The pull up is an upper-body building exercise and a great way to get a stronger back. This exercise has become popular over the years, and this is because it helps in the development of a strong and well-defined upper body. Everyone should include the pull up in their routine, and this is because of the many benefits it offers.

Some of these benefits include; healthy shoulder joints, increased pull strength, stronger biceps, and upper body muscles. You will agree that the feeling of being able to haul your entire body up feels amazing. These are a few of the benefits of the pull-up exercise.

The right technique to get a stronger back with the pull-up

Since this exercise gained prominence,  various techniques and body movement patterns have been developed. With this development, people often neglect the correct technique, but you will find it interesting to know that if you do not use the right technique, you will not enjoy the many benefits mentioned before.

• To do the pull-up, you have to hang your yourself from a pull-up bar. Once you are hanging, follow these few steps to ensure that you do the correct pull-up technique.
• Grab the bar you hang on. Grab the bar shoulder-width apart, then fully grip with your palms down. Try to grab them so hard you are trying to break the bar. Doing this will result in more explosiveness.
• Engage your scapulas this will ensure an activated back. Keep your body tight and hold yourself in a slight C shape. To achieve this C shape hold your legs a bit forward and point your toes. By engaging your whole body, the pull-up becomes easier, and it will strengthen your core.
• Pull your elbows down to the floor; this will help pull yourself up. While doing this, ensure that your elbows move close past your body.
• Then pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar. Ensure that your chin moves past the bar naturally, do not do half reps.
• After that lower yourself down, ensure that your arms are straight, breathe and repeat the technique. You could continue until you are exhausted or as you’ve set your routine

If you do not have the physical strength to do pull-ups, you could try pull-up negatives or Australian pull-ups. We recommend sticking to easier progressions because the only way to become better at pull-ups is by actually doing them. As mentioned above, it is of utmost importance that you use the correct pull-up technique.

What muscles do you use during the pull-up

The pull-up works with the brachioradialis and the brachialis muscles in the arm. These muscles located close to the elbow enables you to move your forearm. During the exercise, the biceps crosses the shoulder and elbow joints and works itself to flex the elbow joints. Also, the triceps head crosses the shoulder joints and then helps in dragging the shoulder in what is called “shoulder adduction.”

Latissimus Dorsi; this muscle is shaped explicitly like a triangle, with its base representing the origin of the muscle, bordering the lower and medium spines. The triangle’s top is used to stretch the upper arm bone as well as the insertion of the of the latissimus dorsi.

During the exercise, the primary activity involves the moving of the upper arm bone into the body and the muscle that is responsible for this primary action is the “Latissimus Dorsi.” While you pull your body over the bar, this muscle drags the upper bone dragging it towards the body. Because of this muscle, you can raise your body above the bar.

The triceps

Triceps Head; generally, three heads make up the triceps head, and they are the; long, medial and lateral. These triceps head help to strengthen the elbow arm, and this is because they lengthen the upper arm bone into the elbow joints. The “long” triceps head is the only head that starts at the shoulder blade.

Thus, it performs additional or added functions that the medial and lateral do not show. Also, the long head of the tricep helps in the movement of the upper arm bone into the body, and it also helps lift the body when you are trying to pass the bar.

The back and shoulders

The Infraspinatus, Teres Major, and Teres Minor muscles; the muscle “infraspinatus” spreads across the backside of the shoulder blade, and it also stretches out to reach the upper arm bone. The teres minor is slightly below the infraspinatus, while the teres major is below the teres minor.

The teres major and the minor both begin at the shoulder blade and also stretches to the upper arm bone. These three muscles help the latissimus dorsi muscle to draw the shoulders towards an axis during the pull-up exercise. The three muscles assist this action and help to move the upper arm bone into the body thereby ensuring that you can lift your body above the bar.

Conclusion

The pull-up exercise is beneficial to everyone as it helps you develop a strong upper body and get a stronger back. While this exercise is beneficial, it is essential that you use the correct technique because that is the only way you will be able to benefit. The exercise is not as difficult as most people claim it to be and is used as part of the regular US army routine. To ensure that are all in the military can build well defined and strong upper bodies.