Pullups are an extremely difficult exercise, especially for beginners. For example, most marines cadets need up to six months to do their first full pull-up on the horizontal bar.
What makes this exercise so difficult? Its main difficulty lies in the fact that a person needs to raise his own weight, using only the muscles of his upper body. For this reason, novice athletes are in search of an alternative to pull-ups, before embarking on this difficult exercise.
In this article, you will learn how to replace pull-ups at home and in the gym.
Pull-ups with an expander
To facilitate the exercise, first of all, pay attention to the elastic expander. It helps to increase body weight and makes exercise more manageable. In the presence of a horizontal bar, such pull-ups can be trained even at home. The only drawback is that the expander helps poorly at the very beginning of the movement.
Technique of execution:
- Fasten the elastic expander to the horizontal bar. The load level will depend on its resistance.
- Throw the expander on one knee. Then grab the horizontal bar with a medium or wide grip.
- Keeping your shoulder blades and bending your elbows, pull yourself up until the chin touches the crossbar. The elbows should be pulled apart.
- Hold for a second at the top and lower to the starting position. Repeat the maximum number of times.
Simulators
In preparation for full pull-ups, you must resort to the help of special simulators. They allow you to use less weight than body weight, and help to gradually build muscle in the back, arms and chest.
Thus, simulators in which you can perform exercises that replace the pull-ups will help bridge the gap in the level of muscle strength from where you are now to the level that you must reach in order to do at least one full pull-up with your own weight. The difficulty lies in the fact that there are not so many exercises that fully imitate pull-ups.
It is also worth considering what kind of pull-ups you want to replace. Pull-ups affect the biceps and pectoral muscle, while Pull-ups are aimed at working out the lower part of the trapezius muscles.
So, let’s consider in practice how to replace pull-ups in the gym and at home.
Gravitron pull-ups
Gravitron is a counterweight simulator in which you can independently vary the load. The greater the counterweight, the easier it is to complete the exercise. Use pull-ups in the gravitron in the initial stages of training.
Technique of execution:
- Prepare the simulator by setting the required weight (for beginners, 70-80% of body weight). Climb onto the simulator, kneeling on the platform, grasp the upper handrails with your hands. Keep the body straight, look at the ceiling.
- On exhalation, due to the broadest muscles of the back, begin to pull yourself up to the point until the chin occupies the level of the handrails. At the top point, squeeze the lats and linger for a second.
- Then, as you exhale, slowly straightening your arms, return to the starting position. Do 10-15 reps.
Thrust of the upper block to the chest
This is the main exercise that simulates pull-ups. If the question of how to replace the pull-ups, an unambiguous answer was needed - by pulling the upper block to the chest. Therefore, it is very important to perform this exercise to strengthen the back muscles. It is necessary to work with sufficient weight in order to achieve muscle hypertrophy.
Technique of execution:
- Pre-adjust the treadmill for yourself by adjusting the seat and setting the working weight.
- Stand and grasp the handle with a wide enough grip. Hands should be slightly wider than shoulders. Sit up, raise your hands up. Lean back a bit, the cable should be pulled. Your torso is a counterweight.
- Bringing the shoulder blades with emphasis on the latissimus dorsi muscles, pull the handle to the lower chest so that the elbows look 45 degrees down. As you move, keep the body leaning slightly backward.
- Return the simulator handle to its starting position. Perform 10-15 repetitions.
Hammer vertical thrust
This exercise is similar to the previous one, but its feature is that when the levers move along a stable path, the joints and spine do not get too much load. Vertical traction is something to replace the pull-ups definitely worth it.
Technique of execution:
- Pre-adjust the simulator for yourself by adjusting the height of the seat and setting the working weight.
- Sit, rest your torso in the back of the simulator. Flatten the shoulder blades, the back should be even, at the bottom keep a slight deflection. Keep the body motionless during approach. Grab the levers of the simulator with a narrow grip, elbows near the body. Using a wide grip, the elbows should extend to the sides.
- Pull the levers towards you, synchronizing breathing and movement. As you exhale, connect the shoulder blades to fully open the chest. Raise the leverage with the power of the broadest muscles, pushing your elbows maximum back.
- As you inhale, reverse the movement and carefully place the weight in the initial position. At a low point, keep a small angle at the elbow joints. Perform 10-15 repetitions.
T-bar pull
This exercise is intended for training large back muscles. The movement is similar to the rod’s pull to the belt, however it is easier to observe the accuracy of the exercise. Thanks to this, you can work with large weights without fear of injury. T-bar pull can be done both in a special simulator and with an ordinary barbell.
Technique of execution:
- Place pancakes on one end of the bar. Place the opposite end in a corner or ask the partner to fix it with his foot. If you have a special pen, fasten it on the bar next to the pancakes. If there is no handle, grab the bar with two hands near the pancakes. One brush in front, the other behind.
- Place the bar between your legs, then lean forward with your knees bent. Using your back muscles, lift the body to tear the bar off the floor.
- As you exhale, pull the bar toward you without moving your elbows from the body. Hold for a second at the peak point, driving the shoulder blades.
- While inhaling, slowly lower the barbell to its initial position, feeling the stretching of the back muscles. Do not unbend your elbows at the bottom, leaving pancakes on weight. Perform 10-15 repetitions.
Conclusion
So, now you know what exercises to replace pull-ups on the horizontal bar. However, if you have not yet learned to pull yourself up or do it just a few times, do not rush to look for a replacement. You can perform them in a special simulator - a gravitron or use an expander. Over time, your tendons and muscles will become stronger, more durable, and you can easily pull up on the horizontal bar not only with your own weight, but also with extra weight.