9. Around the World – Pull Up Variations
This move is for advanced athletes. Start with a wide grip pull-up. Raise your body to the top of the bar like you typically would, but move your torso at an angle up towards your left hand. Once you’re at the top, stay there but move your body towards your right hand, then lower yourself back to the starting position. Repeat, but more in the opposite direction.
10. Towel Pull Up
At the end of your workout, add some towel ups. The purpose of towel ups is to strengthen your grip-strength. Hang a towel over your pull-up bar and hold onto the towel to complete a pull-up or chin-up.
The instability of the towel works your core while having to hold onto the soft towel, as opposed to the steady bar, works out all the muscles and tendons in your hands and wrist.
11. Muscle-Up
The muscle-up is a challenging variation of the pull-up and adds in a tricep workout. Start in a wide grip pull-up and haul yourself up towards the bar. As you reach the top, pull your chest up over the bar and straighten your arms until your waist is level with the pull-up bar. Pause, then lower yourself back down.
Pull Up Variations
So now you know the difference between all of the Pull Up variations and their uses.
It is now up to you to choose how and when to utilize each one and how to set yourself up for success when learning the more complex variations.
It is key to understand that learning these movements is a lot like learning how to ride a bike.
For most, it will seem almost impossible or simply hard to grasp what exactly you are supposed to do.
But once you understand the movement patterns and metaphorically “unlock” the nervous pathways that allow you to perform them they will become second nature.
That’s why we encourage focusing on your foundation: mobility and strength.
When you develop both and couple them with the right drills, you’ll be avoiding both injury and developing wrong movement patterns that you’ll have to correct further on, and therefore the journey to becoming a gymnastics ninja will be much more straightforward.
10 Isometric Core Abs Exercises to Bulletproof your Midline and Build a Better Body
Excellent Endurance Tips from Lukas Högberg, 2019 Games Ruck Run Winner
Image Sources
- pull up variations: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc