Pull ups are one of the best compound moves that you can do as they work every major muscle group providing a full body exercise that uses just your bodyweight. The great thing about them is that no matter how good you get at them there are different ways of doing them from wide grip to close grip to chin ups as well as weighted or banded and they can always be challenging and help stimulate muscle growth.
If you are new to pull ups or are looking at ways to do them differently or improve your form and grip strength then one popular method you can try is banded pull ups.
BANDED PULL UPS
Banded pull ups utilise specially made rubber resistance bands that are extra-long and thick to support a lot of weight and force to help you perform the movement easier. They work as a support, kind of like the support mechanism on a pull up machine, and are a great way to experiment with different grips and techniques until you find the one that is right for you.
The intent of banded pull ups is a good one. It’s designed to provide assistance so that you can get your chin or chest to the bar and ensure that you’re performing the movement correctly with proper form and technique, whilst minimising the risk of injury where you to try them without it. They’re inexpensive so definitely something you should be looking into getting if you haven’t already.
HOW TO DO THEM
- Start off with a thick resistance band and a bar that’s much higher than you are.
- Loop the resistance band over the top of the bar and pull one side through the other.
- You should be able to tighten the band around the bar at the top.
- There should be one, long loop hanging down that you can grab a hold of.
- Pull the band down towards you and put your foot on the band and push it down.
- With that foot securely on the band, pull yourself up towards the bar and put your other foot on the band and hold in that position.
- You should find that the band acts as a boost, pulling your legs up towards the bar, making the pull-up much easier to complete.
- Try and go for ten reps, increasing when you’re confident with your form and technique.
You can benefit from doing these in many different ways. They can be used to help you improve your strength for other kinds of pull ups, such as wide grip pull ups or even in preparation for muscle ups. Also as a way to help you gain more confidence when later doing them un-aided and in the meantime will help you max out every set and work your muscles fully so that you feel it working properly. Give it a try!
