Pull ups help a huge range of muscles but especially target your latissimus dorsi (see pic), biceps, deltoids (shoulder) and pectorialis (chest).  They hit it all and it builds stability as well as strength.  Since doing pull ups/chin ups I’ve noticed a general improvement in my upper body strength and performance.  I could JUST do 1 pull up when I started.  Now I can do 4 (on a good day ).

Types of Equipment

• Screw Type – These are rubbish!!  I can’t believe they’re still so popular when you look at the other options available.  You drill holes into your door frame and shove a bar in there permanently.  Great – creates a mess and ruins a good door frame.  Go for one of the ones below…
• Frame/Station – This is great as it enables captains chairs, dips, etc.  They tend to take up a lot of room though and are very cumbersome so if you’ve got a garage or BIG spare room then its all good.  Otherwise I’d go for the cantalever one below.
• Cantilever Type (aka: Door Gym) – If you live in a rented flat (aka: apartment) screwing and nailing pull up bars into doorways isn’t an option.  Nor is having a large 8ft frame in the living room.  The solution comes in the form of a cantilever pull up bar.  It fits into your doorway without any screws or damage to the frame at all.  I was unsure how secure it really could be but since getting it I’ve been doing pull ups every day, greasing the groove and its solid as a rock.

Variations

• Pull Ups - Where the equipment gets its name from this is done by holding the bar with an overhand grip with your palms facing away from you.  You’ll normally find this a harder exercise than the chin up as your bicep muscle is off centre and so can’t be recruited as efficiently.  As a result your forearm muscles tend to get worked on this exercise as they try to take up some of the pressure.  Why they’re good: Its got more functional use than a chin up.  How many things need you to underhand lift your body?  But I can think of several times I’d need to overhand lift – such as: holding onto cliff edges and such!
• Chin Ups – Easier than pull ups as your bicep is at its best angle and you can power it 100%.  Your hand grips underneath and your palms face you.
• Narrow Grip – this concentrates more of the work on your biceps, forearms and shoulders.  As a result of you getting maximum usage from your bicep you’ll often find this easier.
• Wide Grip – This is using more of your back, shoulders and chest in a full and coordinated movement.  To get good at this pull up variation it about muscular coordination more than maximal strength.
• Band Assisted – If you can’t do a single rep of pull ups or chin ups then you can use a resistance band (aka: yoga/physio band).  Simply tie it up on the bar and hang it down.  Put your knees on it and it’ll help boost you up.  Reduce the slack for a bigger boost.  There’s no shame in this – I used it to start with!!  You’ll only need it a few weeks before you get used to the movement and you can pull up unassisted.
• Weighted – This is the opposite end of the spectrum.  If you’re finding it too easy then you can weigh yourself down witha  vest or holding a med ball with your feet.
• One Arm - A real killer and pretty self explanatory.

I’m always on the look out for new methods of working out to keep myself fresh.  Nothing worse than getting bored of workouts – motivation killer!!  While I was out I decided to stop by the DIY shop and buy a bag of sand to do hand training (grabbing, punching, etc).  I saw the buckets next and grabbed one of those too.

Well my bucket + sand has now turned into a new set of exercises.

Sand Bucket Exercises

• Side Bends – With the bucket at my side its great for bending and lifting to get the abs working.
• Front Lift – This is similar to the band-through-the-legs-lift that Ross uses in his books.  Basically have the bucket in front of you and lift it carefully – using your back not your legs.
• Lift Round – I got this idea from Ross’ books but he uses a dumb bell for this.  To help with core rotational strength and speed you can lift the bucket from one side of your body to the other.  Sounds simple but trust me – this really works the whole of your abs.
• Calf Raises – The dumb bell wasn’t enough.  I was able to knock out 20 reps of calf raises with no probs.  So now I have the bucket in one hand and the dumb bell in the other.  Now I can do 10 and after two sets I fail.
• Punching and Grabbing Drills – I’m old school when it comes to hand training for punches – I just need some dit da jow.  Also good for grabbing and twisting – if you haven’t got sand use rice.

Today’s Strength Workout

Well it was a big one that I’d been working up to all day.  I only did 20 push ups in the morning as part of my new greasing the groove routine.  After the hard Saturday I spent most of the day recovering.  After a hearty meal of chicken and potatoes I set to the following:

• Pull Up Bar: 1 + 1 + 1 pull ups; then 1 chin up.
• Elevated (my feet up high) Push Ups: 10 x 2 sets
• Partial Single Leg Squats (to table): 5 x 2 sets
• Calf Raises: 10 x 2 sets
• Dumb Bell Wrist Curls: 10 x 2 sets

Core Workout

• Sit Ups: 10 x 2 sets (slow – 3 count midway up)
• Sit Ups: 20 (fast)
• Sand Bucket Lift: 10 x 2 sets
• Sand Bucket Side Bends: 10 x 2 sets