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?…

Have you ever wondered which exercise is better for biceps growth; chin ups or biceps curls? Are bicep curls “non-functional?” Are bicep curls and other single joint bicep movement required to develop the arms fully? Or are chin ups sufficient to reach your genetic muscular potential and strength? In this article, we will discuss who might want to focus only on chin ups, and who might want to include bicep curls in their weight training routine. Short Answer: Most people can skip the curls and do chin ups only. Bodybuilders and special populations might want to also include curls. The Chin up Chin ups are a multi-joint or compound exercise.…

             Superior for strength? Will training the pull up with a high frequency result in greater gains in muscle and strength? Most definitely, you can see huge improvements in size and strength training the pull up with a high frequency. Just be sure to follow some basic “good practices” for high frequency training and for strength training progression. I have been a big fan of high frequency training for years. For most of my gymnastics career, my teammates and I were required to perform certain full body basic strength movements on a daily basis. After warming up, we had to do pull ups and legless…

Can women do pull ups? Yes they (YOU) can! Ever been impressed by other women doing pull ups, but think “no way could I ever do that?” Pull ups are possible for YOU. Yes you. Even if you have no weight training experience, you are currently overweight, or you’ve never hung from a pull up bar in your life. Maybe you are afraid to fail, or maybe you have flashbacks to your last middle-school physical fitness test, but women can definitely do pull ups. It takes special work and preparation to get your first pull up as a woman. But if you are willing to put in the work, it…

What if pull ups could be useful for lower back pain? Everybody wants a magic bullet for their lower back pain. What if I told you that you can improve your lower back pain and build a barnyard back in the process–with pull ups? Pull ups are an excellent exercise for muscle and strength. Go here to learn why. Pull ups are an excellent exercise for those with lower back pain. They can help you strengthen muscles that stabilize your spine, and can help make your back feel better. Anatomy and Physiology of the Latissimus Dorsi Muscles  Your lat muscles attach to your spinous processes from T7-L5, or the entire…