's width, over hand grip position or under hand grip. The under hand grip will tax the biceps a little more as the over hand grip works more forearm and muscles of the back. Overall this is probably one of the best upper body exercises for developing strength as well as power and definition for the back as well as the entire upper body. To begin the exercise, identify a bar that's within reach if not slightly higher to allow for a full range of motion. Hands again slightly wider or right at shoulder's width. Relax your body, initiate by a forward gaze, eyes looking straight ahead not at the bar. Squeeze the muscles of the back together while pulling up with the arms till chin is above the bar, lowering slowly back down. Repeat again by initiating the squeeze from the back, using the arms to pull ideally targeting so the chin goes just above the bar. Control the motion, is important especially beginning to minimize the chance and risk of injury. Ideally working up to not only one, two, three, four, five repetitions of your own body weight, gradually as you become stronger, you may even think about adding additional weight to your body, again to just give that little extra challenge as you continue to grow."