Exercises To Do With A Pull Up Bar

A pull-up is traditionally performed by hanging from a bar with your palms facing forward and pulling your body upward until your chin is even with or above the bar. This is not the only exercise that requires a pull-up bar, however. You can use a bar to perform a variety of additional exercises that target the muscles within your arms and upper body. Consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Chinup

The chin-up is similar to the traditional pull-up, but you hold the bar with your palms facing backward rather than forward. This emphasizes the muscles that flex your elbows -- the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis -- along with the latissimus dorsi muscles on the sides of your back. Grip the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart, then flex your knees to suspend your body and cross one ankle over the other. Extend your upper arms and flex your elbows simultaneously to pull your chest toward the bar, then lower back down slowly and repeat.

Inverted Row

The inverted row targets the rhomboids and trapezius muscles within your upper back, which retract the scapula bones, and the back of your shoulders. Position a bench or table about 3 feet in front of the pull-up bar. Grasp the bar with your hands wider than your shoulders and your palms facing forward. Elevate your feet onto the bench so you're hanging from the bar with your body angled at approximately 45 degrees. Flex your elbows and pull them backward, lifting your chest toward the bar as far as possible, then lower back down and repeat. You can also perform the exercise with your feet on the floor if you're able to lower the bar.

Leg Raise

Performing the leg raise exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, which act to draw your knees toward your chest and to control the speed of movement as you let them back down during the exercise. Hang from the bar in a pull-up position, then flex your hips and knees, moving your legs upward as high as possible. Reverse back to the starting position slowly and repeat. Avoid swinging your legs to build momentum into the lift; focus on contracting your abdominal muscles. Wear ankle weights to increase the resistance if desired.

Spine Decompression Hang

The force due to gravity compresses the spine constantly while you're sitting or standing upright. This can gradually decrease the natural gap between your vertebrae, potentially causing detrimental effects. Pavel Tsatsouline, the author of "Relax Into Stretch," recommends performing the spine decompression hang regularly to negate this affect as much as possible. Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing forward to perform the exercise. Breathe deeply while you're suspended and try to relax deeper into the stretch with each exhalation. Hang for 10 seconds or more and repeat the exercise several times per day.