Pull ups are one of the most basic strength exercises, and they continue to be a common part of many routines precisely because they work several muscle groups. Those muscles include primarily the biceps, back and forearms. Different pull up grips work those muscles from different angles, but rest assured, if you're pulling your own weight up, your forearms are going to be tested.
How to Do a Pull Up
To get the most out of your pull ups, start with your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms facing away from you. Pull yourself up to where your chin is over the bar and then slowly lower yourself to a hanging position, and repeat. If pulling up your weight is too difficult, try "negative pull ups," in which you get a boost or step up on a chair to have your chin above the bar. Then, slowly lower yourself to a hanging position. That should help get your arms ready to do a complete pull up.
Other Forearm Exercises
To help boost your forearm strength so you can do more pull ups and the reap the rewards of that exercise, you can do several exercises to give your forearms unexpected power. They include dumbbell rows, which also work the back and biceps muscles; lat pulldowns to get your back muscles and forearms pulling heavier; and bicep curls for big arms. These exercise should help strengthen your wrists and forearms, as well as the other pull up muscles.
Towel Pull ups
One proven way to give your forearms a workout doing pull ups is to do towel pull ups. Simply fold a towel over the pull up bar and pull yourself up on the towel. The additional burden of squeezing the towel as you pull yourself up will work some of those main muscles in your wrists and forearms. A similar way to work the forearms and wrists is the use of a "fat bar," which is essentially a thick barbell that is harder to grip so it forces the muscles in the forearms to tense just to maintain a grip on the bar.
Warnings
If you experience pain in your forearms or your wrists while doing pull ups, stop and either seek medical attention or rest your arms for several days. Muscle fatigue or strain in any of the forearm muscles can lead to joint damage as the other muscles and tendons try to compensate for the injury. Pay attention to any unusual sensations, such as a popping sound, which could definitely mean a strained tendon is "popping" over the bones in the arms.
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