One Great Answer: What Core Exercises Won't Hurt My Back Or Neck?
LIVESTRONG.com’s "One GREAT Answer" series takes your health and fitness questions to the world’s smartest experts.
LIVESTRONG.com’s "One GREAT Answer" series takes your health and fitness questions to the world’s smartest experts.
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LIVESTRONG.com’s "One GREAT Answer" series takes your health and fitness questions to the world’s smartest experts.
LIVESTRONG.com’s "One GREAT Answer" series takes your health and fitness questions to the world’s smartest experts.
LIVESTRONG.com’s "One GREAT Answer" series takes your health and fitness questions to the world’s smartest experts.
Powerlifting is a strength sport that involves competition in three events: squat, bench press and deadlift. Definitive rules govern powerlifting, which is divided into two basic categories: equipped and unequipped. Gloves are ...
High knee pullups, also known as knee lift or knee raise pullups, can be even more beneficial than ordinary pullups. The additional challenge of high knee pullups means that during the exercise you engage muscles that ordinary ...
As a frequent by-product of performing pullups and other strength-training exercises, calluses generally form on the inside of fingers and the palms of the hands due to constant, intense pressure of bars pushing and rubbing aga...
Pullups are a body-weight exercise that target the arms and the back. Using an overhand or underhand grip, you pull your body up until your chin is parallel to the bar. The exercise targets the latissimus dorsi, with help from ...
It isn't necessary to have an expensive gym membership to get into shape. In fact, many of the tools you need to exercise can be found in your home. Take the pullup, for example. You don't need to go through the effort of insta...
Pullups are body-weight exercises that directly target the lats, formally called the latissimus dorsi. Your lats are located from the middle of your back, near your spine, and spread outward underneath your armpits. Rigorous we...
Resistance pullups increase the intensity of your pullup workout by increasing the amount of weight you carry with your body during the pullup. You can accomplish this by adding additional weight to your body through use of dum...
Your goal of completing a pullup requires a tremendous amount of upper body strength. The main muscles used for a pullup are your back and your biceps, the fronts of your upper arms. The stronger your back and biceps, the easie...
pullups are an effective exercise for developing your back, biceps, and forearm muscles and for improving your overall upper body strength. While many more advanced trainees consider body weight exercises to be easy, pullups ar...
The pullup is often considered to be one of the best upper-body exercises for building functional strength and fitness. As a result, it plays an essential role in your training and workout program. However, you may not have the...
The pullup is a challenging upper-body exercise that works your back and biceps muscles. Because you lift your entire bodyweight against gravity, not everyone can do a regular pullup. If you can't complete a full pullup, start ...
pullups are a demanding upper body exercise that requires you to lift your entire body weight using only your arms. If you are unable to perform pullups, you can substitute overhand lat pulldowns or use an assisted pullup machi...
Strength-training exercises like pullups offer a number of health benefits. They replace fat with lean muscle, improving the efficiency with which your body burns calories. They also improve your bone density, boost stamina, ma...
pullups are a measure of upper-body strength and endurance in the President's Challenge Physical Fitness Test. Traditional pullups are done with the body in a straight line perpendicular to the floor. In this position, the prim...
If you want to do more pullups, or to work up to doing a single unassisted pullup in the first place, you must choose from two primary approaches. Either train the muscles responsible for performing pullups — primarily yo...
pullups are among the most effective back exercises, simulating the real-world movement of pulling your own body weight around and working all your major back muscles at once. If you can’t quite do a full pullup on your o...
The deltoids are located in the shoulder region and consist of three heads: the anterior, lateral, and posterior. Unfortunately, pullups do not work the deltoid muscles directly. This exercise primarily targets the latissimus d...
pullups are a great exercise that specifically target the latissimus dorsi muscles, more commonly known as the lats. Various grips for the pullups trigger different muscles to assist in the exercise movement, including the post...
Pullups are similar to chinups, but people often confuse the two, which can cause you to do them improperly. The main difference between the two exercises is the position of your hands. There are two muscles that flex your arm,...
pullups are a strength-training exercise that primarily works muscles in your upper arms, back and shoulders by using resistance created by your bodyweight. As part of a larger strength-training routine, pullups replace body fa...
The pullup is an effective upper body strength building exercise, but is often a little too much for some people to handle. Many people have trouble pulling their entire weight up to the bar, but you can still get the benefits ...
Pullups are a difficult strength-training exercise, because they require you to lift your own bodyweight. The exercise can be completed using a variety of grips, including the traditional wide grip with palms facing away, narro...
pullups can effectively target your upper and midback muscles, the biceps and forearms. They also help increase your upper-body strength. While pullups are difficult, it is possible to increase the number you do over time by gr...
If you're required to perform a set number of pullups for a physical examination of some sort, it's likely you'll hear rules like "no kicking" or "no kipping." The physical fitness test at Virginia Military ...
Adding extra weight to a pullup exercise may seem ridiculous to some people, but if you’ve progressed to the point where your own body weight doesn’t pose a challenge, it may be necessary if you want continued resul...
The pullup is an upper-body exercise that focuses on the muscles in the arms and shoulders. In the traditional pullup, the arms are raised and used to grasp a higher standing structure, usually a metal bar, and the body is pull...
Handrail pullups, also called inverted rows, are a modification of a full pullup. You slide under a horizontal handrail or bar and perform a pullup with your body at an angle. The higher the railing is, the easier the exercise....
Pullups are an excellent exercise for strengthening many of the muscles of your back and shoulders, including the rhomboids, middle and lower trapezius, teres major and latissimus dorsi muscles. They also strengthen several of ...
Pullups are one of the hardest bodyweight exercises, because you have to lift 100 percent of your bodyweight, and there is absolutely no way you can cheat -- you are either able to pull yourself up or you're not. Lots of men st...
Pullups are an exercise decided to force you to lift your own weight. They are a type of strength training exercise designed to help build upper body strength as well as muscle mass. Pullups can be completed at home by using a ...
Your obliques, or side abs, are involved in flexing and rotating your spine. To work your obliques on a pullup bar, incorporate a twisting motion in the leg raise exercise. You can change your leg position to adjust the difficu...
pullups are not just an efficient back exercise -- working all your major back muscles at once -- but a mental workout too. You might be laboring under the assumption that just because you can't do a pullup now, you'll never be...
A pullup is a body-weight exercise that involves grabbing an overhead bar and pulling your body up to it. You can do this with your palms facing forward or rear. You can also perform pullups with your palms facing each other wi...
Towel pullups are more difficult than standard pullups because you have to grip a towel to do the exercise. This works your forearm muscles, which are your gripping muscles, making them stronger and thicker. Use different types...
As a Marine, you are expected to be physically fit and capable of performing certain exercises, such as pullups, during your physical fitness test. According to Military.com, male marines get a score on their physical fitness t...
The pullup is a challenging, body weight exercise that targets your back and biceps muscles. It has many variations and modifications, from different grips to changes in execution. Although very few of these variations are wron...
The average do-it-yourself enthusiast can make a pull-up bar in a relatively short time. A makeshift bar consists of a steel pipe that mounts to exposed ceiling joists with pipe clamps and lag screws. The opening between the jo...
Pullups are one of the most challenging body weight exercises. They are a true measure of strength because, unlike working out with weights or machines, you cannot cheat and you have no assistance. In other words, you can do a ...
Improving your ability to perform pullups presents a challenge, but remains rewarding. By improving skill and strengthening the muscles you use when getting your chin over the bar, you strengthen your upper body and improve you...
You can do pullups anywhere you have access to a pullup bar or a reasonable substitute, such as the monkey bars on a children's playground. If you've never done a full pullup before, getting to the point where you can heft your...
pullups target several muscle groups in your upper body, making it an effective strength exercise; however, not everyone can do a pullup. A leg-assisted pullup is an easier alternative to the standard pullup.
Completing pull-ups takes a significant amount of upper body strength, but you can certainly do them by training properly and lifting mostly heavy weights. You need strong back, biceps, triceps and pectoral muscles because they...
Pullups are one of the most effective exercises for developing the upper body. Because they require a great deal of strength, many people find them difficult or even impossible. If you find yourself in this predicament but stil...
Enhancing your ability to do chinups and pullups is based on improving your skill and the general strength of your back and biceps. Chinups, like any other exercise, require skill to execute efficiently. Building the specific s...
pullups develop your upper back, biceps and forearms, and can be performed anywhere your can find a sturdy overhead beam from which to hang. Popular with bodybuilders, gymnasts, martial artists and mountaineers, pullups are a d...
pullups are normally thought of as a back exercise that works your biceps to a lesser degree; however, there is a way to perform pullups so that your biceps are the main muscle worked. Biceps-focused pullups are an important pa...
The pullup exercise requires you to simultaneously use the muscles of your back and biceps to elevate your body so that your chin is above the height of a suspended bar. You can tailor your hand position and movement for the pu...
Creating a well-defined upper body goes a long way in boosting self-confidence. pullups fit well in a plan of this nature because they work multiple muscles in the upper body. All you need is a pullup bar or equivalent sturdy o...
...resistance works the latissimus dorsi. Your trapezius works to control your scapulae, or shoulder blades. Use proper technique and shoulder alignment to effectively work your back muscles while doing pullups. Develop extra b...
The pullup is an effective upper body exercise to build strength and size in your upper back and arms. pullups are beneficial for virtually any sport, or to increase functional strength for everyday living. Modifying the pullup...
pullups are an upper-body exercise that strengthens your shoulders, chest, back, arms and abdominal muscles. Some individuals find pullups to be an easy exercise, and they can quickly complete 20, 30 or even 50 repetitions. Oth...
The close grip variation of the standard pullup exercise provides a method for biceps and back development. Large numbers of curls are often associated with biceps training, but the close grip pullup remains an effective exerci...
Pullups are a compound upper-body strength-training exercise that require a significant amount of strength. The exercise primarily develops the latissimus dorsi muscle in your back, but your biceps brachii, brachioradialis, bra...
Kipping pullups use momentum from the lower body to help pull your chin over the bar. In traditional pullups, the lower body doesn't move. This means that you lift your entire bodyweight over the bar with the muscles of your ba...
The pullup is a challenging upper body exercise that uses your body weight for resistance. This multi-joint exercise targets your back and bicep muscles. Although the standard pullup uses an overhand grip on a pullup bar, you c...
A pullup is a compound exercise where the person pulls himself up toward a horizontal bar using just the strength of the arms and back. Hands are in an overhanded grip, which utilizes more back muscles. Muscles targeted during ...
Regardless of which type of boxing or martial arts you are competing in, increased upper body strength can add to the effectiveness of your attacks while reducing your risk of injury. Pullups are a natural-resistance exercise t...
Chest-to-bar pullups are an effective exercise for increasing your upper-body strength and endurance, while helping to pack muscle onto your back, shoulders and arms. As the name implies, with these pullups, you bring your ches...
pullups are compound exercises that work out your back, arm and shoulder muscles. You can increase the width and thickness of your back by performing pullups one to two times a week. To do strict pullups, train with a spotter w...
pullups and chinups are natural-resistance exercises that strengthen your upper body through repetitive lifts on a chinup bar. Unlike weight lifting, pullups and chinups use your current body weight as resistance, allowing you ...
The Everlast pullup bar is a home-training apparatus that provides a variety of body-weight exercises. The bar allows you to perform variations of the pullup for the back and biceps muscles, along with a variety of abdominal an...
...ow is supported by three ligaments as well: the medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, and annular ligament. Any of these three ligaments may become irritated during the course of a pullup routine.
Pull-ups are difficult because you must lift 100 percent of your body weight using only the smaller muscles of your upper body. Few people have the natural strength to perform pull-ups without training. With work, however, most...
Pullups are difficult bicep, back and forearm exercises that involve hanging from a bar and pulling yourself upward. Although the exercise is challenging, with the proper grip, technique and plenty of practice, you'll be well o...
...gains to occur, your muscles must exert a greater than normal force to overcome a greater than normal workload. Resistance can be in the form of weights, body weight or gravity, or a combination. The pullup is an example of ...
pullups are a functional upper body exercise commonly used to test your strength-to-weight ratio. However, with the demands of the movement, training to do pullups takes a significant amount of strength and coordination. As a r...
A pullup is a challenging exercise, but for most lifters, using a pronated grip -- your palms facing down -- makes the exercise more difficult than using a supinated grip --- your palms facing up. The different muscles involved...
pullups require a significant amount of upper-body strength, but with training, both men and women can get to the point where they can pull their chin up over a bar. The primary muscle involved in pullups is the latissimus dors...
According to Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, pullups are "perfectly functional" and as important as any other upper-body exercise. As a result, pullups are an essential component to a training routine. However, performing p...
pullups work all of your major back muscles at once, plus your shoulders and arms. Unfortunately, you can only do pullups when you have access to a pullup bar or a reasonable alternative. Most gyms have regular pullup bars and ...
Navy pullups are just another name for military pullups. There are various types of pullups that vary in difficulty and muscles trained. What makes military pullups difficult is that they limit your ability to use your arms to ...
According to Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, the pullup is one of the most important functional upper-body exercises and an essential component of your training program. As a result, performing a full range-of-motion pullup...
Pushups and pullups are body-weight exercises that can get you ripped, especially when you alter the intensity of each exercise. Of course, you'll need to be lean, having little body fat covering your muscles, to get that rippe...
Pullups are good for all-over upper-body strengthening, but they target the muscles in your back, biceps and forearms in particular, says Stew Smith on Military.com. The exercise requires you to lift your own body weight while ...
From the time you entered elementary school and as you continue through life, you may have been asked to perform pullups to measure your strength. As a child during gym class you had to perform pullups. As an adult, you use pul...
Kipping pullups are an excellent exercise for training your back, arms, grip, core strength and muscular endurance. While some people refer to them as "cheating" pullups, they actually carry some benefits over regular pullups. ...
A Pullups is one of the most difficult exercises to perform, because it requires a substantial amount of upper-body strength, plus the grip strength to be able to pull your body up to the bar. Pullups mainly work the latissimus...
Your goal of completing 20 pullups is impressive. As you progress toward your goal, your upper body strength will improve. Proper form is important so that you avoid injury while strengthening your muscles, tendons and ligament...
pullups are a powerful compound exercise that works several muscles of the upper body at once. This exercise requires a certain amount of strength. If you lack that strength, try using a pullup machine that assists you with the...
Pullups fall under the category of calisthenics exercises, meaning you use your body weight for resistance. No weights are required. This one exercise utilizes several muscles, including those of the back, chest, abdomen and ar...
Adding pullups to your exercise routine will strengthen the muscles in your arms and back. As with any type of exercise, proper form can help you avoid injury and get the maximum benefit from the exercise. Performing pullups ca...
...robably learned as a child may have become surprisingly difficult as you got older. An increase in body-weight will account for some of the difficulty, and lack of practice will account for the rest. Pullups, a skilled movem...
pullups, although effective upper-body strengthening exercise, can get boring from the repetitive movement. You can add variety to you pullup with a plyometric training technique. Plyometrics were first known as jump training a...
Pullups are highly effective exercises for improving strength in a number of your upper body muscles. Pullups are beneficial because they can be performed with minimal equipment and have a low risk of injury due to the lack of ...
Pushups and pullups are bodyweight exercises often used as strength assessments by sports teams and other fitness-oriented organizations, such as the military. Although pushups and pullups do not involve added weight, they can ...
A pullup is a difficult exercise that requires you to lift all of your body weight with just your back muscles, so before you try to do a pullup, perform strength training exercises for the same muscle group in which you can li...
Pullups strengthen your back, shoulders and arms. This exercise, which many of us learned in our childhood, can help improve your posture, build muscle and prevent injury. Pullups are convenient because you can hang a bar in al...
Although pain in the back of the neck as the result of doing pullups is not typically dangerous, it can be excruciating. Because it can limit movement and make even simple actions such as turning your head painful, it is import...
Pullups and chinups are one of the most difficult exercises to perform because they require a substantial amount of back and grip strength in order to be able to pull your chin up to the bar. However, they are one of most effec...
Pullups develop strength in your upper body. By grasping an overhead bar and pulling yourself up to the level of your chin or chest, you exercise muscles primarily in your back and arms. The challenge presented by this exercise...
pullups work every major back muscle, including your trapezius, lats and rhomboids, plus the major pulling muscles in your arms and shoulders. Even if you can't do full pullups yet, you can employ a variety of adaptive techniqu...
Pullups and chinups are excellent exercises for developing upper body strength, muscular endurance and size, and can also both be performed with minimal equipment. While they are very similar, there are some slight differences ...
The pullup exercise is a compound movement that works muscle groups in the back, arms and shoulders simultaneously. Perform pullups by grasping a stable horizontal bar overhead with a wide overhand grip and pulling your body up...
pullups are one of the most difficult exercises to perform, because they require a great deal of upper body and grip strength. Primarily targeting the latissimus dorsi, pullups also work the rhomboids, teres major and biceps mu...
pullups are a challenging upper body exercise. They are primarily performed using only body weight as resistance, however some individuals have the strength and ability to perform a pullup with added resistance. pullups not onl...
Chest pain following pullup exercises can stem from several different causes, some serious and some that should respond to simple care at home. However, it's not always simple to distinguish between serious chest pain, which ca...
Performing a pullup involves lifting your body weight while hanging from a bar that is firmly attached to a sturdy wall, says the UK Fire Service Resources website. Navy SEALs include pullups in their training programs to build...
pullups work the shoulder muscles, and the trapezoid is an essential part of that muscle group. Pain is usually a sign of a problem, and when it happens during a pullup, it may signify an overuse injury to the trapezius muscle....
Pullups are an exercise that work your back, biceps and forearms. Pullups also work the muscles on the back of your shoulders and some of the small muscles that help stabilize your shoulders. Pullups can be used to build streng...
The pullup is an upper-body exercise that can be used to increase strength and mass in several muscles of your upper body. The pullup can also be more convenient than many other lifts because it does not require any additional ...
Pullups are a fundamental upper body exercise that uses just your bodyweight for resistance. This simple -- yet advanced -- exercise provides many benefits. It works several muscle groups, offers an array of variations, has int...
Pullups and lat pulldowns are both exercises that strengthen primarily muscles of the back and arms. While both exercises target several of the same major groups, there are subtle differences in emphasis, according to Frederic...
pullups are widely considered one of the best exercises for assessing and developing upper body strength. Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, describes the pullup as an essential part of training, perfectly functional and as im...
pullups are one of the most commonly used bodyweight exercises and can be performed anywhere there is a bar or overhang. According to fitness and weight loss expert Jeremy Likness, the pullup is a compound exercise that involve...
pullups, a basic movement using multiple muscle groups, also require you to stabilize your body in space. Because pullups use your entire body weight, their intensity varies with your strength and experience. How often you perf...
pullups work your arms, chest, shoulders, upper back and even your abs. Many variations of pullups each work the muscles in different ways, and you only need a bar and your body weight to complete these beneficial exercises. In...
The most common symptom of a shoulder injury is pain, followed by numbing, tingling, stiffness or the sensation of your joint locking. If you have a stress or overuse injury from doing pullups, avoid lifting your arms above you...
pullups are performed on a pullup bar to help improve the strength of your entire upper body. They can also help to relieve back pain, improve your posture and create a shapely back. That being said, because pullups are so diff...
pullups are an advanced exercise that target several muscles in your upper body. The hand grip for a proper pullup is with your palms facing away from you. Having your palms facing you is a chinup. Focus on pulling from your ba...
The pullup bar has been hanging from the walls or suspended between beams for as long as resistance training has been around. The pullup is a strenuous, challenging weight bearing exercise. Don't shy away from incorporating pu...
A pullup takes a tremendous amount of upper body strength. It is not surprising that some people cannot perform a regular pullup. The intensity of the maneuver requires a routine that allows you to work up to the task. To achie...
The pullup looks simple. Yet this move, which works a series of upper body muscles, challenges veteran athletes. As you lift and lower yourself, you engage about a dozen muscles. You probably know a pullup works your back and y...
A pull-up or chin-up is a challenging strength-building exercise performed by grabbing an overhead bar with your palms facing forward and pulling yourself up from a dead hang until your chest touches the bar or until your chin ...
A pullup is a muscle-strengthening exercise. To correctly execute this exercise, you hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip. With your arms shoulder-width apart, pull your body as high as you can. Ideally, your chin shou...
...rcise and move the joints without causing lasting damage. But when the elbow locks up, there is often a structural irregularity that is potentially causing damage. This locking can be very evident in pullups that are done wi...
Pushups and pullups look easy. You don't use barbells or fancy equipment. The guy benching 200 lbs. seems like he's working harder. Then you try a wide-grip pullup or pushup, and you realize: lifting your own body requires grea...
pullups are one of the most difficult exercises to perform. They require a considerable amount of upper-body strength, primarily in the latissimus dorsi muscle in the back. To improve on the number of pullups you can complete, ...
A pullup is a compound exercise that works a variety of muscles in your back, shoulders and arms. This is a difficult exercise to perform and requires a high level of upper body strength. There are several alternative exercises...
You can use exercises that have the same movement patterns as a chinup to strengthen the same muscles. When you do have access to a pullup bar, you'll notice that the strength gains transfer to the pullup exercise.
Resistance training is an essential part of any workout because it helps you build the strength you need to support your body when it moves. Body-weight resistance work is useful because it is more applicable to everyday life t...
During a traditional pull-up, the lower body should remain still, and all of the motion should come from the upper body pulling the body up and over the bar. A kipping pull-up uses momentum from the lower body to help lift the ...
The Perfect Pullup is a piece of home exercise equipment that helps strengthen your upper body and core through pull-ups and chin-ups. The Perfect Pullup has rotating handles that engage more muscles and reduce joint pain, clai...
Pull-ups are a revered exercise for several reasons. They are challenging and not everyone can do them. They are convenient. All you need is a sturdy bar and you can do pull-ups at home, a park or the gym. They work several mus...