Now, let us elaborate
on this popular exercise which has its roots in the physical training regime of
the Marine Corps. The purpose of doing marine pull-ups is to strengthen the
upper body muscles. This exercise particularly targets the back muscles and the
biceps. The intention is to make a marine capable of climbing a rope or lift
and carry an injured person to safety, in the quickest time possible.
How to Do Pull-up
Exercises
It is stated, that
the horizontal pull-up bar used in these workouts, should be 1 to 1-3/4 inches
in diameter.
The bar should be
high enough to let a person hang with arms fully extended, without touching the
ground with his feet.
If the bar is out of
your reach, you are allowed to jump to grasp hold of it. However, you are not permitted
to use the momentum of your jump to aid you in the first pull-up.
You can grasp the bar
with your palms, facing towards or away from you. Grasp the bar and maintain
shoulder length distance between both palms.
Extend your arms
completely and hang from the bar, without swaying your body loosely.
While doing the
exercise, you can bend your legs, but cannot lift them above your waist, lock
them at the ankles or let them hang free.
You are required to
use your arms to pull yourself up till your chin is just above the bar. Your
chin should never rest on the bar during the whole exercise. Movements like
kicking your feet or jerking your body to aid your arms in pulling yourself up,
are not permitted.
Once your chin is
above the chin up bar, drop back till your hands are fully extended and your
elbows locked. You have to maintain this position for at least a second to make
your pull-up count, which now amounts to one. Go ahead and try to complete 10
pull-ups.
Bear in mind that you
will have to maintain your biceps and lateral muscles in top form.
The pull-up bar is a
basic equipment tool to help you develop your back muscles. It is used by
professional body builders and amateurs alike, to gain the much cherished
V-shape. Chin up bars can be mounted on the wall if it is strong enough to bear
the weight of the exerciser. They are available in the form of portable pull-up
bars that can be mounted easily in your office or home.
Lot of people find
that marine pull-ups are difficult to perform, because of the restrictions
imposed on body movements. Well, that is certainly true. It takes time to
develop biceps and back muscles, in order for you to perform at least 20
pull-ups at a time. First achieve this objective, and only then think of
increasing the intensity. Marines trying to push themselves to the limit during
a workout, often reach a target of just 35 pull-ups. With daily practice and a
determined effort, you also can reach a respectable count. Setting a target and
achieving it is a part of every person's desire to be better than what they
right now. A healthy body raises your self-esteem and boosts your confidence
level. So, cheer up! Many people
want to achieve a good level of fitness wherein their stamina is high. However,
to reach that level of fitness, you need to do a variety of exercises that will
strengthen different muscles of the body. Different kinds of exercises target
different parts and muscles of the body. Although weight training will help to
add bulk to your muscles, some exercises help to tone the muscles. One such
exercise is pull ups. In this exercise the person's body is suspended by his
extended arms that are tightly holding onto a fixed bar. Then the person is
supposed to pull himself until the elbows are bent and the head is higher than
the hands. These steps are then repeated many times. A favorite among fitness
freaks, pull ups work on multiple muscles at the same time.
Latissimus Dorsi
The main muscle that
pull ups work on is the latissimus dorsi. This is one of the broadest muscles of
the back and is a large, flat muscle. This muscle is partly covered by the
trapezius along the medial region. There are many types of exercises that aim
at strengthening this muscle, like deadlifts, chin ups, pull ups, dumbbell
rows, etc. However, when exerting strain on this muscle, one must not overdo
it, as it could lead to severe problems like back pain in the long run. Also, a
tight latissimus dorsi is one of leading causes of shoulder and back pain.
Biceps Brachii
This exercise is
incomplete without including the muscle biceps brachii exercises in it. The
biceps brachii, more commonly known as simple biceps, are the main muscles that
are located in the upper arm and are used to rotate the forearm and flex the
elbow. Although there are various bicep exercises that specifically target
these muscles, when doing pull ups the biceps help to raise the entire body
till the height of the chin supersedes the bar, which is a very good workout
for the biceps.
Other Muscles
The other muscles
that also aid in pull ups are basically muscles that are responsible for acting
on or near the elbow. These muscles act by bringing about flexion at the elbow
joint. As there are many muscles that are inserted at or near the elbow, they
all act synergistically to bring about movement. One such muscle is the
brachialis. It is a muscle that is deep seated and acts synergistically to
assist the biceps brachii when there is flexion of the elbow while doing pull
ups exercise. One of the other muscles that is brought into action during a
pull up is the brachioradialis. The brachioradialis is a muscle that is
synergistic in its action with the brachialis and biceps brachii, even though
it cannot generate as much force as these two muscles. The brachioradialis aids
in flexing the forearm at the elbow whenever a weight is lifted during slow
flexion action of the forearm.
Exercising by doing
pull ups is really a great way of toning multiple muscles present in the upper
torso at the same time. However remember not to overdo it, otherwise you may
land up with sore muscles and back pain.
