The Pull-Up is the king of all calisthenics exercises.
Lets take a look at how grip impacts difficulty and the muscles used..
Beginner to Advanced:
1 – Explosive Pull-Up
Those looking to increase their plyometric pulling power for muscle ups need to train explosively. Keep the scapula engaged and aim to pull the bar to chest height without kipping or using momentum.
2 – Wide Grip Pull-Up
This technique emphasises the latissimus dorsi muscle as it performs adduction, extension, and internal rotation at the shoulders.
3 – L-Sit Pull-Up
Holding an L-sit forces the torso backwards, shifting the centre of mass demands greater scapula stability when hanging. This subtle posterior positioning makes the shoulder extensors muscles work significantly harder.
4 – Archer Pull-Up
When ready, calisthenics beginners should progress towards unilateral pull up variations. The difficulty is increased because one arm is being challenged at a time. These are perfect for strength training towards the one arm pull-up and one arm chin-up exercises.
5 – Inverted Pull-Up
When bodyweight rows or australian pull-ups get too easy, start rowing your entire bodyweight. Horizontal pulling is incredible for developing back thickness in muscles such as the rhomboids and trapezius. This exercise is called front lever pull-ups or front lever rows in the calisthenics community on reddit.
That’s 5 pull-up progressions which are possible at home with only a bar..
