Pull up bar: 9 exercises for a complete physique!

Hi there,

In this article you'll discover the best exercises to perform on a pull-up barYou'll be ready to build a muscular body!

They'll help you target the different muscles of the upper body, such as the back, pecs, biceps, triceps and abs!

We'll take you through each of the 9 exercises in detail, with variations if they're too difficult to perform.

An exclusive surprise awaits you at the end of the article, so let's go ! 🔥

Here's what you'll find in this article:

• Traction Pronation 
• Traction Supination 
• Dips 
• Muscle-Up
• Front & Back Lever  
• L-Sit & V-Sit
• Leg Surveys

One of the key exercises for developing your back is the pronation pull . Emblematic of bodybuilding, it has numerous benefits.

It will target the latissimus dorsi muscles and also emphasize the trapezius and forearm muscles (long supinator). The pronated pull consists of having the palms of the hands facing outwards.

There are 2 ways of executing this movement: the wide grip and the tight grip. If you want to work on the width of your back, you'll need a wide grip. Conversely, a tight grip allows you to target the front muscles of the back and thus gain thickness. 

This pull-up bar exercise is ultra-complete, but it's often poorly executed by exercisers, which slows progress and prevents you from reaping the full benefits.

When performing this movement, remember to bring your elbows towards your back and not to the sides. Similarly, it's important to visualize the movement and the muscles involved, as this will give you a better grip and optimize results. 

If you'd like to improve your pull-ups, we've written an article on the subject.

Here are 2 variations for this exercise to help you in your quest for your first pull-ups if they're still too difficult for you. 

An excellent way to progress and push yourself to the limit is to use elastic bands. They allow you to lighten up, making it easier to practice this exercise. 

You can even use several bungee cords at the same time to build up a high level of resistance. Whether you're a novice or an intermediate, this is the exercise for you!

• Novice: the elastic bands will enable you to do your first pull-ups and understand the mechanics of movement.

• Intermediates: once the bodyweight has become too difficult, you can lighten up to complete your final repetitions. 

Australian pull-ups are excellent for building back muscles!

With your feet on the ground, the exercise is less difficult. You'll be able to do a series of sets and repetitions, and start building a strong, aesthetic back.

This exercise is also recommended if you don't have elastic bands and bodyweight pull-ups are becoming difficult to link together. 

Supination pull-ups target the biceps and the dorsalis major. Unlike the pronated grip, the supinated grip involves placing the palms of your hands towards you.

Exercise performed on the Pull up bar for home

For this exercise, we advise you to place your hands on the bar at shoulder-width apart and pull until your chin is level with the pull-up bar.

You should then control the descent until you return to the bottom position with your arms almost straight. If the execution is too difficult, you canlighten up with elastic bands, as you did with the pronation grip. If it becomes too easy, you can use a weight belt or weighted vest.

 

Dips can also be performed; you will need an adjustable pull up bar or one with a dips variation.

This exercise targets the triceps, shoulders and lower pectorals. It's functional and considered one of the best Street Workout exercises for gaining strength, power and muscle.

Here are the steps to perfect dips: 

• Extend arms to 99% (do not overextend to avoid joint injury).
• Turn elbows inwards.
• Have a sheathed body.
• Go down to 90 degrees, then back up. 
• Keep your elbows at your sides, not outwards.
• Don't use your knees to pull yourself up (that's cheating!).
• Inhale on descent and exhale on ascent.

The positioning of your body will have an impact on the targeted muscle group:

• Vertical dips: triceps 
• Bent dips: pectorals
• Straight dips slightly forward: shoulders

Bodyweight dips can be a tricky exercise at first, so to make it easier for you to learn, we advise you to start with your feet on the ground.

To perform this exercise correctly, you'll need to straighten your legs, lower your arms to a 90° angle and then raise them again. Your upper body should be straight, and your torso should be arched.

You'll gradually start to progress, and once you've completed a dozen repetitions with ease, you'll be able to move on to the next level: dips with elastic bands.

With the help of the elastic bands, your technique will become perfect as you focus on the movement. You'll be able to lighten up with 3, 2 or 1 elastic band.

Choose the level of tension best suited to your level!

To get the most out of this assistance, place the elastic band on the bar and put your feet on it. Then follow the same movement as above. 

The aim is to be able to string together sets of about ten repetitions. Once you've done that, you'll be ready to do bodyweight dips without any help!

 

Who hasn't dreamed of performing this iconic Street Workout?

A figure that at first seems very difficult, but with a little time and practice is totally accessible. We're going to take you through the various stages to achieve the perfectmuscle-up! Before that, however, we recommend that you perform a dozen pull-ups and dips.

Step 1: The swing

Having a good balance will help you lay all the right foundations so that you can then explode upwards.

Step 2: The jump

Before starting the ascent, once the swing has begun, reach as far as you can with your feet in front of you, body straight and arms outstretched.

That's when you have to pull as hard as you can.

The aim is to wrap yourself around the bar. To do this, pull hard with your arms, but don't pull like a vertical pull, as you'll want to move the bar away from your body.

Once past the head, you'll need to start wrapping around the bar.

At this point, 90% of the work is done! All that's left is to push so that your arms are straight.

Tips: as with pull-ups, you can use elastic bands to lighten your body and get the movement into your head. 

Other street workout icons include the front lever and the back lever are in our top 9 best exercises to perform on a pull-up bar.

Here are the steps to success front Lever : 

Hands should be slightly tighter than shoulder-width apart, in a "strong grip" position.

Once this has been achieved, you'll need to pull the bar outwards and downwards simultaneously. 

Successful Front lever involves intermediate steps such as the Tuck Front Lever, the Semi Front Lever or the single-leg Tuck Lever.

It's the best way to understand the mechanics of this movement.

Once you've mastered the variations, it's time to move on to the elastic bands. They'll help you keep your balance, and need to be placed at hip level.

When you reach the 10-second mark on Front Lever with the elastic bands, it's time to take them off and try to hold on for as long as possible!

Let's move on to Back Lever :

Here are the different steps to succeed in this street workout figure: 

We advise you to be able to hold on to a bar for at least 30 seconds, as your grip will be important in performing this figure. That's why you'll need to practice hanging before starting this exercise.

About ten knee-to-head raises are recommended, as we're going to want to transverse our body. So this is an intermediate stage.

Take your time with this trick; it may look dangerous, but with a good warm-up and practice, it'll hold no secrets for you.

In the skin-the-cat position, bend your legs and contract your abdominal chain. Hold for as long as possible.

Fifth and last step, start in inverted position, i.e. head down and legs up. You will then have to descend very slowly to stabilize yourself in the back lever position.

Repeat this step as many times as possible and try to hold the horizontal position for as long as possible.

Tips: to simplify this exercise, you can use an elastic band, as for front lever. 

These 2 exercises will give you rock-hard abs!

As their name suggests, they involve L- and V-shaped positioning of the legs and upper body. 

L-Sit

V-Sit

They involve the abdominal girdle, the obliques, the quadriceps and the hip flexors.

You can use the following variations if these positions are too difficult to hold: 

• On the ground 
• One-legged
• Elastic band

To continue in the "abs made of concrete" category, one of the most effective exercises is the barbell leg raise.

Here are the steps to follow in order to work your abs effectively: 

• With your arms and legs straight, raise your legs into the L-Sit position.
• Don't swing, just move the lower part of your body.
• Stay 1 second and L-Sit then control the descent.

• Inhale on the way up and exhale on the way down.

• Repeat the movement 

These 9 exercises will give you a strong, muscular upper body. The exercises presented are ultra-complete and allow you to work efficiently.

To perform the above exercises, we recommend our pull-up bar Eric Flag. The Slide Bar can be adjusted in height from 1.05 m to 2.10 m every 10 cm, and can support loads of up to 300 kg!

The Slide Bar can be used for countless exercises, and is extremely sturdy.

Discover it on video :

Here's an exclusive routine to put the various exercises into practice. You'll find variations if the exercises are too easy or too difficult.

All you have to do is give it your all! 💪

If you need Bodybuilding and Street Workout equipment, we've got everything you need in our store!

I hope you've enjoyed this article and that it motivates you to give it your all!

See you soon!

Eric Flag