Are body weight exercises best? In a short answer, yes, body weight exercises are best. Body weight exercises are superior for strength, muscle size and cardio fitness. They also enhance stability, coordination, athletic performance, injury prevention, tendon and bone strength more than non-body weight exercises. What exercises classify as bodyweight exercises?  Bodyweight exercises  require movement of the body through space, with or without an external load. Weighted pull ups, weighted push ups, and barbell squats are closed chain bodyweight exercises. You are lifting a portion of your body weight through space, plus the load on the bar or on your back. For our practical purposes, bodyweight exercises are really closed…

Pull ups versus chin ups versus rows: Should you do pull ups, chin ups or rows? These exercises are each a little bit different. Depending on your goals, injury history, and muscular development, you may want to focus more on one of these than the others. First, let’s start with a more detailed analysis of each exercise, before diving into which might be most suitable for you The Pull up Muscles Involved in the Pull up: Latissimus Dorsi Biceps Rhomboids Teres Major Levator Scapulae Trapezius (primarily mid and lower traps) Abdominals Internal and External Obliques Spinal Erectors Classification The pull up is a compound closed kinetic chain exercise. Compound: Compound…

The pull up test is a non-negotiable requirement of the United States Military’s Physical Fitness requirements. To pass the Semi-Annual Physical Test as a Marine, men across all age groups have to do at least three pull ups. Women in each age division have to be able to three pull ups to pass, and eight to receive a perfect score (the pull up-for-women requirement was added in 2014). The Army Ranger Physical Fitness Test includes three phases after a preliminary fitness test. Before attending Ranger School, candidates should be able to do a minimum of 6 pull ups (but should strive to be able to do 12 or more). Of…

Do pull ups build muscle? Yes, pull ups build muscle! While some people may believe that body weight pull ups may be an inferior exercise for muscle growth, the truth is that everyone can gain muscle and strength with pull ups. If you don’t believe me, go Google some Olympic Male Gymnasts. These guys have phenomenal lat and arm development despite the fact that very few of them train with weights. Gymnasts do a huge volume of pullups and rope climbs, among other upper body pulling exercises and routine work.  Huge training volumes with these exercises account for their jacked upper bodies. Do Pull ups Build Muscle, and if so, which ones? Pull ups…

Should you train Pull ups to Failure? Should you train pull ups to failure? If you want results you have to work your hardest! This means squeezing out each and every rep your body is capable of, every single set. Right? Or wrong? While most people believe that they must take all their sets to failure in order to grow and get stronger, they are sorely mistaken.   While training to failure can occasionally be used to push through strength and size plateaus, going to failure comes at a big cost. Most of your pull up sets should not be taken to failure, at least if maximum strength is your goal. Should you…

Rope Climb Pull up The rope climb pull up is a Killer pull up variation in its own right, in fact, it might be even tougher to master than the pull up. While the Rope Climb might send you down a traumatic memory lane from your high school gym class, don’t let it defeat you. The rope climb is a great exercise, and if you can conquer it, it will help you improve your pull ups, get stronger and build more muscle. Rope Climb Pull up: Muscles Involved in the Rope Climb The rope climb is a vertical pull exercise that strengthens the lats, biceps, and grip muscles in the…

Pull ups at the Tactical Strength Challenge This past fall I participated in a competition involving pull ups at the Tactical Strength Challenge. It is now surprise that I love pull ups and think they are a great exercise for building muscle, rehabilitation, getting ripped and training for sports. When I found out about an athletic even that featured pull ups, I was down to compete! I signed up for the Tactical Strength Challenge and got ready to really improve my pull ups for the event. What is the Tactical Strength Challenge? The Tactical Strength Challenge is a nationwide competition sponsored by Strongfirst, “The School of Strength.” Each competitor is…

Pull ups after 60 Can people over 60 do pull ups? Most definitely, yes; people of all ages can do pull ups, chin ups, and other hardcore strength exercises. Don’t believe me? Just go Youtube  “90 year old pull ups” and prepare to be amazed! These people bust out pull ups and chin ups better than people half their age. They break the stereotypes that after a certain age, gaining or maintaining strength is impossible. Their videos provide inspiration to us all that getting older does not have to mean retiring to weakness and inactivity.  Pull ups after 60: Can you build strength and muscle mass after a certain age?…