Pull ups target the major muscle groups of your back including the lats, rhomboids and traps, as well as your biceps muscles. While your back and biceps engage to lift and lower your body, you also have to tighten your core and legs to keep your body tight and erect during the movement. These combined efforts make the pull up one of the best full-body exercises you can perform. A traditional pull up requires substantial upper body strength to lift and lower your body weight from a suspended bar. If you're not quite to the point where that's an option, work your way up with these modified exercises.

Smith Machine Pull Up

Using a Smith Machine, adjust the bar to a level between your waist and chest. If you don't have access to a Smith Machine, a jungle gym bar of roughly the same height will work as well.

• Stand with the bar in front of you and grip the bar so that your hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
• Walk your feet forward and underneath the bar until your body is fully extended and your arms are extended and perpendicular to the floor
• Check your form: your heels should be in contact with the ground, your toes pointing up; your body should form a straight line from heel to head
• Engage your back and biceps and pull your torso up toward the bar while bending your elbow - keep your body tight and straight throughout the movement
• When your chest is a couple inches from the bar, slowly lower your self back to the starting position
• Perform two to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions

Note: If you struggle to perform even a few repetitions, try the exercise with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor to help support some of your body weight

Pull Up Release

Pulling your body up to the bar is only half of the pull up movement, you also have to be strong enough to lower yourself steadily back to the starting position. If you're not quite ready to perform the full pull up, work on the pull up release, strengthening the down-portion of the pull up exercise.

• Place a sturdy chair or bench under the pull up bar to help you start the exercise
• Stand on the chair or bench and grip the pull up bar with your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
• You want to start the exercise with your chin at bar-height, your elbows bent, your torso taut and your knees bent behind your body; chances are you're not in that position while standing on the chair, so you're going to have to hop up and tighten your torso, back and biceps while bending your knees behind you to achieve this starting position
• Try to hold the starting position for a half-second to a second, then as slowly as you can, allow your elbows to extend as you lower yourself back toward the chair or bench
• Place your feet on the chair or bench and repeat the exercise six to 10 times

Note: If you have a workout buddy, ask her to spot you through this exercise by standing behind you with her hands underneath your rib cage. She doesn't have to assist you with the movement, but if you become tired, she can help ensure that your elbows don't extend too quickly.

Assisted Pull Up

Many fitness facilities and gyms offer an assisted pull up machine. These machines allow you to perform the pull up movement without having to lift your whole body weight, and you can slowly adjust the resistance until you're prepared to try a pull up on your own. Unlike most machines, the weight you choose from the weight stack actually gets easier as the amount goes up. If you want to familiarize yourself with the movement without pushing yourself too hard, choose a weight amount close to your own body weight.

• Choose a weight amount from the weight stack
• Step up onto the machine and grip the pull up bar
• Place your feet or knees onto the moveable bar or knee pad - keep in mind that when you place your weight on this part of the equipment, it will move, so make sure you're gripping the pull up bar tightly
• Tighten your back and biceps and pull yourself up to the bar, then lower yourself back to start
• Repeat the exercise 10 to 12 times

The Real McCoy

After several weeks of building your upper body strength, you'll want to start attempting real pull ups. You may not be able to do one, but you'll never know until you try. Try one of the following exercises provided in the video library:

• Wide Grip Pull Up

• Rock Climbing Pull Ups

• Neutral Grip Pull Ups

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