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Have you thought about adding Pull Ups to your work out? Will Pull Ups make you Stronger? Yes They Will! Do you remember gym class in junior high when once a year they set up the Pull Up bar and tested everyone? Most of us really sucked at it, even on Chin Ups which were easier. What did they expect? Do something once a year and ape like strength appears out of nowhere? That's not the way physical conditioning works. You need a consistent program that is easy to follow. Pull ups are a great calisthenic exercise and should be included in any workout plan. Almost all of us have done them at some point in our lives, so at least we know what they are. So let's get started. You'll need a PULL UP BAR plain and simple. If you work out at home, the bar should be convenient. Meaning, you can walk by during the day and crank out a few, also it serves as a reminder that you need to work out today. You may not be a Pull Up machine right now, so let's get to work on that. I'm going to show you the 3 best Pull Ups for guys our age. By the way, I'm over 60. Grip Strength One of the weakest links in doing Pull Ups is your grip. For life activities in general, it's a good idea to keep your grip strong. You never know when someone will ask you to open a jar for them. Quick story: Recently, a woman at my friend's restaurant, handed me a Mega COSTCO banana pepper jar to open. I tried, but the vacuum was too strong. She took it back, turned it upside down and tapped it about 4 times. Then she turned it back over and opened it. I started laughing and said," why the hell didn't you do that in the first place"? I'm glad she didn't, because now I know how to open a tight jar! One of the best ways to improve grip strength is to hang from a pull up bar with palms facing forward. Don't believe me, jump up and dead hang for 10 seconds. I suggest doing 3 sets of max seconds you can dead hang. Dead hang is hanging with arms fully extended and remain still. Let's go from easiest to hardest: Chin ups For the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test, you have to complete as many Chin Ups or Pull Ups as you can with 20 repetitions being the best. I always did Chin Ups (since they were easier for me) instead of Pull Ups and couldn't understand why anyone would do pull ups for record. But then again, some of those guys were just cock strong. If the bar is out of reach and you don't feel comfortable jumping up, use a step or chair to get a comfortable grip. Palms facing toward you (supinated grip) and hands about shoulder width apart, pull yourself up so that your chin goes over the bar. Return to the starting position in a controlled manner. That's 1 repetition. Repeat this movement until your form gets sloppy. Then take a break. That is 1 set of how ever many repetitions you performed. Try for 3 sets. I feel the need to throw in what muscles are worked. I'm going to give the gym rat names and not the medical journal description. If you really need to know them, Google is a great source. Biceps, Lats, Outer Back, Upper Back, Chest, and Forearms. You will also notice that your biceps are getting worked harder in Chin up over the other forms of Pull ups. Pull Ups - Neutral Grip The Neutral Grip Pull Up is my favorite. I will go over to regular pull ups when I want to mix it up. For this one, you'll need a pull up bar that has different angle grips on it. Something like one of these affordable Pull Up bars. These are nice affordable Pull Up stations you can hang on a door in your home or office without tools. If you're going to get one, look at the pads that will make contact with your door frame. I had one a few years ago, that left black marks on the frame , so my suggestion is to put towels or thick cloth between them. Now I have a stand alone pull up tower that allows me to do more exercises on one station. My advice here is to get a sturdy one, because some of them are kind of flimsy and move around while you do a Pull Up. Here is a link to a POWER TOWER. Let's Get Started Grab the 2 handles with your palms facing each other. Pull yourself up so that your chin is over the bar and slowly lower yourself to the starting position. You pretty much know the drill, since it's like the chin up with a different grip angle. I like videos from guys like Minus The Gym that explain the movements in detail. Here we have a quick video to demostrate the Neutral Grip Pull Up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmTsgGZy9oY Neutral Grip Pull Up Pull Ups - Standard Grip And now we have the standard Pull Up. Reach up and grab the horizontal bar with both hands, palms facing out (pronated grip). Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar and slowly lower yourself to the starting position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJSxC57Jfoo Standard Grip Pull Up Watch videos and copy these movements. You may want to have someone shoot a video while you do any of these exercises, so you can check out your form. Another way to get stronger and that is Pavel Tsatlouline's method of Greasing The Groove or GTG. GTG is a ground breaking system that allows for small increments of training every day. I personally like Greasing the Groove every day with Pull Ups, Push Ups, and Air Squats. Pull Up Assist Band Here is a Pull Up Assist band that you can use to help with your progression in getting more reps. If you are too heavy to Pull Up, start out with the assist bands. NOW FOR THE BONUS MOVEMENT! Inverted Row I threw this one in because although not technically a pull or chin up, it can be the first step to get you there. For this one you'll need a horizontal bar 3 to 4 feet off the floor. You can use either grip and I personally use the over hand grip with thumbs wrapped around. Get under the bar and extend your legs straight out in front of you. You will be lowering yourself to the fully extended position and then pulling your chest up to the bar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXTc1mDnZCw Inverted Row Negative Movements All of these exercises can be done with Negative Movements. This means you use a step or platform to start at the top and lower yourself as slowly as possible. It does work! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43hDGudI5ik Negative Pull Up When doing a Full Body workout, I'll do 2 circuits of neutral grip Pull Ups. Then on the next 2 circuits my pulling movement will be Inverted Rows. They are a little easier and by that time I'm getting a little tired. Conclusion Now you have 4 basic pulling exercises that if done consistently, will make you stronger over time. Remember to always check with a medical professional before starting a workout program. To start I would shoot for 3 sets of 10 reps. Start with the movement that will allow it (or close to it) and work up from there. This means change your grip, increase reps or add weight to your body with a weight vest or belt. 3 sets of 10 was a basic standard for many years. It's not gospel though. Let your fatigue level guide you through the week. If you are sore at the end of the week. Take a break. Do what you can and make progress. As you get stronger, you'll feel better. Pull ups are considered a Calisthenics exercise, which is using body weight as resistance. They are usually the safest movements you can perform. If at anytime you get hurt or something doesn't feel right, Stop Immediately. We aren't 20 anymore and you want to be able to do it again tomorrow. There are many avenues to take, so just get started and have a good workout. SOURCES https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/men-active-after-50#1