The pull-up bar is a workout accessory suited to a muscle-building and toning exercises. While pull-ups and chin-ups are the most obvious choice, variations on the two as well as other completely different exercises greatly expand the pull-up bar's potential. Exercises on the bar help build muscles in the biceps, forearms, back, shoulders and even abdominals.
Pull-Ups, Chin-Ups and Variants
Perform pull-ups by gripping the bar with you palms facing outward at shoulder width and your body hanging straight; pull your chin up over the bar, lower yourself until your arms are straight and repeat. This exercise targets the back and forearms. For chin-ups, reverse your grip so your palms face inward and perform the same motion as a pull-up -- this variation targets the biceps. For both exercises, keep your shoulder blades back and lead with your chest. Intermediate exercisers may want to try moving their hands closer together a more difficult close-grip pull-up. To perform what's known as a muscle-up, lift your body higher than the bar with an overhand grip. At advanced levels, adding additional weight to your body -- such as a weighted belt -- creates more of a challenge.
Hanging Leg Raises
The abdominal muscles benefit indirectly from pull-ups and chin-ups, but hanging leg raises target them directly. Hang from the pull-up bar with your legs extended downward and toes pointing out. Raise your legs up toward your hands so your body forms a 90-degree angle, keeping your legs together and straight at all times. "Frog kicks" -- in which you raise your knees up to chest level while hanging from the bar -- provide an easier substitute for hanging leg raises. Conversely, upside-down sit-ups present a challenging ab workout for the pull-up bar. To perform an upside-down sit-up, hang from the bar with your legs hooked at the knee and perform a sit-up motion. Execute upside-down sit-ups with caution and supervision over a thick mat.
Lying Pull-Up Rows
The pull-up row builds lower back and arm strength with a slight variation on the standard pull-up. You'll need a pull-up bar mounted at about waist height to perform a lying pull-up row. Position yourself underneath the bar and hold it with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. With your body fully extended, pull yourself upward until your chest makes contact with the bar. Beginners can perform the exercise with bended knees to reduce the amount of body weight lifted while intermediate or advanced exercisers might want to try elevating their feet on a bench or chair, which increases resistance.
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