6 Reasons You Should Be Doing Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are simple yet effective. They are a single-movement exercise that has a profound impact on your entire upper body. Its primary advantage is that it falls into that echelon of simple exercises that target multiple muscle groups. Plus, it encourages the release of growth hormone. 

This is why so many individuals that regularly work out turn to pull-ups as the reliable measure of their upper body strength, but the reasons you should be doing pull-ups go far deeper than that.

It’s a progressive exercise

In order to do your first pull up the right way, you require a perfectly leveled bar to achieve symmetry. Whether your palms are facing forwards or backwards, the goal is to pull yourself up (the name of the exercise pretty much gives it away, doesn’t it) and level your chin with the bar.

If you cannot exactly achieve this, you might want to use resistance-band assistance, but the goal is to get to the point where you don’t have to use it. It is a progressive exercise where the sky’s the limit. You can always make it harder for yourself by adding more resistance, more weight to make it harder. In other words, this is one of those exercises that never fall on the sidelines.

You’ll look more muscular

Pull-ups are not easy. Even individuals that partake in light physical activity for many years can find them too difficult, but they are amazingly effective for building overall body strength and growing your upper body – which will make you appear more muscular. 

It builds core strength

There’s so much more you can do to strengthen your core than sit-ups and planks. Remember that all musculature is intricately connected, so strengthening each group contributes to the overall strength and endurance in profound ways.

Think of each group as a fanatic ‘supporter’ of other groups. Core helps you endure through taxing activities such as running; in fact, it is what keeps you upright, and adding pull-ups to your workout set will strengthen your entire back – including your lower back.

Improves cardio

Pull-ups boost your cardio, especially if you aim for intensive sets with the shortest rests. Your cardiovascular system will be forced to improve its ability to transfer ‘fuel’ to the muscles, which contributes to the overall cardio performance.

Variation is the name of the game

You can easily change the grip-type on the pull-up bar to refocus on a different muscle group. In fact, you can mix and match sets with different grips to spice things up a bit. Also, your grip strength will have to increase over time, which extends as a benefit to other exercises that require a firm grip.

Saves time and money

All you require to do a set of pull-ups is your regular, durable bar your hands can easily clasp. Your bodyweight does the rest when it comes to creating resistance.

Many people combine their regular jogs, sit-ups, and pushups with pull-ups after they purchase the bar and install it in their doorframe. It’s possibly one of the most financially feasible pieces of equipment you can purchase and it pays off the manifold.

Additionally, since it is a compound exercise, it has a profound impact even if you do short sets dispersed throughout the day.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, versatility is what goes in favor of pull-ups. Much like sit-ups and pushups, this simple yet effective exercise can be performed anywhere, as long as you have something to grab onto. It has numerous benefits and it is a very empowering exercise. Above all else, and let’s all be bluntly honest about it because it’s true, pull-ups are simply badass.