Exercises On A Pull-up Bar

Pull-up bar exercises can develop your back, arms, shoulders and core. Besides chin-ups and pull-ups, you can perform ab routines using a pull-up bar. Pull-up bar exercises are compound body-weight exercises, meaning they work several muscles at once without weights. Because they offer a full-body workout, many fitness experts recommend them.

Getting Started

If your gym doesn't have a pull-up bar or you want to work out from home, you can buy a bar that fits in your door. Some people refer to pull-ups as chin-ups, but they're not the same. During a chin-up your palms face you, but during a pull-up your palms face forward. Chin-ups hit your biceps more than pull-ups, but pull-ups engage your back more, according to Stronglifts.com.

Standard Grip

To execute standard-grip pull-ups or chin-ups, put your hands on the bar shoulder-distance apart. Fully extend your arms as you hang below the bar. Engage your arms, shoulder and back as you rise up. Keep your shoulders back and elbows from flaring. Your goal is to get your chin above the bar.

Alternate Grips

Changing your grip creates a different pull-up or chin-up experience. Narrow grip chin-ups and pull-ups add to your arms' workload, says Bodybuilding.com. They require moving your hands so they are 4 to 6 inches apart. To do wide-grip pull-ups, which develop your back more, place your hands further than shoulder-distance apart. In mixed-grip chin-ups, which are part chin-up, part pull-up, one palm faces you, but the other doesn't. The supinated hand bears more of a load.

Ab Moves

Pull-ups and chin-ups engage your core, but you can also perform targeted ab exercises on your pull-up bar. For the gorilla chin crunch, you bring your knees to your chest as you perform a chin up. The hanging leg raise, an advanced move, requires moving your knees to your chest as you hang from the bar. The hanging pike, an even more difficult exercise, involves raising your legs over your head.

Considerations

If you cannot lift your own weight repeatedly you may need to try assisted chin-ups or pull-ups. An assisted machine reduces your weight load. You can also use a chair or ask a gym partner to give you a boost. Ask your physician or personal trainer if you are capable of pull-up bar exercises especially if you have back, shoulder or joint issues.