If you want to build strength in your back, shoulders, and arms, you should include pull exercises in your workout routine. Pull exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles of your upper body by pulling your arms towards your body.
When performed correctly, pull exercises strengthen your upper back, shoulders, and arms.
Bodyweight exercises are designed to put more stress on your muscles and joints than regular barbell/plate-resisted exercises. This can improve your overall strength and flexibility, ultimately improving your performance in all areas of your life.
In this article we will go through the 5 best bodyweight pull exercises you should add to your routine.
Bodyweight Pull Exercises
1. Pull-Up
Pull-Ups are one of the most effective ways to build muscle and strength. They’re directly related to chinups and dips. Pull-Ups are also critical for building your upper-body, which is absolutely necessary if you want to improve your overall health.
The Pull-Up is an effective upper body exercise because it works almost every muscle in your upper body.
When performed correctly, the Pull-Up is one of the most effective exercises you can do to build muscle and strength.
Lets take a look at the steps needed to perform the pull-up exercise properly:
- Start by holding the bar with an overhand grip, your hands should be wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended.
- Use your back and leg muscles to slowly pull your body up until your chin is over the bar.
- Lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat.
2. Chin –Ups
Chin ups are a simple and effective exercise strategy for building the upper back, arms, lats and core. It is ideally suited for weight training enthusiasts of all levels and ages.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Stand underneath a chin-up bar with your palms facing towards you and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Place your feet on a chair or stool so that your chin is level with the bar.
- Slowly pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
- Lower yourself back down to the starting position and repeat.
Chin ups are an awesome exercise and great way to shape your biceps. They are also a very efficient non-weight based workout for upper body strength, endurance and size.
The chin up targets the biceps and chest muscles without affecting the forearms too much so good results can be achieved without gear.
3. Inverted Rows
The inverted row is an upper-body strength exercise that entails moving your weight from the floor up to the starting position, with arms pulling your weight. The elbows and legs work together in this motion to enable the weight to be moved.
The movement also improves flexibility and range of motion in the shoulders and spine. The Inverted Row will help strengthen and tone your upper body, help improve posture plus improve the overall vitality of your body.
Here is how you do proper inverted rows:
- Position a barbell within arm’s reach on the floor. Lie underneath the barbell and grab it with an overhand grip that’s just beyond shoulder-width.
- Hang from the bar with your feet hip-width apart. The bar should be close to your chest, and your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head.
- Brace your core and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
- Lower yourself back to the starting position with control.
Inverted Rows are one of the best bodyweight exercises for building up your back and shoulder muscles, as well as your grip. They’re relatively simple to perform, but take care not to swing too low or let your form slip.
4. Superman
The Superman are a series of physical activities designed to help people become more powerful, agile, and powerful. By increasing your strength, flexibility, and endurance, you will be able to perform superhuman feats such as lifting heavy objects, jumping high, and running fast.
Superman exercises can also improve your cardiovascular health and make your muscles less prone to injury because it helps build muscle strength.
To do proper superman exercises
- Start in a push-up position with your palms flat on the ground and your feet hip-width apart.
- Keeping your back straight, lower your chest to the ground.
- Push back up to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
The Superman exercise can help you build strength in your chest and shoulders without destroying your rotator cuff. In fact, by strengthening your shoulders, a weak Superman exercise can improve your range of motion as well.
If you want to increase your strength and power without putting yourself at risk for injury, the Superman is a great addition to your bodyweight workout routine.
5. Isometric Pull-Ups
Isometric Pull ups can be used to develop your core as well as improve resistance in other areas. These pull-ups are performed using the muscles in your arms, shoulder, and back with little movement from your legs to build a stronger balance and stability in those areas.
To do this exercise:
- Place your body in an isometric position at the bottom of a pull-up position with your palms facing away from you and your chin above the bar.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and focus on pulling your body up without moving your legs.
- Hold this position for as long as possible before lowering yourself back to the starting position.
- Place your body in an isometric position at the top of a pull-up position with your chin above the bar.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and focus on pulling your body down without moving your legs.
- Hold this position for as long as possible before returning to the starting position.
Isometric pull-ups are effective and can help you strengthen the muscles in your upper body. This muscle-toning exercise can help you improve the strength of your core and shoulder muscles.
Benefits of bodyweight exercises
Bodyweight exercises are a great way to add variety to your exercise routine and add better overall health. Here are the many benefits of bodyweight exercises:
- Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere, at any time
- They are convenient and require no equipment.
- They are great for beginners and can be progressed as you get stronger.
- They can be scaled to make them more or less challenging.
- Bodyweight exercises build functional strength and can help improve your posture.
- They are a great way to burn calories and tone your body.
- They can help improve your coordination and balance.
- They can be done anywhere, at any time, with no equipment needed.
- They are perfect for people of all fitness levels, from beginners to elite athletes.
Conclusion
There is one simple rule to follow while performing bodyweight exercises and that is to push harder than you pull. You should always push yourself to the limit during the exercise and not pull off at the last second. Make sure that you breathe out while exercising, don’t hold your breath.