Pull ups

**mikus** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 1:36pm

What are some good variations on pull ups? I've been doing normal pulls (hands about shoulder width, or maybe slightly wider) and also chin ups (hands closer than shoulder width).

Do you recommend doing the one where you have a normal pull up grip but you bring your head up in front of the bar instead? Any thing to watch out for when doing this (dangers, etc)?

What about other variations?

**Ronin** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 1:38pm

Wanna get a real work out?
Chins with weights, palms facing you, shoulder with apart.
Use a weight that you can only do a max of 8 reps.
Enjoy.

**mikus** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 2:19pm

I guess this guy thinks that the pull ups behind your neck are bad. What is a "neutral grip" that he talks about?

http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/ar...e2&articleid=7

**Ronin** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 2:38pm

Pull downs and presses behind the nech CAN stress or injure you shoulder joints and trapezius.
Safer would be to the front.

**The Wastrel** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 3:08pm

Neck in front is BAD for rotators!!! I am ROTATOR INJURY MAN!

**Ronin** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 3:14pm

"Neck in front is BAD for rotators!!! I am ROTATOR INJURY MAN!"

You saying doing presses and pull downs to the front is WORST than doing behind the neck?

I never heard that before.

**The Wastrel** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 3:21pm

Ronin,
"Neck in front" is the same thing as "Pull downs and presses behind the neck", which is what you said. If the bar is "behind" the neck, then the neck is in "front".

**Ronin** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 3:36pm

Thanks for clearing that up :D
Got me worried there for a moment.

**FingerorMoon?** · Posted On: 10/27/2003 4:45pm

You're just trying to confuse everyone Wastrel.
I've never heard anything referred as 'neck in front' :D

I'm also 'oh won't you think about the rotators!' type of guy.

Pull up variations:

Try Pavels ladder.

Use palms facing you, shoulder width apart (ie standard chin up grip)

Do in sets of 1,2,3,4,5 etc until you reach 2 under your max limit (if you limit is 9, stop at 7). Then go back to the start and do 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 again. You can get a massive amount of work done this way.

The break between sets should be the same time period it took you to do that set. So for 1 rep, the break should really only be 1-2 seconds, etc.

When you can no longer get to (eg) 7 reps, start again at 1 and finish at (eg) 6 before starting again.

Your workout will look something like:

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5 (too fatigued),1,2,3,4 (too fatigued),1,2,3 (TF), 1, 2, (TF), 1

Its a great way to do chin ups.