Pull-ups and Science

[philip1979]

@this_dot

They conclude that this low correlation between exercises indicate that they should not substitute one another.

Anyone else find this surprising? Round these parts and r/fitness it's regularly touted that a strong weighted pullup with get you a strong lat pulldown but not the reverse. Does this conclusion contradict that?

 

[this_dot]

@philip1979 Weighted pull-ups were not tested here. There's certainly some crossover for strenght gains from one exercise to the other.
As this study was performed on competitive swimmers, who need a lot of pulling strenght, I think that's way the researchers conclude the athletes should do both.

 

[claireevans]

@this_dot I'm curious if anyone can chime in about close-grip pull-ups. I've noticed that when my fists are somewhere around 3 to 6 inches apart on the bar, I seem to recruit more muscles in my forearms. I like this feeling, but at the same time it puts more strain on my wrists to the point I get carpal-tunnel symptoms after repeated sets. Is there an alternate grip where I can feel that forearm burn, or am I better off sticking to standard pull/chin-ups?

Also, when they refer to wide pull-ups in the article, what exactly are they saying? Greater than shoulder width? I feel like my natural pull-up has my grip just outside my deltoids.

 

[this_dot]

@claireevans It's possible that towel pull-ups require more of your forearms.

Regarding wide pull-ups, in the image it looks like twice shoulder width.

 

[kingaries4ever]

@this_dot Can you simplify it for a knuckle dragger plz. So, like should I wear a small backpack for weight?
I can't do a single pull up, I'm practicing shoulder width grip and I mix it up with a negative pull up and a resistance band. I've been on it for 2 months I'm not making any progress!

 

[this_dot]

@kingaries4ever This post from antranik helped me a lot to reach my first pull-up!
I personally did rows, then negatives.

 

[plume]

@this_dot wow this is incredible

I've been experiencing that exact pain of impingement, is the only option to avoid those techniques or is there some rehab/prehab you can do?

I dont want to cut out pullups!

 

[dawn16]

@this_dot Is the more risky chin-up that is described here the same movement as when you do them on rings? On rings, you start with a pronated grip (pull-up grip) and as you go up, that grip turns from a pronated grip to a supinated grip (chin-up grip). Could someone explain it to me for my specific case?

Thanks.

 

[this_dot]

@dawn16 The authors say the problem with chin-ups is in deadhang and the beginning of ascending phase. So, on rings it should be safer, but this was not tested

 

[dawn16]

@this_dot Cool because on rings you deadhang in a pull-up position then transition to the chin-up right about at the middle of the movement.

It's a nice mix.

 

[cbsmel]

@this_dot

Muscles involved: middle trapezius, lower trapezius, rhomboids, pectoralis minor, pectoralis major, posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi, teres major, subscapularis, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor digitorum superficialis, and flexor pollicis longus, external oblique, and erector spinae.

Big lol at that bodybuilder mindset that makes people believe that pullups are a lat exercise and chinups are a biceps exercise.

 

[curiousatheistswe]

@cbsmel I mean, pull ups effectively are a lat exercise despite working so many other muscles. For example it says they work the chest but I don't think anyone has gotten a big chest from doing pull ups.

 

[snowpeach]

@this_dot I can do 21 pullups and i'm not in good shape. Is this because i do them fast?

 

[internetapostle]

@snowpeach Yeah this is likely the case.

 

[twobraids]

@this_dot Nerds