3 Reasons Why You Should Be Doing Pull-ups
I remember my first time doing a pull-up. I gripped the bar with my soft hands, jumped a little and gave a big pull. My body slowly lifted off the ground as my arms shook under the weight of my body. My neck craned towards the sky and I held my breath. After just briefly peaking my chin over the bar I dropped back down with a thud and inspected the now pink palms of my hand, stringing from the cold bar. My heart was beating.
I was sore for the next week.
My lats, biceps, and forearms were tender. Even my core hurt if I laughed, coughed or sneezed.
Since then, pull-ups have been a staple in my workout routine. I strongly believe they have been the main factor in developing my body from one of a teenager that played too much World of Warcraft to an adult, that still spends too much time in front of a computer, but now has trouble buying button-up shirts.
I like pull-ups because they are an honest exercise that you can do almost anywhere for free and get an amazing workout in. Here are my top 3 reasons why I think you really ought to give them a try.
1. Strengthen entire upper body
Pull-ups might be the best exercise for developing pulling strength. Muscles involved in pulling strength are the entire back musculature, shoulders, biceps, and forearms. Having strong pulling strength will help perform well at many activities you might enjoy — rock climbing, canoeing, and grappling etc. They will strengthen your core muscles used to stabilize the body during the movement. As well, they will greatly improve grip strength which has been proven to be the one of the best indicators of overall life longevity.
The benefits transcend just pulling strength. Having a strong scapula is key for good pushing strength as it is vital for stabilizing the shoulder joint.
2. Master your body
The man in this video is Marcus Bondi. During it’s filming he was 47 years old! He holds world records for various feats of strength including 5, 20 and 25 meter rope climbs, muscle-ups and one-arm chin ups. I saw the video for the first time some years ago and since then it has been etched in my mind as one of the best displays of bodyweight mastery I have seen. The speed, and grace with which he ascends the rope repeatedly is truly super human. He has made pull-ups and bodyweight strength training part of his daily life for over 20 years. He is an excellent example of what can be achieved with consistency.
3. Develop the Golden Ratio
While I do not believe obsessing over the aesthetic appearance of ones body is a healthy or productive use of ones’ time, building a body you are proud of is a worthy goal. It instills in you self confidence, which is vital for success in any path you choose in life.
Around 1490, Leonardo da Vinci drew the human figure. For this drawing Da Vinci used the proportions for the ideal human body described by Roman architect, author, and engineer Marcus Vitruvius, thus the name of the drawing, Vitruvian Man. These proportions are known as the Golden Ratio (1:1.618) which occurs in nature repeatedly. It can be seen in flower petals, shells, and galaxy spirals.
Applied to the body the golden ratio is having shoulders 1.618 times your waist. The exact measurements aren’t important but rather creating the illusion of wide shoulders and a small waist. Building big lats and shoulders will do just this.
I hope I have given you the small nudge you needed off the cliff of your impending pull-up journey. I hope you have as much fun with it as I have.
You just read another exciting post from In Fitness And In Health: a premier health and fitness community dedicated to sharing knowledge, lessons, and suggestions to living happier, healthier lives.
If you’d like to join our newsletter to receive more stories like this one as well as additional premium content, tap here.
