Single Pause Pull Up 101 Video Tutorial
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Exercise Synopsis
Target Muscle Group
Lats
Secondary Targets
Execution
Compound
Force Type
Pull (Bilateral)
Required Equipment
Bodyweight
Fitness Level
Intermediate
Variations
None
Alternatives
None
Timer
Hour
Minute
Second
Stopwatch
00:00:00:00
Overview
The Single Pause Pull Up is a challenging upper-body exercise primarily targeting the latissimus dorsi (lats), with secondary activation of the abs, biceps, shoulders, and upper back. It involves performing a pull-up while pausing for a brief moment at the top of the movement, holding your chin above the bar. This pause increases time under tension, enhancing muscle engagement and strength development. It can be done using just bodyweight, making it an effective bodyweight exercise for improving pulling strength, control, and endurance. The Single Pause Pull Up also helps improve grip strength and overall stability throughout the upper body.
How to Perform
Begin by grasping the pull-up bar with a pronated (overhand) grip, positioning your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Take a deep breath, engage your glutes, and tighten your core by bracing your abs to maintain stability throughout the movement.
Lower your shoulder blades down and back, preparing to activate your lats as you initiate the pull.
Pull yourself upward by driving your elbows straight down, focusing on engaging your lats while keeping your body controlled.
Once your chin reaches the bar, pause briefly to maximize muscle contraction and increase time under tension.
Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position, maintaining control of the movement, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
To reduce bicep involvement, use a thumbless grip (also called a false grip), which minimizes the use of the arms and focuses more on the back muscles, particularly the lats.
Maintain a neutral head position, either looking straight ahead or slightly upward. Avoid hyperextending your neck, as this can cause misalignment and unnecessary strain along the spine.
If the bar allows, engage your core and keep your legs straight in front of you in a hollow body position. This will help maintain stability and prevent any swinging.
Prevent hyperextension of the lower back by squeezing your glutes and tightening your abs. This ensures proper spinal alignment and minimizes risk of injury.
Complete the pull-up by fully contracting your lats at the top. Do not continue pulling once your lats are fully engaged, as overextending could lead to compensating with the chest muscles, which may cause your elbows to flare behind you, rounding your shoulders and placing pressure on the front of your shoulders.
Your ability to bring your chin over the bar depends on your body proportions, so don’t worry if this isn’t achievable for everyone.
Lower yourself with control, bringing your elbows close to full extension, but avoid locking them out completely. This will reduce strain on the elbow and shoulder joints, protecting the ligaments.
If you are unable to complete a full pull-up, start by performing slow negative pull-ups (lowering yourself slowly) or flexed arm hangs at the top position to build strength over time. Once you can control these movements, gradually add weight as needed.
Avoid using straps or kipping to perform the pull-up. Neither is necessary for proper form and can compromise the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep the movement strict to target the intended muscles.
How Not to Perform
Avoid Swinging or Using Momentum
Do not jerk or swing your body to pull yourself up. This reduces the focus on your lats and increases the risk of injury. Maintain a controlled movement throughout, using only the strength of your muscles, not momentum, to lift yourself.
Don’t Let Your Shoulders Shrug Up
Keep your shoulders depressed (down and back) at the start of the pull-up. Avoid letting them rise toward your ears, as this decreases lat activation and puts unnecessary strain on your neck and traps.
Avoid Pulling with Your Arms Instead of Your Lats
Do not rely on your biceps or arms to do the work. Focus on driving your elbows down to engage the lats. If you feel your arms doing too much of the work, you’re likely not activating your lats properly.
Don’t Hyperextend Your Neck
Keep your neck in a neutral position by looking slightly ahead or up. Avoid craning your neck too much, as this can create tension in the spine and reduce focus on the target muscles.
Don’t Overextend Your Lower Back
Avoid arching or excessively extending your lower back. Engage your glutes and core to prevent this overextension. An overarched lower back can strain the lumbar spine and detracts from targeting the lats.
Don’t Continue Pulling After Full Lat Contraction
Once your lats are fully engaged at the top of the movement, avoid pulling further by overextending with your chest. This can lead to shoulder issues and unnecessary strain on the pecs, compromising the effectiveness of the exercise.
Avoid Locking Out Your Elbows
Do not lock out your elbows completely at the bottom of the movement. Hyperextension can strain the elbow and shoulder joints. Aim to lower yourself to just shy of full extension, keeping tension in your muscles.
Don’t Use Straps or Kipping
Avoid using straps or kipping (using momentum to assist the pull-up). These can diminish the focus on proper form and muscle activation, leading to inefficient training and potential injury.
Don’t Let Your Body Sway or Move Uncontrollably
Keep your body as stable as possible throughout the movement. Avoid excessive swaying, swinging, or kicking your legs, as this reduces the load on the target muscles and increases the risk of injury.
Avoid Rushing the Movement
Don’t perform the pull-up too quickly. Take your time on both the upward and downward phases. Rushed movements will waste energy and reduce the focus on controlled muscle engagement, especially in the lats.
Variations
Variations of fitness exercises refer to different ways of performing a specific exercise or movement to target various muscle groups, intensities, or goals. These variations aim to challenge the body differently, prevent plateaus, and cater to individuals with varying fitness levels.
Alternatives
Alternative exercises in fitness refer to different movements or activities that target similar muscle groups or serve the same training purpose as the primary exercise. These alternative exercises can be used as substitutes when the original exercise is unavailable or challenging to perform due to various reasons such as equipment limitations, injuries, or personal preferences.
