Everyone would like to have strong and firm arms. How you achieve this is where some people get tripped up. The muscle in the front of the arm is called the bicep. The back of the arm is known as the tricep. According to Juan Carlos Sanatana, author of "The Essence of Body Weight Training," a pull-up is one of the best muscle-building arm exercises. Pull-ups are characterized by the act of "pulling " your body thorough space.
Joint/Muscle Action
Pull-ups engage your entire upper body musculature. The primary joint action for pull-ups is elbow flexion. The biceps, which function to flex the elbows, heavily dictate how pull-ups are performed. Shoulder flexion and scapular retraction are secondary joint actions that control weight transfer. The anterior deltoid flexes the shoulder while the rhomboids retract the upper scapula. The abdominals and chest are stabilizing forces, especially on the eccentric or lowering phase.
Orthopedic Position
You need a stable, horizontal bar attachment for this exercise. Place your hands on the bar in a palms-up grip, shoulder-width apart. Your arms are straight and in front of the body. Your neck is in a neutral position. Maintain an abdominal contraction, which helps you keep your spine erect. Once you are in a hanging position, bend your knees and cross your ankles.
Concentric Phase
Start from a hanging, straight arm position. Begin by bending your elbows and pulling upward. As you pull your body up, keep your torso vertical to the floor. Your knees being bent is key to preventing your lower body from swinging excessively. You pull up until your entire head is over the bar. Hold your head over the bar for a solid three seconds. This holding period is vital in sustaining body control in the eccentric phase.
Eccentric Phase
Slowly allow your body downward by extending your elbows. As you straighten your arms, prevent your hips from swaying too far forward. This keeps your lower back from overarching. Avoid extreme lateral movement in your elbows as they extend. Full range of motion is achieved once the arms are just shy of completely straight. Proper form is of major importance on body weight pull-ups. Once you can not maintain spinal stabilization, terminate the exercise.
References
- "Functional Training for Sports"; Micheal Boyle; 2003.
- ACE Personal Trainer Manual: The Ultimate Resource for Fitness Professionals - 3rd Edition"; Cedric X. Bryant , Daniel Green; 2003.
- "The Essence of Body Weight Training"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004.
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