Pull - up ( exercise ) - wikipedia Pull - up ( exercise ) Not to be confused with Chin - up. Play media pull - up techniques A pull - up is an upper - body compound pulling exercise. Although it can be performed with any grip, in recent years some have used the term to refer more specifically to a pull - up performed with a palms - forward position. The term chin - up, traditionally referring to a pull - up with the chin brought over top of a bar, was used in the 1980s to refer to a palms - away ( overhand / pronated ) grip, with a palms - toward ( underhand / supinated ) grip being called a `` reverse - grip '' chin - up. In later decades, this usage has inverted, with some using `` chin '' to refer to a pull - up done with a palms - backward position. In spite of this, `` chin '' is still regularly used refer to overhand - grip. The most popular current meaning refers to a closed - chain body - weight movement where the body is suspended by the arms, gripping something, and pulls up. As this happens, the wrists remain in neutral ( straight, neither flexed nor extended ) position, the elbows flex and the shoulder adducts and / or extends to bring the elbows to or sometimes behind the torso. The knees may be bent by choice or if the bar is not high enough. Bending the knees or holding your legs out in front slightly may help to reduce swinging. A traditional pull - up relies on upper body strength with no swinging or `` kipping '' ( using a forceful initial movement of the legs in order to gain momentum ). The exercise mostly targets the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back along with other assisting muscles. Contents 1 Earlier meanings 2 Etymology 3 As a physical test 3.1 In armed forces 4 Grips 5 Muscles used 5.1 Arms 5.2 Shoulders 5.3 Scapular 5.4 Abdominal muscles 5.5 Pelvic floor 5.6 Hands and forearms 6 Safety 7 Variations 8 World Records ( pronated grip ) 8.1 Guinness World Records 8.2 RecordHolders.Org 8.3 alternativerecords.co.uk 8.4 World Pull - Up Organization 9 See also 10 References Earlier meanings In past decades, a pull - up also included open - chain pulling exercises done with a barbell. These exercises are now more popularly known as the bent - over row ( in the 1950s ) and upright row ( in the 1970s ). Etymology The name refers to pulling up one 's body. It can be done with the hands facing any directions, from prone to supine. Some have associated a `` pull - up '' with utilizing an overhand ( pronated ; palms facing away ) grip. This includes by the Boy Scouts of America, Guinness World Records `` makes a difference between '' pull - ups and chin - ups according to grip. Organizations such as the United States Marine Corps however, see pull - ups including both the overhand and underhand grips. A `` chin up '' is bringing the chin up to touch the bar or go over the bar, with a supinated palms - facing grip. Variations of pull ups, beyond being named for their grip, can also be named based on how high the body rises, by naming it after the body part that either comes into contact with or passes over the top of the bar. A `` chest - up '' or `` sternum - up '' for example, indicates that the chest or sternum meets the bar, requiring extra scapular adduction and depression. As a Physical test In Armed forces 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit members in a team chin - up competition. Pull ups are a common way to measure the upper body strength of the `` pulling muscles ''. They are used by the United States Marine Corps as a part of the Physical Fitness Test, although marines may also choose to substitute push - ups. Pull ups were also used as part of military test in Singapore, where the IPPT for National - Service men is used. It is also used in the NAPFA test for male students above the age of 14. It was then removed in 2014 with the announcement of a new IPPT format. Grips Pull - ups ( including chins ) can be done with a supinated, neutral or pronated grip ( often called `` chin - ups '', `` hammer grip pull - ups '', and `` pull - ups '', in order ). Grips may match each other or be different ( mixed grip ). Grips may also rotate throughout the movement, such as by doing them on rings, rotating handles ( false grip ) or pull up handles. The range of motion used by trainers can vary. The fullest possible range is with straight arms overhead ( elbow directly above shoulder ), to pulling when the arms are at the sides ( elbow directly below shoulder ). People sometimes only train portions, such as avoiding locking out the arms at the bottom, or stopping when the head / chin / neck touch the bar. Positions within the range are also trained isometrically, as in flexed - arm and straight - arm hangs for time. The width of the grip may also differ. When grabbing and holding the bar during the pull - up, the hands can be apart at shoulder - width, or wider, or narrower enough to touch each other. This may make the pull - up more difficult and may limit the range of motion compared to the shoulder - width grip. Muscles used Arms Pull - ups also work the brachialis and brachioradialis in the arms. These muscles are located near the elbow, and help move the forearm. The biceps brachii, or simply biceps, cross the elbow and shoulder joints and work to flex the elbow joint during the exercise. They are involved more with an underhand ( supine ) grip. The long head of the triceps also crosses the shoulder joint and assists in shoulder adduction. Shoulders Pull - ups use the teres major, a small muscle at the back of the shoulder blade. The nearby rhomboids, which connect the spine to the shoulder blade, play a part too. Pull - ups also use the trapezius along the spine and shoulder, and the levator scapulae along the side of the neck. These muscles work to elevate and depress the shoulder blade, and are sometimes called the `` shrugging muscles ''. The deltoid muscles, specifically the posterior deltoids also assist. Scapular Muscles that attach to and depress the scapulae include the lower trapezius muscle and the pectoralis minor. The pec minor also works in conjunction with the rhomboid muscle and levator scapulae to perform downward rotation of the scapulae. Muscles which attach to the scapulae that adduct and extend the arm include the posterior deltoid muscles, the teres major, and minor stabilizing contribution from some rotator cuff muscles ( infraspinatus and teres minor as lateral rotators, subscapularis as medial rotators ). Abdominal muscles The abdominal muscles stabilize the torso by connecting the rib cage to the pelvis. The rectus abdominis ( along with hip flexors ) can generate force to lift the lower body up during kipping, but can also stabilize the front of the pelvis from drifting away from the sternum, just as the erector spinae help to keep the vertebrae from drifting apart in the back. The external and internal obliques perform similar roles on another plane, able to generate or prevent twisting or side - bending, and may help reduce body swinging. The transverse abdominis helps to prevent movement in all directions, encouraging a neutral position. Pelvic floor Pelvic floor muscles hold the organs up and stabilize the pelvis. Hands and forearms The muscles of the forearm are also worked by holding the overall body weight, improving the strength of the fingers and the forearms muscles creating a strong isometric contraction in these muscle groups. Safety Organizations such as the American Council on Exercise give advice such as `` care should be taken not to unduly put stress on your shoulder during this exercise ''. Elbow pain due to tendonitis, bursitis, and ulnar nerve entrapment can occur as a result of excessive pull ups and improper technique. Variations Example Type Standard Standard dead - hang pull up is grasped with an overhand / underhand / alternative - hand grip. Then the body is pulled up until the chin clears the bar, and finished by lowering the body until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Stricter standards would only consider a full repetition to be one in which the elbows pass behind the coronal plane. Weighted Weight is added using a dipping belt, or grasping a dumbbell with the feet, or weight vest / shorts Behind - the - neck pull - up The chin is dropped forward through cervical flexion. The goal of the pull - up is to touch the bar with the back of the neck. Mixed grip One hand is placed in the overhand ( pronated ) position and the other is placed in the underhand ( supinated ) position to provide variation on the elbow flexors used. Commando pullup Also called the cliffhanger pullup, the body is held sideways to the bar, hands right next to each other, one hand pronated and the other supinated, and the body is raised as far as possible ( until one shoulder touches the bar ). This variation emphasizes one arm, and can be used as a progression towards the one arm pullup. One arm A one arm pull - up is performed by grasping the bar with only one hand while pulling up. This is difficult due to the considerable strength required. One hand An easier version of the one arm pull - up : a pull - up where one hand grips the other arm just below the wrist. Climber 's chin - up A pull - up staying as close as possible to one side ; typically the arm doing the majority of the work is alternated each repetition. In the most advanced version of this, one arm is kept totally straight ; this is called the archer pullup. In an alternative version called the typewriter pullup or around the world pullup, the trainee comes up on one side, moves horizontally across to the other side while holding at the top, and then down on that side. Kipping An easier version in which the body is bent dynamically to help propel the athlete upward. The hips swing first forward and then back as the legs swing forward. Finally, the legs swing downward again, pushing the torso upward. The fastest version where the head follows an elliptical path, moving backward at the bottom of the motion and forward at the top, is sometimes called a butterfly pull - up. Sternum chins A pull - up with a longer range of motion, finishing with the bar touching the sternum. Muscle - up A pull - up with a maximal range of motion, transitioning to a dip. Generally the initial pull - up uses an overhand grip to make the switch easier and is more explosive in order to take advantage of momentum from the first half of the exercise to aid in the second half. Extended - leg pull - up Assisted Pull - Up A pull - up band is a large rubber band that is tied around the pull - up bar, then you place either a foot or a knee in the open `` loop '' hanging from the bar as you do your pull - ups. The band will assist you by taking on some of the bodyweight load and allowing your muscles to complete the pull up movement at a more manageable weight. Supine row Sometimes called an `` Australian pull - up '', `` reverse push - up '', `` inclined pull - up '' or `` inverted row '', this is performed with the bar 2 to 3 feet off the floor. The trainee lies on the ground under the bar, face - up, and grasps the bar with extended arms. The exercise is performed by pulling the chest up to the bar. The body is held in a rigid plank position while the heels remain on the floor. `` Supine '' refers to the body being face - up, not to the grip : supine rows can be done with prone, neutral or supinated hands. World Records ( pronated grip ) Guinness World Records Bodyweight : Most in 60 seconds : 54 by Boris Nalbantov Sofia, Bulgaria June 17th 2017 Most in 1 hour : 1009 by Stephan Hyland in 2010. Most in 6 hours : 3,515 by Andrew Shapiro in 2016. Most in 12 hours : 5,742 by Andrew Shapiro in 2016. Most in 24 hours : 7,600 by John Orth June 11th 2016. Most in 24 hours ( Female ) : 3,737 by Eva Clarke in 2016. Bodyweight ( variations ) : Most Clap Pull - ups in one minute : 30 by Blake Augustine Dec 2015. Video Most one arm pull ups in one minute : 17 by George Gaydardzhiev 2012. Most consecutive pinky pull ups : 16 by Maibam Itomba Meitei ( India ) 2014. Most consecutive muscle ups : 25 by Jarryd Rubinstein ( Australia ) 2010. Most Consecutive One - Armed pull - up is 22 by Rob Chisnall ( CA ) was briefly noted, without comment regarding dynamic or static style, in the Guinness Book of World Records ( 1989 ). Weighted : Most added weight : 230.49 lbs by David Marchante in 2016. Most in minute with 40 pounds : 31 by Ron Cooper ( USA ) in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA, on 7 September 2017 Most in minute with 60 pounds : 23 by Ron Cooper in 2016. Most in minute with 100 pounds : 14 by Steven Proto on Oct 15th 2014. RecordHolders.Org As of January 2015 the most repetitions within a given time period : 3 minutes : 100 by Ngo Xuan Chuyen ( VIE ) in 1988 during `` Strongest Soldier in Vietnam '' contest alternativerecords.co.uk Heaviest weighted pull - up total : 402 lbs by Steven Proto ( USA ) on 28 April 2011 Most pull - ups with a 45 lb plate : 18 by Damien Longley ( USA ) on 28 March 2011 World pull - up organization World Pull - Up Organization will organize the first World Pull - Up Championships on June 15 - 16, 2019 in Espoo, Finland. The games will feature two individual disciplines : The pull - up repetitions and the weighted pull - up in several different weight class for both male and female. The competitor may use whatever grip he or she likes ( underhand / supinated, overhand / pronated, mixed ). See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pull - ups. Chin - up Pulldown exercise Push up References Jump up ^ Darden, Ellington ( 14 November 1984 ). High - Intensity Bodybuilding. New York : The Putnam Publishing Group. pp. 151 -- 153. ISBN 0 - 399 - 51103 - 2. Behind neck chin up :... Use an overhand grip. Jump up ^ Boff, Vic ( 1985 ). `` The Ever - Popular Chinning Bar ''. Vic Boff 's Body Builder 's Bible For Men and Women. New York : Arco Publishing, Inc. pp. 100 -- 103. ISBN 0 - 668 - 05630 - 4. Natural - Hands Grip :... palms of your hands turned to the front... Reverse - Hands Grip :... palms of your hands facing your body... The Neck Chin... a wide natural - hands grip ( paper edition, ISBN changes to 0 - 668 - 05625 - 8 for cloth edition ) Jump up ^ Kennedy, Robert ; Greenwood - Robinson, Maggie ( 1987 ). `` Wide Grip Chins ''. Built ! The New Bodybuilding for Everyone !. New York : The Putnam Publishing Group. pp. 75 -- 76. ISBN 0 - 399 - 51380 - 9. Take a wide overhand grip on the chinning bar and slowly hoist your body up until your chin is just above the bar. Jump up ^ Kennedy, Robert ; Ross, Don ( August 1988 ). `` Appendix : The Exercises ''. Muscleblasting ! Brief and Brutal Shock Training. New York : Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. p. 132. ISBN 0 - 8069 - 6758 - 7. Chin Ups : Take a fairly wide grip on a chinning bar, palms away from you... Close - Grip Chin - Ups : Hands are close together on the chinning bar, palms away from you... Reverse Grip Chin - Ups : Use a curling grip ( palms toward you ) 2 photographs depicting an overhand ( palms forward, pronated ) grip and captions : page 99 `` Here Clare Furr shows impressively wide lats in her chin - ups. '' page 132 `` James DeMelo does an intense set of chin - ups '' Jump up ^ `` Chin - up ''. grasp bar with overhand wide grip Jump up ^ `` Weighted Chin - up ''. grasp bar with overhand wide grip Jump up ^ `` Assisted Wide Grip Chin - up ''. grasp bar with wide overhand grip ^ Jump up to : Hoffman, Bob ( 1958 ). Bob Hoffman 's Daily Dozen. p. 10. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 12. 8. PULL - UP. Often called upright rowing motion. Stand close to the barbell Jump up ^ MuscleMag International. How to Increase Your Muscular Bulk and Strength. pp. 8 -- 9. Archived from the original on 2012 - 04 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Personal Fitness Merit Badge ''. USscouts.org. http://usscouts.org/mb/patch/pullup.gif or http://usscouts.org/mb/patch/strength_tests.jpg illustrations Jump up ^ `` Guinness World Records '' ( PDF ). # 1 ( pronated grip ) must be used. Jump up ^ `` USMC fitness PDF Chapter 2 '' ( PDF ). 10 May 2002. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 22 May 2011. a command will not mandate that Marines must use the overhand grip when executing pull - ups or flexed - arm hang Jump up ^ Le, Cuong. `` Stronger, faster and fitter : CMC overhauls USMC Fitness Program ''. Jump up ^ `` New IPPT Format and Scoring System ''. 24 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Muscles Worked in a Pull Up ''. PullupBar-ChinupBar.com. ^ Jump up to : Brunek, Erin ( 12 November 2016 ). `` 7 Benefits Of Pull Ups ''. www.thehealthyapron.com. Jump up ^ Palmer, G.D. ( 27 May 2011 ). `` What Muscles Do Pull Ups Exercise ? ''. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Jump up ^ McCoy, William ( 18 December 2013 ). `` What Do Pullups Work Out ? ''. Jump up ^ Ng, Nick ( 12 December 2010 ). `` What Muscles Do Pull Ups Target ? ''. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. LiveStrong removed this article and forwarded the URL to a different one which no longer makes such claims : Tanya Siejhi Gershon ( 20 April 2015 ). `` Which Muscles Are Used During Pull Ups ? ''. Jump up ^ `` Pull - up ''. acefitness.org. American Council on Exercise. Retrieved 27 March 2011. Jump up ^ 5 Common Causes of Pull Up Elbow Pain ( archive ) Jump up ^ `` One Arm Pull Up ''. Jump up ^ `` Kipping Pullup '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in one minute ''. The most pull ups in one minute is 54, achieved by The most pull ups in one minute is 54, achieved by Boris Nalbantov ( Bulgaria ), in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 17 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in 1 hour ''. The most pull ups in one hour is 1,009 by Stephen Hyland ( UK ) in his home fitness center, Stoneleigh, UK, on 1 August 2010. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in 6 hours ''. The most pull ups in 12 hours is 3,515 by Andrew Shapiro ( USA ), in Great Falls, Virginia, USA, on 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in 12 hours ''. The most pull ups in 12 hours is 5,742 and was achieved by Andrew Shapiro ( USA ), in Great Falls, Virginia, USA, on 14 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in 24 hours ''. The most pull ups in 24 hours is 7,600 and was achieved by John Orth ( USA ) in Goldon, Colorado, USA, on 11 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in 24 hours ( female ) ''. Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Most clap pull ups in one minute ''. The most clap pull ups in one minute is 30 and was achieved by Blake Augustine ( USA ) in Neosho, Missouri, USA, on 19 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Video of Blake Augustine achieving 30 Clapping Pullups in one minute ''. The most clap pull ups in one minute video Jump up ^ `` The most consecutive pinky pull ups is 16 and was achieved by Maibam Itomba Meitei ( India ) in Imphal, Manipur, India, on 15 March 2014 ''. Jump up ^ `` The most consecutive muscle ups performed is 25 by Jarryd Rubinstein ( Australia ) at Bondi Beach in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 4 January 2010 ''. Jump up ^ `` Historical Performances in Chin - ups, Pull - ups, Levers, and Crosses ''. Jump up ^ `` Heaviest weighted pull up ''. The heaviest weighted pull up is 104.55 kg ( 230.49 lb ) and was achieved by David Marchante ( Spain ) on the set of El Hormiguero on Antena 3 in Madrid, Spain, on 13 October 2016. David Marchante attempted the record twice, firstly on camera with a weight of 96.85 kg then off camera with a weight of 104.55 kg. David is a Spanish YouTuber. Jump up ^ `` Most pull - ups in one minute with a 40 - lb pack ''. The most pull ups in one minute with a 40 lb pack ( male ) is 31 and was achieved by Ron Cooper ( USA ) in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA, on 7 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in one minute with a 60 - lb pack ''. The most pull ups in one minute with a 60 lb pack is 18 and was achieved by Ron Cooper ( USA ) at the YMCA of the North Shore in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA, on 11 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` Most pull ups in one minute with a 100 - lb pack ''. The most pull ups in one minute with a 100 - lb pack is 14 and was achieved by Steven Proto ( USA ) in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA, on 15 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` World Records for Chin - Ups and Pull - Ups ''. Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` alternativerecords.co.uk ''. Jump up ^ `` alternativerecords.co.uk ''. Jump up ^ http://www.worldpullup.org/world-pull-up-championships/ Strength - training exercises Quadriceps ( front of thighs ) Deadlift ( c ) Leg extension ( i ) Leg press ( c ) Lunge ( c ) Squat ( c ) Hamstrings ( back of thighs ) Deadlift ( c ) Good - morning ( c ) Leg curl ( i ) Squat ( c ) Calves Calf raise ( i ) Pectorals ( chest ) Bench press ( c ) Chest fly ( i ) Dips Machine fly ( i ) Push - up ( c ) Lats and trapezius ( back ) Bent - over row ( c ) Chin - up ( c ) Pulldown ( c ) Pullup ( c ) Muscle - up ( c ) Seated row ( c ) Shoulder shrug ( i ) Supine row ( c ) Deltoids ( shoulders ) Front raise ( i ) Head stand into handstand push - up ( c ) Lateral raise ( i ) Military press ( c ) Rear delt raise ( i ) Shoulder press ( c ) Upright row ( c ) Biceps ( front of arms ) Biceps curl ( i ) Chin - up ( c ) Triceps ( back of arms ) Close - grip bench press ( c ) Dip ( c ) Pushdown ( i ) Triceps extension ( i ) Forearms Wrist curl ( i ) Abdomen and obliques ( belly ) Crunch ( i ) Leg raise ( c ) Russian twist ( c ) Sit - up ( c ) Lower back Deadlift ( c ) Good - morning ( c ) Hyperextension ( c ) Pelvic lift ( c ) Hips and buttocks Deadlift ( c ) Dirty dog exercise ( c ) Squat ( c ) See also Bodybuilding Bodyweight exercise Calisthenics Weightlifting Plyometrics Weight training ( List of exercises ) Gym Legend ( c ) - compound exercise, ( i ) - isolated exercise Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pull-up_(exercise)&oldid=854162383 '' Categories : Bodyweight exercise Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from March 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Cymraeg Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français Gaeilge 한국어 Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Tagalog Українська 中文 14 more Edit links This page was last edited on 9 August 2018, at 11 : 15 ( UTC ). 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Question: what body parts does pull ups work out
Answer: mostly targets the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back along with other assisting muscles.