Pulling up on the horizontal bar: types, program and exercise technique * Crossfit

It is hard to imagine a single sport in which athletes would not use chin-ups to build muscle and increase arm strength. This exercise is certainly included in the physical education program, even in educational institutions. This type of physical activity is so popular among athletes that it can be found even in the newest training systems, including CrossFit. We will talk about him in this article.

The benefits of pull-ups

The high popularity of this exercise is primarily due to the fact that it not only contributes to the development of muscle strength and endurance, improves external physical fitness, but also strengthens the ligaments, has a beneficial effect on the spine of a sportsman. Various muscle groups are involved and these loads can be varied in many ways. The benefits of pull-ups on the horizontal bar are beyond doubt. Again, this does not require ingenious devices or special simulators. It is enough to have any solid crossbar, a body and a desire to improve it.

What muscles work?

Before moving on to considering the technical side of the exercise, let's figure out which muscles work the most when pulling up on the horizontal bar.

Several muscle groups of the back, chest, abdomen, shoulder girdle are involved at once, namely:

trapezius, round and rhomboid, lats, extensor muscles of the back;
small and large chest;
all types of abdominal muscles;
biceps, triceps;
brachial, posterior deltoid and numerous muscles of the forearm.

Various methods and schemes of pull-ups on the horizontal bar allow you to change or enhance the effect on a particular muscle group:

Types of pull-ups

The types of pull-ups on the horizontal bar are classified according to the alternation of phases, whether they are performed with or without weights, but the most important criterion is the execution technique and how you hold on to the bar (grip). Grips, in turn, are classified according to two main features - distance and grip methods.

Views by grip distance

The distance between the grippers is of the following types:

narrow grip - when the distance between the grips of the athlete's hands is less than the width of his shoulders;

medium grip - the distance between the arms is equal to the width of the shoulders, it may be slightly wider;

wide grip is when the arms are placed more than shoulder-width apart.

Classification by the method of gripping the bar

Capture methods are as follows:

straight or top grip - the athlete's palms are directed to the side opposite from his face;
reverse or lower grip - the crossbar is gripped from below and the palms look into the face of the pulling up;
neutral or parallel grip - the hands are turned inward and the palms are facing each other.

By changing the way you grip the horizontal bar, you can concentrate the load on different muscles. The load is most evenly distributed across all involved muscle groups with the classic straight grip with an average distance between the arms. Pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a wide grip load the back muscles. The reverse grip tightens the biceps more. A narrow straight line also puts a lot of stress on the shoulder muscles. Pulling up on the horizontal bar to the mass should be done with weights.

Types of execution technique

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar are aimed at the functional development of all muscles of the body, therefore, it has firmly entered the system of crossfit training, becoming an integral component of it.

In CrossFit, along with the classic ones, the following types of this exercise are used:

kipping pull-ups;
butterfly;
chest to the bar;
jumping pull-ups.

Their techniques are very similar and in most cases are performed due to inertial movements. If in the classical version of pull-up the exercise is performed with the lower limbs motionless and only by contraction of different muscle groups, then in kipping or butterfly stroke the athlete makes swinging movements and, by inertia, raises the upper body over the bar.

According to reviews, pull-ups with kipping, for example, are easier than classic ones, but with the wrong technique, they are more traumatic. You can find more detailed information on the techniques for performing each of these exercises on our website.

Exercise technique

You can perform pull-ups on the horizontal bar, both daily and a couple of times a week. You don't need to do them to the point of exhaustion, a load of 70 percent is optimal. Performing 7-8 pull-ups helps develop muscle strength, and subsequent repetitions of the exercise are aimed at developing endurance. When and how to increase the number of pull-ups on the horizontal bar is decided individually during training.

Before starting the pull-ups, warm-up exercises, such as push-ups, will not be superfluous. The pull-up program on the horizontal bar depends on what you want to achieve: develop arm strength or increase muscle mass.

The pull-up technique on the horizontal bar is as follows:

Hang on the horizontal bar, choosing the desired width and grip method.
Make a pulling motion upward while exhaling at the same time. The movement should be carried out by the movement of the blades. Do not try to pull yourself up with the strength of the biceps, since the latissimus dorsi is a much stronger muscle group. The same applies to various jerking movements of the pelvis and legs - this is not permissible in the classic version of the pull-up. Try to focus on the position of your elbows. You have to "push" them down as you lift the body so the load on the broadest muscles of the back will be maximum.
The movement is best performed in full amplitude. At the top, the chin should be above the level of the horizontal bar, and the elbows should practically be pressed against the body.
Smoothly lower yourself down while inhaling. The descent in time should be equal to the ascent. At the lowest point, fully straighten your arms and relax your back muscles. pause for one second, then do another repetition.

Pull-up for beginners

And now a few tips for those who start pulling up on the horizontal bar from scratch, that is, they simply cannot pull up once. Don't be discouraged and just hang on to start. Exercise regularly to strengthen your hands. This is an essential part of your workout routine, as without a firm grip your hands will slide off. Take your time - it is better to build up the result gradually than to get injured in a sudden impulse.

Pulling up on the horizontal bar for beginners has a number of special techniques that will help improve your personal result in performing this exercise in a short line. Here are a few of them:

Negative repetition. Performing as if you have already pulled yourself up on the horizontal bar. Your chin is over the bar and your arms are bent. But you achieve this with the help of an auxiliary object - a chair or a bench. Lower yourself as slowly as you can. Perform three to four sets of several exercise attempts. This complex is also good for those who have not trained for a long time and have just resumed training.
Pull-ups with the help of a partner. Hang on the horizontal bar, and your partner, hugging you from behind, let him help you lift. Three approaches are performed with a decrease in the number of exercises. Remember that the main burden should be on you.
Pulling up halfway. Position a chair so that your arms are bent 90 ° towards the bar, as if you were doing half of the pull-up range. Do the rest yourself. The number of sets and pull-ups performed is the same for other sets of exercises for beginners.
A special trainer or elastic band. In many gyms there are special simulators (gravitrons) to facilitate pull-ups, they are especially loved by girls. An elastic band can serve as a complete replacement. Elastic bands for pulling up on the horizontal bar will not only reduce the load, but also adjust it with a counterweight.

Pull-up program on the horizontal bar

To ensure personal progress in pull-ups, you need to not only follow the correct technique for performing the exercises, but also adhere to a specific training scheme. The pull-up program on the horizontal bar, designed for 30 weeks, has proven itself very well. Thanks to her, you can achieve high stable results. The program provides for 5 approaches to the horizontal bar at each workout with a weekly increase in load.

You can see a detailed diagram of how to increase pull-ups on the horizontal bar in the picture below. It is suitable for both men and women.

30 Week Pull-Up Increase Program
A week	Approach 1	Approach 2	Approach 3	Approach 4	Approach 5	Total
1	6	5	5	4	3	23
2	7	6	5	4	4	26
3	8	6	5	5	4	28
4	8	7	5	5	5	30
5	9	7	6	5	5	32
6	10	7	6	6	5	34
7	10	8	6	6	6	36
8	11	8	7	6	6	38
9	12	8	7	7	6	40
10	12	9	7	7	7	42
11	13	9	8	7	7	44
12	14	9	8	8	7	46
13	14	10	8	8	8	48
14	15	10	9	8	8	50
15	16	10	9	9	8	52
16	16	11	9	9	9	54
17	17	11	10	9	9	56
18	18	11	10	10	9	58
19	18	12	10	10	10	60
20	19	12	11	10	10	62
21	20	12	11	11	10	64
22	20	13	11	11	11	66
23	21	13	12	11	11	68
24	22	13	12	12	11	70
25	22	14	12	12	12	72
26	23	14	13	12	12	74
27	24	14	13	13	12	76
28	24	15	13	13	13	78
29	25	15	14	13	13	80
30	26	15	14	14	13	82

Injury risks

Pulling up on the horizontal bar, although technically not a very difficult exercise, can be fraught with injury or unpleasant sensations after intense training.

The first thing to be wary of is the appearance of corns. They are formed when the skin of the palms is pinched or rubbed and often not only in women, but also in men, occur after the first training session. The best means of protection against them are special sports gloves that will help you stay on the bar.
When doing pull-ups, especially for beginners, there is a great risk of falling. This happens with insufficiently strong hands, poor grip, wet or slippery hands. Gloves or special talcum powder will help get rid of wet palms, and in order to make the hands stronger, you need to additionally train the wrist muscles with long hanging on the horizontal bar and special sets of exercises for beginners.
With intense training, especially at the initial stage, pain in the muscles, joints and ligaments of the upper half of the body cannot be avoided. To minimize this discomfort, follow the correct technique, warm up before pulling up, and gradually increase the load.

Crossfit complexes with pull-ups

We bring to your attention several training complexes for CrossFit, which contain in the program exactly the classic pull-up on the horizontal bar.

Chain	Perform 10 pull-ups, 3 vertical pegboard lifts, 10 classic deadlifts, 10 burpees. Only 5 rounds.
Merf	Do 100 pull-ups, treadmill - 1 km, 200 push-ups, squats - 300 reps without any weight.
Thirty victorie	Perform 30 pull-ups, 30 sock raises, 30 burpees, 30 kettlebell presses, 30 deadlifts.
Сindy	Perform 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats. Duration 20 minutes. For beginners.

There are no traumatic sports, there is improper exercise. Be sure to include chin-ups on the horizontal bar in your workout system and very soon you will be able to boast of an amazingly beautiful torso and pumped up arm muscles. But don't forget about training the lower extremities. Then you will be absolutely irresistible.