How Strong Must You Be To Do A Pull-Up
A pull-up is dependent on relative strength. Your arms must be able to lift your body weight above the bar. If your relative strength of your upper body is greater than 1, then you will be able to do a pull-up. However; your technique influences whether or not you can successfully perform one aesthetically pleasingly.
Relative strength is the total amount of weight your body can lift.
For example, a person who can lift 250lb and weighs 200 lb has an upper body relative strength of 1.25. So, with good technique, they can complete a pull-up.
- Is A Pull-Up A Good Measure Of Strength.
- Why Many Individuals Find Pull-Ups Challenging.
- What Muscle Group Do Pull-Ups Use.
- What Are The Limitations Of Using Pull-Ups For A Strength Indicator.
Is A Pull-Up A Good Measure Of Strength
Just like how we arm wrestle our mates to see who is stronger, many will use pull-ups as a valid indicator of strength. However, how accurate is this?
Being able to do one pull-up indicates good relative strength, but being able to do many shows great muscular endurance.
However, pull-ups are not a good indicator of absolute strength. This is the total amount of weight your body can lift – irrespective of how much you weigh. This is because the maximum you will ever be able to show you can lift with a pull-up is your body weight.
Why Many Individuals Find Pull-Ups Challenging
Most people have sufficient strength to complete a pull-up but still struggle to get their chin above the bar. Besides strength, there are many factors you should consider before concluding that you can’t do a pull-up.
- Firstly, make sure you use chalk! This will increase the friction between your skin and the bar giving you more grip and stability when demonstrating a pull-up.
- Secondly is the mental barrier you face. If it has taken you months and you are still struggling to pull up, you may be going through a psychological barrier. This is when you tell yourself it’s impossible due to consistent failure, so you never achieve it, but in reality, you are equipped with all the tools to complete one and have to believe in yourself.
- Thirdly, is using the incorrect technique. Without solid form, your muscles won’t be able to coordinate with one another, thus being unable to perform a pull-up. We have outlined a step-by-step on how to do your first pull-up
- Lastly, to complete a pull-up, you must have a degree of flexibility. This makes the movement fluid and effortless. Without, you may struggle to reach the bar or bring your elbows down to your chest.
What Muscle Group Do Pull-Ups Use
Embed from Getty ImagesA pull-up is a compound exercise, so multiple muscle groups are involved. Some muscles contribute to power, while others help stabilize the body. Each role includes:
Lats: The primary source of power during a pull-up. They will bring your body up to the bar. Therefore if you’re struggling to lift yourself – lats exercises, such as lat pull-down, will help provide the boost you need.
Teres Major: Attaches your shoulder blade to your upper arm. It’s responsible for pulling your arms down towards your pelvis as your lats pull you up.
Trapezius: Found at the base of your neck and carried across to the tip of your shoulder. They stabilize the shoulder blades during the pull up.
Pectorals: Depending on how you grip the bar will determine how much the pectorals contribute to the exercise; the closer the grip, the more engaged the pectorals are.
Rhomboids: Support the shoulder blades. You can locate your Rhomboids in your upper back underneath the trapezius.
Biceps: Responsible for bringing the bend into the elbow during a pull-up. This supplies a lot of power during a pull-up, though not as much as the lats. However, performing a chin-up instead of a pull-up will engage the bicep much more.
Triceps: Flex the elbow, the opposite movement of the bicep, and stabilize the shoulder blades during the pull-up.
Forearms: Grip the bar and hold your body weight against gravity. The thicker the bar is, the more forearm strength you require.
Abdominals: Critical in stabilizing the body and keeping the lower body sturdy. They also assist in any swing or crunch in the legs that athletes use to help with technique.
What Are The Limitations Of Using Pull-Ups For A Strength Indicator
Pull-ups don’t represent absolute strength; individuals who easily do pull-ups aren’t guaranteed the ability to lift high weights. The reason for this is:
Pull-Ups Get Easier The Lighter You Are, Regardless Of Strength.
- Individuals who can do lots of pull-ups tend to be lighter; therefore, each pull-up requires less weight to be lifted, so it uses less muscle mass to lift yourself above the bar. As a result, muscles don’t tear and repair, meaning hypertrophy isn’t undertaken. Therefore they struggle to lift heavy weights but can still execute plenty of pull-ups.
Pull-Ups Require More Effort From Heavier Individuals.
- Heavier individuals struggle with pull-ups as their muscles become conditioned to lift their body weight. This is because each pull-up requires their muscles to work harder, resulting in reaching exhaustion quicker. So, despite being able to lift more weight, they can’t repeat as many pull-ups as lighter individuals.
Therefore, it depends on what type of strength you want to measure if pull-ups are an accurate indicator or not. While they are precise in showing relative strength, absolute strength should be measured in an alternative way to avoid inaccurate results, and if you can’t do one, it doesn’t mean you’re weak.
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