Much like the chin up, a pull-up is a compound, pull-type exercise that works a large number of muscles in your back, shoulders, and arms.

1. Approach the pullup bar and extend your arms, taking a shoulder width, overhand grip on a pullup bar, i.e., palms facing away from you. Likely, you will need to jump up to grab the bar or reach if from a bench.

2. Hang extended from the bar then, inhale as you begin to pull upward, sticking your chest out.

3. Pull until your chin is level with the bar.

4. Exhale as you complete the movement, lowering yourself to the starting position then, repeat the next repetition.

Notes:
This is a difficult exercise for most to perform. When beginning, take a narrower grip on the bar. As you become more conditioned and experienced, take a wide grip. The wider the grip the more the exercise will work the traps and lats.

This exercise develops the lats and teres major. It also places intense focus on the biceps (though not as much as a chin up) and brachialis. It is usually incorporated in exercise programs that focus on training the arm regions.

Other secondary muscles involved include the trapezius (both middle and lower portions), rhomboids, and pectorals.

Because this exercise requires great strength and muscle conditioning, it is advisable to use a resistance pull-up machine before attempting the full exercise. The resistance machine will help you develop a strength foundation for this exercise and adequately condition your muscles.

1. Inhale and curl your wrists up as far as you can.

2. Exhale while you complete the movement and return to the starting point prior to the next repetition.

Notes: This exercise primarily works the flexors of the wrists and fingers.

1. Inhale and straighten your arms by pushing them downward until the bar touches the front of your legs. Don’t let your elbows leave your sides.

2. Exhale while you complete the movement. Return to starting position for the next repetition. Your forearms will be parallel to the floor. Perform next repetition.

Notes: This isolation exercise works the triceps and the anconeus.

When returning to the starting position, you can do so slowly to feel the exercise more intensely.

To be more stable with heavy weights, lean a little forward for better balance.

For beginners, this is one of the easiest triceps exercises. Build a good strength foundation with it before progressing to more difficult exercises.

1. Anchor your elbow to your side so that your forearm is parallel to your thigh, i.e., the arm is bent about 90 degrees.

2. Straighten your arm backward by extending the elbow until your arm is at a 180-degree angle. Inhale first then, straighten.

3. Exhale while you complete the movement.

Notes: This exercise is excellent for pumping the entire triceps group. Additionally, you can tie in the posterior deltoids by lifting the entire arm up to about a 45 degree angel to the floor after you have straightened the elbow.

This exercise is often called ‘dumbbell kickbacks’.

1. Inhale and bend your elbows to about a 90 degree angle, i.e., your forearms should be about horizontal to the floor. Do not let your elbows wander to the side; keep them perpendicular to the floor and your body.

2. Return to the starting position. Exhale while you complete the movement.

Notes: This is a great exercise for developing larger triceps, i.e., building triceps mass.

1. Inhale and bend your arms, lowering your body until your upper arms (triceps and biceps) are horizontal or at a 90 degree angle to the floor.

2. Straighten your arms to return to the starting point. Exhaling while you complete the movement prior to the next repetition.

Notes: This exercise works the triceps, pectorals, and anterior deltoids. You can make the exercise more intense by having a partner place a weight plate on your thighs.

2. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Tip: Only the forearms should move.

3. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.

4. Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in. Repeat for subsequent reps.

Variations:

a. You can also perform this movement using a straight bar attachment hooked to a low pulley. This variation seems to really provide a good contraction at the top of the movement.

b. You may also use the closer grip for variety purposes.

1. Inhale and bend your elbows to lower the bar behind your neck. If you feel too much pressure on your elbows, don’t lower them so much or use a lighter weight.

2. Return to the starting position. Exhale while you complete the extension.

Notes: Do not arch the back. Either contract your abdomen muscles or use a seat with back to prevent this.

This is a good exercise to stretch the long head of the triceps and work it very intensely. Also, the overhand grip helps to work the lateral head of the triceps.

For safety reasons, do not arch your back. If possible, use a bench with a short back for support.

Stand or sit and use an overhand grip on the bar with your arms extended upward. You can also use dumbbells.

1. Inhale and bend your elbows to lower the bar behind your neck. If you feel too much pressure on your elbows, don’t lower them so much or use a lighter weight.

2. Return to the starting position. Exhale while you complete the extension.

Notes: Do not arch the back. Either contract your abdomen muscles or use a seat with back to prevent this.

This is a good exercise to stretch the long head of the triceps and work it very intensely. Also, the overhand grip helps to work the lateral head of the triceps.

For safety reasons, do not arch your back. If possible, use a bench with a short back for support.

1. Inhale and extend your arms straight until they are above your head.

2. Exhale while you complete the movement. Return to starting position for the next repetition.

Notes: The vertical position of the arms stretches the long head, which helps work the triceps well.

Do not arch your back. The best way to keep from doing so is to contract your abdominal muscles or use a bench that has a back support.

1. Curl your wrists back toward you as far as you comfortably can.

2. Return to the starting position for the next repetition.

Notes: This is an excellent movement for strengthening the wrist extensor muscles.