Building a lean, powerful, and aesthetic physique is not something that can be achieved overnight. It is certainly not something that you can do half heartedly.
Now, if you’re truly serious about taking your physique to the next level, you must be willing to put in the hard work and do whatever it takes to get you your dream physique. Obviously we all know just how important diet and exercise is in terms of getting in shape. However a lot of people tend to underestimate just how important they really are.
Put simply, if your diet and exercise regime sucks, you may as well throw the towel in and not bother as you certainly won’t progress as much as you may have hoped.
On the other hand,however, if your diet and exercise regimes are both on point, well, you’ll begin to see and feel vast improvements on a weekly basis. In terms of working out, however, that is where people generally tend to struggle when starting new regimes. They aren’t quite sure which exercises they should perform, and why.
Compound exercises are very, very effective for when it comes to building muscle. As there are so many different forms of compound exercise to choose from, knowing which one to perform, and why, can be a bit of a struggle.
Contrary to popular belief, compound exercises do not necessarily have to be performed using free weights either. As there are actually a number of compound exercises that can be performed using nothing but your own bodyweight for resistance.
People often talk about the primary benefits of pull ups, yet pull ups still remain one of the most vastly underutilized exercises in the gym. Here’s a look at what pull ups are, plus a look at a few amazing benefits of pull ups in general.
What Are Pull Ups?
Pull ups are basically a form of compound exercise that use your own bodyweight for resistance. They are designed to primarily target the back. Yet due to the nature of the exercise, they target virtually all muscle groups in the back, as well as the ones located in the core, the deltoids, and in the arms.
To perform pull ups, the basic idea is that individuals will stand underneath a pull up bar. First they take an overhand grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. And then pull themselves up so that their chins are just higher than the bar. They will then slowly lower themselves down, and will repeat the process again and again, for as many reps as possible.
Many professional bodybuilders actually consider pulling ups to be the definitive best exercise for the back. They usually add width, mass, and definition to the upper, middle, and lower back muscles. You can even work different muscle groups by using a different grip. Now that we know what they are, here’s a look at some of the main benefits of pull ups.
What Are The Benefits of Pull Ups?
Work different muscles
As mentioned, one of the best things about pull ups is the fact that you can work different muscles in your back, and indeed in your entire body, by simply using a different grip.
For example, whilst a standard overhand grip at just over shoulder-width will work the back, primarily the upper back. If you were to take an underhand grip and go narrower than shoulder-width, the biceps would be forced to do more of the work. So your biceps would also get one heck of a workout in the process.
By adjusting your grip, and the width of your grip, you can work different muscles, not only in the back, but in other parts of the body as well, making them very effective exercises indeed.
They’re multi-joint exercises
Next up, we’ll be looking at how the fact that they’re multi-joint exercises makes them so effective and beneficial. As you are using more than one muscle group to perform the exercise, you basically reap the benefits of performing a full-body workout. With one exercise, you will be working multiple muscle groups in the process.
The latissimus dorsi are primarily recruited, but on top of that, you have the Trapezius muscles, the rhomboids, deltoids, triceps, and many more. Multi-joint exercises doesn’t only equate to more muscle growth, but as well as that, they also can be much more forgiving on the joints. It puts you in less danger of suffering from an injury, or from debilitating joint pain.
They’re a great form of cardio
Ok, whilst you can’t really compare pull ups to jogging on the treadmill, or swimming laps in the pool, pull ups are still very beneficial when it comes to cardiovascular conditioning. They are tough, there is no denying that. And because of that, your body is forced to work very hard, more energy will be used, more calories will be burnt, and your heart rate will increase.
This means that not only will you get fitter and benefit from greater cardiovascular conditioning, but on top of that, you will also burn fat much more effectively as well, which is a huge benefit for anybody looking to lean down and drop a few pounds in the process.
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They’re great for strengthening your grip
Some people have naturally stronger grips than others, and if your grip strength leaves a lot to be desired, pull ups could be absolutely ideal.
With pull ups, you are using your arms to basically pull your entire body weight up and into the air. So as you are gripping onto the bar, you need to ensure that your grip strength does not give out. The more pull ups you perform, the stronger your grip will become, especially when using weight or weighted vest for stronger grip.
Having a strong grip is very important, not just for practical reasons at home and in the workplace, but also for in the gym. It will help you to lift more on certain exercises, especially deadlifts. Week by week, the more pull ups you perform, the stronger you will find your grip strength becoming.
They’re very convenient
Another one of the main benefits of pull ups, is the fact that they’re so extremely convenient. In turn they makes themselves very popular as well.
Pull ups can be performed virtually anywhere. It provides you with a safe and secure structure to use to pull yourself up in the first place. Because of that, a lot of people will perform them when they’re in a rush, or when they’re lacking equipment.
As they’re great compound exercises, you can basically work multiple muscle groups at once, all with the same exercise. This means you don’t need to train in a gym necessarily, which is great for anybody struggling for time.
They’re perfect for training the back
Finally, the last benefit of pull ups that we’ll be looking at today, is simply the fact that they are so perfect for training the back. As mentioned, may IFBB pro bodybuilders rely heavily on pull ups for back training, with many of them actually prefer them to back machines and exercises such as lat pull-downs.
Pull ups add mass to the back. They build strength, they increase definition, and they target multiple muscle groups in the back at once.
For anybody out there looking for an effective back exercise, pull ups are, without question, one of, if not the most, effective back exercises you could ever wish for.
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