A pull-up is an upper-body compound pulling exercise. Although it can be performed with any grip, in recent years some have used the term to refer more specifically to a pull-up performed with a palms-forward position.
The term chin-up, traditionally referring to a pull-up with the chin brought over top of a bar, was used in the 1980s to refer to a palms-away (overhand/pronated) grip, with a palms-toward (underhand/supinated) grip being called a "reverse-grip" chin-up.
In later decades, this usage has inverted, with some using "chin" to refer to a pull-up done with a palms-backward position. In spite of this, "chin" is still regularly used refer to overhand-grip.
The most popular current meaning refers to a closed-chain body-weight movement where the body is suspended by the arms, gripping something, and pulls up. As this happens, the wrists remain in neutral (straight, neither flexed nor extended) position, the elbows flex and the shoulder adducts and/or extends to bring the elbows to or sometimes behind the torso. The knees may be bent by choice or if the bar is not high enough. Bending the knees or holding your legs out in front slightly may help to reduce swinging.
A traditional pull-up relies on upper body strength with no swinging or "kipping" (using a forceful initial movement of the legs in order to gain momentum). The exercise mostly targets the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back along with other assisting muscles.
Video Pull-up (exercise)
Earlier meanings
In past decades, a pull-up also included open-chain pulling exercises done with a barbell. These exercises are now more popularly known as the bent-over row (in the 50s) and upright row (in the 70s)
Maps Pull-up (exercise)
Etymology
The name refers to pulling up one's body. It can be done with the hands facing any directions, from prone to supine.
Some have associated a "pull-up" with utilizing an overhand (pronated; palms facing away) grip. This includes by the Boy Scouts of America, Guinness World Records "makes a difference between" pull-ups and chin-ups according to grip. Organizations such as the United States Marine Corps however, see pull-ups including both the overhand and underhand grips.
A "chin up" is bringing the chin up to touch the bar or go over the bar, with a supinated palms-facing grip.
Variations of pull ups, beyond being named for their grip, can also be named based on how high the body rises, by naming it after the body part that either comes into contact with or passes over the top of the bar. A "chest-up" or "sternum-up" for example, indicates that the chest or sternum meets the bar, requiring extra scapular adduction and depression.
As a physical test
In armed forces
Pull ups are a common way to measure the upper body strength of the "pulling muscles". They are used by the United States Marine Corps as a part of the Physical Fitness Test, although marines may also choose to substitute push-ups.
Pull ups were also used as part of military test in Singapore, where the IPPT for National-Service men is used. It is also used in the NAPFA test for male students above the age of 14. It was then removed in 2014 with the announcement of a new IPPT format.
Grips
Pull-ups (including chins) can be done with a supinated, neutral or pronated grip (often called "chin-ups", "hammer grip pull-ups", and "pull-ups", in order). Grips may match each other or be different (mixed grip). Grips may also rotate throughout the movement, such as by doing them on rings, rotating handles (false grip) or pull up handles. The range of motion used by trainers can vary. The fullest possible range is with straight arms overhead (elbow directly above shoulder), to pulling when the arms are at the sides (elbow directly below shoulder). People sometimes only train portions, such as avoiding locking out the arms at the bottom, or stopping when the head/chin/neck touch the bar. Positions within the range are also trained isometrically, as in flexed-arm and straight-arm hangs for time.
The width of the grip may also differ. When grabbing and holding the bar during the pull-up, the hands can be apart at shoulder-width, or wider, or narrower enough to touch each other. This may make the pull-up more difficult and may limit the range of motion compared to the shoulder-width grip.
Muscles used
Arms
Pull-ups also work the brachialis and brachioradialis in the arms. These muscles are located near the elbow, and help move the forearm. The biceps brachii, or simply biceps, cross the elbow and shoulder joints and work to flex the elbow joint during the exercise. They are involved more with an underhand (supine) grip. The long head of the triceps also crosses the shoulder joint and assists in shoulder adduction.
Shoulders
Pull-ups use the teres major, a small muscle at the back of the shoulder blade. The nearby rhomboids, which connect the spine to the shoulder blade, play a part too. Pull-ups also use the trapezius along the spine and shoulder, and the levator scapulae along the side of the neck. These muscles work to elevate and depress the shoulder blade, and are sometimes called the "shrugging muscles."
The deltoid muscles, specifically the posterior deltoids also assist.
Scapular
Muscles that attach to and depress the scapulae include the lower trapezius muscle and the pectoralis minor. The pec minor also works in conjunction with the rhomboid muscle and levator scapulae to perform downward rotation of the scapulae.
Muscles which attach to the scapulae that adduct and extend the arm include the posterior deltoid muscles, the teres major, and minor stabilizing contribution from some rotator cuff muscles (infraspinatus and teres minor as lateral rotators, subscapularis as medial rotators).
Abdominal muscles
The abdominal muscles stabilize the torso by connecting the rib cage to the pelvis. The rectus abdominis (along with hip flexors) can generate force to lift the lower body up during kipping, but can also stabilize the front of the pelvis from drifting away from the sternum, just as the erector spinae help to keep the vertebrae from drifting apart in the back. The external and internal obliques perform similar roles on another plane, able to generate or prevent twisting or side-bending, and may help reduce body swinging. The transverse abdominis helps to prevent movement in all directions, encouraging a neutral position.
Pelvic floor
Pelvic floor muscles hold the organs up and stabilize the pelvis.
Hands and forearms
The muscles of the forearm are also worked by holding the overall body weight, improving the strength of the fingers and the forearms muscles creating a strong isometric contraction in these muscle groups.
Safety
Organizations like the American Council on Exercise give advice such as "care should be taken not to unduly put stress on your shoulder during this exercise." Elbow pain due to tendonitis, bursitis, and ulnar nerve entrapment can occur as a result of excessive pull ups and improper technique.
Variations
World Records (pronated grip)
Guinness World Records
Bodyweight:
- Most in 60 seconds: 54 by Boris Nalbantov Sofia, Bulgaria June 17th 2017
- Most in 1 hour: 1009 by Stephan Hyland in 2010.
- Most in 6 hours: 3,515 by Andrew Shapiro in 2016.
- Most in 12 hours: 5,742 by Andrew Shapiro in 2016.
- Most in 24 hours: 7,600 by John Orth June 11th 2016.
- Most in 24 hours (Female): 3,737 by Eva Clarke in 2016.
Bodyweight (variations):
- Most Clap Pull-ups in one minute: 30 by Blake Augustine Dec 2015. Video
- Most one arm pull ups in one minute : 17 by George Gaydardzhiev 2012.
- Most consecutive pinky pull ups: 16 by Maibam Itomba Meitei (India) 2014.
- Most consecutive muscle ups: 25 by Jarryd Rubinstein (Australia) 2010.
- Most Consecutive One-Armed pull-up is 22 by Rob Chisnall (CA) was briefly noted, without comment regarding dynamic or static style, in the Guinness Book of World Records (1989).
Weighted:
- Most added weight: 230.49lbs by David Marchante in 2016.
- Most in minute with 40 pounds: 31 by Ron Cooper (USA) in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA, on 7 September 2017
- Most in minute with 60 pounds: 23 by Ron Cooper in 2016.
- Most in minute with 100 pounds: 14 by Steven Proto on Oct 15th 2014.
RecordHolders.Org
As of January 2015 the most repetitions within a given time period:
- 3 minutes: 100 by Ngo Xuan Chuyen (VIE) in 1988 during "Strongest Soldier in Vietnam" contest
alternativerecords.co.uk
- Heaviest weighted pull-up total: 402 lbs by Steven Proto (USA) on 28 April 2011
- Most pull-ups with a 45 lb plate: 18 by Damien Longley (USA) on 28 March 2011
World Pull-Up Organization
World pull-up organization will organize the first world pull-up championships in the summer of 2019 in Finland. The games will feature two individual disciplines: The pull-up repetitions and the weighted pull-up in several different weight class for both male and female. The competitor may use whatever grip he/she likes (underhand/supinated, overhand/pronated, mixed).
See also
- Chin-up
- Pulldown exercise
- Push up
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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