Pull-ups
Towel pull-ups
- Kit
- Pull-up bar
- Works
- lats · forearms and grip
- Also
- biceps · mid-back · rear delts · core
Towel pull-ups are a vertical pull done gripping a towel draped over the bar instead of the bar itself. The neutral, unstable grip loads the forearms and hands far harder than a standard pull-up while still building the back and arms. They suit anyone who already owns clean pull-ups and wants grip strength that carries over to climbing, carrying and heavy lifting.
Form
How to do towel pull-ups
- 1Hang one or two towels over the bar so the ends fall to about head height, and grip each end firmly with a full fist, thumb wrapped.
- 2Hang with arms straight, shoulders pulled down away from your ears, legs together and slightly in front so you stop swinging.
- 3Pull your elbows down and into your ribs until your chin passes the height of your hands, breathing out as you rise.
- 4Lower under control to a full straight-arm hang, breathing in on the way down, and keep squeezing the towel throughout.
- 5Hold the hang between efforts rather than dropping off, and step down calmly when the set ends.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Loosening the grip at the top so the towel slips through your hands.
Fix: Crush the towel hardest at the top of each pull and keep your thumb wrapped around the fabric.
Swinging and kicking to generate height once the forearms fatigue.
Fix: Cross your ankles and squeeze your glutes to lock the body, and slow the pull down rather than heaving.
Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears at the bottom of the hang.
Fix: Start each pull by drawing the shoulder blades down and back before the elbows bend.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.