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Exercise Daily – Negative pull ups are a great approach to develop muscle and prepare for full pull ups since they are challenging. Pulling yourself up to the halfway point of a pull up while maintaining your chin over the bar is called a negative pull up.
Afterward, you gently lower yourself into a dead hang while defying gravity. You must maintain control of your back and arm muscles while you lower yourself.
If you steadily increase the length of time it takes you to descend, you will gradually gain the strength you need to do your first pullup at the top of the exercise.
An extremely effective progression exercise, negative pull ups target the bottom portion of a typical pull up. It is the most difficult aspect of the exercise.
Pull ups are a good progression from negative pull ups to conventional pull ups. This is because they require you to concentrate on the downward part of the pull up rather than the upward section.
The proper approach to do a negative pull up is to start in the flex hang and then progress to the dead-hand position. This may seem to be a less difficult version of a conventional pull up, and it is. However, there are still advantages to completing this exercise.
Negative Pull Ups Benefits
The following are some of the advantages of negative pull ups:
- Great warm-up activity before doing classic pull ups
- Increases the strength of one’s grasp
- Increases both muscle mass and strength
- Targets a variety of muscular groups, including the back, arms, chest, and core
- Improves the performance of other workouts such as deadlifts and barbell rows
- Aids in the development of body control and coordination
Despite the fact that this popular workout may seem strange at first sight, it offers a lot of advantages. Negative pull ups, for example, are a fantastic upper-body workout.
With this exercise, you will be using all of the muscles in your arms, chest, shoulders, and core. It makes it an excellent preparatory exercise for classic pull ups. Negative component of the exercise may be more effective in increasing muscle mass than the complete rep.
Using pull up negatives can help you gain strength and endurance over time. It is a significant advantage over other forms of endurance training.
The fact that you are conditioning your body to execute conventional pull ups while executing negative pull ups is another advantage of completing these exercises. By doing negative pull ups, you are gradually increasing your muscle mass and strength. It will ultimately allow you to complete a conventional pull up successfully.
Adding this exercise to your gym regimen may provide variety to your workout. This is particularly true if you are having difficulty doing a traditional pull up. In order to keep your exercise interesting, you should constantly push yourself throughout it.
If your activity gets too easy, you should go up to the next level, which is a standard pull up.
Negative Pull Ups Target Muscles
Pull ups with a wide grip train the muscles in the arms and shoulders. When executing Negative Pull Ups, the following muscles are primarily engaged:
- Lats
- Back Muscles
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Core
- Shoulders
Lats
The lats are in charge of the bulk of the pulling during a conventional pull up exercise. They are powerful muscles that help to propel the motion upwards. In this particular instance, they are assisting you in maintaining control of your weight on the way back down.
Back muscles
Pull ups of any kind engage a variety of back muscles, including the trapezius, rhomboids, teres major, and levator scapulae. In order to lower oneself down, all of these muscles are activated during a negative pull up. They work together to accomplish this.
Biceps
The biceps activate to a variable degrees depending on your hand position. Your bicep activation increases if your hands are turned in towards you throughout the exercise. Throughout a negative pull up, there will always be some biceps involvement.
Triceps
The triceps are not involved to the same extent as the rest of these muscles, but they are engaged because they assist in the extension of the elbow, which will occur during the lower part of the activity.
Core
Throughout negative pull ups, your core will be used since keeping it engaged will assist you in maintaining control of your body during the negative phase. Maintaining a firm core will aid in preventing you from swinging excessively. Hence, it will allow you to concentrate on your back muscles.
Shoulders
Negative pulls will also engage your shoulder muscles – particularly your rear deltoids and trapezius muscles. These are involved in pulling actions and will be engaged during negative pulls.
You’ll also want to concentrate on maintaining your shoulder blades back and tight during the exercise. It will engage your shoulders even more than before.
Pull up negatives, like conventional pull ups, are an excellent way to strengthen your core muscles as well as your upper body muscles. It is beneficial for a total-body exercise.
How to Do Negative Pull Ups
Let’s discuss how to do pull ups for beginners.
Begin at the top of the bar
Because you’ll only be doing the second half of a pullup, you’ll need to start with your chin above the bar while performing this exercise.
You may stand on any sturdy item to help you get into the ideal posture. This can be a stepladder, stable chair, or exercise box. Additionally, you may request that a spotter raise you up and keep you in place until you’re ready to start.
Pull your shoulder blades together as though you were swimming
Lift your chest slightly and pull your shoulder blades toward each other, as if you’re attempting to bring them together. This will help you engage your latissimus dorsi muscles and avoid relying on the muscles in your arms.
Before you move off your support, think of your shoulder blades as down and back.
Reduce the pressure gradually
If your feet aren’t already in the air, take a few steps back and lift them. Then, carefully lower yourself from the bar, regulating your fall so that you experience the greatest amount of resistance possible.
The most difficult element is maintaining control of the release. Just slipping off the bar will not help you grow muscle or educate your body on the proper sequence of muscle actions.
Lower fully
When you’re in a “dead hang,” with your arms completely stretched above your head and your feet contacting either the floor or the item on which you originally stood, you’re done!
You may either repeat the negative on its own or combine it with partner-assisted pull ups to increase your strength and endurance.
Tips to Do Negative Pull Ups
Dead hang
If you’re having trouble with the negative, try the dead hang to help you develop your grip strength. Increase the amount of time you spend in the dead hang — arms outstretched, feet off the support. Continue until you are able to hold it for as long as feasible.
It may be beneficial to work with a trainer to build a pull up progression. In this way, you know how many repetitions of each exercise you need to do. It will help you attain your goal in a safe amount of time.
Seconds are crucial
As you descend, keep track of the number of steps. If it takes you two seconds to descend on your first attempt, consider completing numerous repeats in half that time. Take a short break between reps to get your timing down.
Every time you practise, add two or more seconds to the time it takes you to descend.
Stay less wide
On the pullup bar, keep your hands slightly broader than shoulder width apart from one another. Take note that this form of workout is known to put stress on your shoulders. So, it may not be suitable for everyone.
It’s important to decide the right time
Because negatives are taxing on the body, you may want to include them into your exercise at a time when you are not already weary.
Equipment required
If you want to do negative pull ups, the most important piece of equipment you will need is a pull up bar. There are a variety of grips and handles available, depending on the sort of pull up you are doing at the time.
A wide-grip, hands-forward pull up may be accomplished using straight bars. They also include attachments with parallel bars for inward grip pull ups. These may be found in most gyms, either on their own or as part of a squat rack or cable crossover machine. You may also employ rings to carry out these pull ups.
Another piece of equipment you’ll need is a box or bench, which will allow you to assist yourself up to the peak of the movement. You may also utilize resistance bands, which will assist you in propelling yourself higher. In this way, you can complete a negative pull up easily.
Lebert Fitness Stand
This durable and solid pull up stand may be used as a pull up bar, dipping station, push up bar for arm exercises, L-sits and knee and leg lifts, and more.
Lebert EQualizer Bars are available in two sizes. Moreover, they have undergone extensive testing to guarantee that they are the proper fit for you and your safety. The regular (28″ high) is best for people up to 5′ 10″.
However, the bigger XL (31″ high) is best fit for customers taller than 5′ 10″
Separate, unconnected bars are essential to any dip stand exercise because they create the stability required for an effective parallette bar-style routine with proper form and tower alignment.
The bars can handle up to 400 pounds and are simple to construct, stack, and store, making them ideal for use in your home gym or group boot camp classes.
You can join Lebert’s private online fitness club. It offers free exercise routines, substantial support, and coaching tools that will help you get started and maintain your motivation.
Bottom line
It is an easy-to-use negative pull ups bar for people with average height. The portable and lightweight design makes it an easier choice to keep in your home gym.
Pros
- Easy to assemble and put together
- Lightweight negative pull ups bar
- Stable
Cons
- Foam grips are not effective
- Low height for tall people
ProsourceFit Multi-Use Doorway Pull-Up Bar
For individuals wishing to get a mid-section workout at home, the ProSourceFit is a fantastic piece of training equipment. Because of the multiple grip positions available on this pull up bar, you may concentrate your effort on all of the muscles in your arms, shoulders, and lower back.
Sit-ups, negative pull ups and crunches are made easier with the ProSourceFit Easy Gym Doorway Bar. You can move it near to the ground while still being attached to the doorframe. You may even place the gadget on the floor to do supported push-ups and dips while lying down.
This ProSourceFit bar provides a variety of grip choices to accommodate users. Underhand and overhand grips may be performed from three different locations. This provides you with narrow, neutral, and broad workout possibilities.
With a user weight capacity of 300 lbs, you won’t have to worry about falling out of the doorframe when using this equipment to exercise.
Bottom line
Made of high-grade steel and featuring ProSourceFit Comfort Grip technology, this heavy-duty ProSourceFit Easy Gym chin-up bar is both durable and easy to hold in your hands.
While you do not need to drill holes in the doorframe to install this bar, it does come with optional brackets in case you choose to place it on the wall instead of on the doorframe itself.
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Works with all standard door frames
- Comes with a grip foam
Cons
- Collapses while hanging
- Damages your door frame
- Not suitable for heavy weight
Pure Fitness Doorway Pull-Up Bar
Although designed to be tiny and easy, it is very effective. The Pure Fitness Multi-Purpose Pull-Up Bar is the perfect at-home strengthening and toning training for people of all fitness levels.
There are eight grip settings on this heavy-duty bar. These settings allow you to execute numerous workouts to shape and trim your whole body. It fits through most doorways and includes six foam-padded grips.
Every workout you’ll need to create a strong upper body is right here. The negative pull ups bar works by using your own bodyweight resistance to produce rapid and significant results.
You’ll notice a difference in the strength and tone of your biceps, triceps, chest, back, shoulders, and abdomen. It’s now simple to get the strong, lean figure you’ve always desired, all from the comfort of your own home.
This product comes with an instructional training handbook that includes fitness recommendations and appropriate techniques. When there is a limited amount of space, it is simple and straightforward to install, remove, and store.
Bottom line
Six foam-padded grips and eight grip positions allow you to exercise and sculp your upper-body muscles. This heavy-duty steel design is easy to install and does not cause damage to entrances or walls during installation.
Pros
- Non-slip rubber feet
- Heavy-duty steel construction
- Six high-density foam padded grips
- Fits most doorways
Cons
- Damages door frame
- Flimsy construction
- Not suitable for high weight
ProSourceFit Dip Stand Station
Without the use of weights or heavy equipment that takes up too much room, you may train your whole upper body and develop core strength. Bodyweight resistance is used in the ProsourceFit Dip Station to shape muscles.
The height of the station can be adjusted to suit people of different sizes and heights, including children. The body press bar is constructed of solid iron, yet it is surprisingly light and can be easily disassembled for storage.
Push-ups, L-sits, traditional dips, negative pull ups and a variety of other workouts are possible with this tool.
Rubber feet help to prevent slipping, and a stabilizing safety connector increases the length between bars. Moreover, the padded grips make it comfortable to build muscle without weights by performing dips, L-sits, push-ups, and inverted rows.
Each bar is 24″ broad by 31″ high, with an adjustment range of 35″, allowing you to put them parallel or staggered for a wider range of workout options.
Bottom line
ProSourceFit stand station has durable iron tubes with a powder-coated finish. It can hold up to 400 pounds. This allows you to exercise your chest, triceps, shoulders, and core in a safe and effective manner. Iron bars are lightweight and portable, making them simple to move about.
Pros
- Ultra-durable iron bars
- Rubber soles for stability
- Non-slip base
- Lightweight
- Portable
Cons
- The middle bar is thin
- Shakes when full body weight is put onto it
Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Pull Up Bar
The Perfect Fitness Pull Up Bar is multifunctional. You may flip it over and utilize it to execute sit-ups, push-ups, negative pull ups and dips. Additionally, you can use it as a doorway pull-up bar.
It has an excellent weight capacity of 300 pounds. It comes with padding, and the broad grip curved ergonomic handles provide three grip choices for wide, close, and hammer grip pull-ups. Moreover, the cushioned handles provide comfort for sit-ups, push-ups, and dips.
Turn the machine over and set it on the floor! The cushioned grips maintain proper form and give comfort throughout the workout. It has a door frame protector with a patented design and two-way adjustability.
Bottom line
This multifunctional pull up bar is perfect for people who are looking for sweat-absorbing grip pads. Moreover, it is easy to assemble to carry around in any room of your home or gym.
Pros
- Grip pads are sweat absorbent
- Easy to assemble
- Portable
Cons
- Damages door frame
- No holes to drill
Mind Reader PULLBAR
Using the Mind Reader doorway pull-up bar can enable you to strengthen and tone your upper body muscles. Tone all muscles including those in your arms and back as well as your shoulder muscles. It is long-lasting and simple to use for everyone.
This training bar allows you to become healthy and shape your upper body by executing a variety of various workouts. These include negative pull ups, chin-ups, and push-ups, all with a single piece of equipment!
It’s a piece of home training equipment that’s both adaptable and useful. When you have limited space, it is simple and straightforward to install, remove, and store. The adjustable bar twists and extends to accommodate different door widths.
It is a heavy-duty chrome steel bar with door mounts that provides excellent support and safety for your exercises. The door mounts guarantee that the doorway pull-up bar remains in position while you are working out.
Bottom line
It has two non-slip, extra-long, foam-padded grips, as well as eight variable grip settings for increased comfort. In this way, this bar helps to reduce hand tiredness or soreness during exercises. Because the door bar is collapsible, it is simple to transport, carry, and put away.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Sturdy construction
- Padded grips
- Portable
Cons
- Does not hold well
- Does not contain the safety parts
- Leaves mark on the doorframe
HealSmart Heavy Duty Doorway Pull Up Bar
HealSmart pull-up bar is constructed with two high-quality and thick silicone pads on each side for added comfort. The silicone pad may be securely attached to the door wall without the need for fasteners and will not fall down while in use.
It may be made more stable by adding extra weight. You can get a lot of assistance and safety with a pull-up bar provided by HealSmart.
The pull up bar is secured with a unique mechanism to ensure that it does not move while you train. Apart from that, this pull-up bar will help to preserve your entryway and walls undamaged.
HealSmart pull up bar may be used in any setting, including your apartment, business, home, and hotel. Pull up bar length may be adjusted, and the hand-grips are soft and comfortable.
These negative pull ups bars are available in a variety of lengths ranging from 34″ to 45″. Before making a purchase, it is necessary to measure the distance between the doors. Non-slip & long foam soft grips care for your hand, reducing hand tiredness and soreness while you’re working.
Bottom line
The HealSmart pull-up bar is ideal for building upper-body strength. It may be utilized in a variety of workouts such as pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, hanging leg raises, crunches, and many more. HealSmart pull up bar is must-have training equipment for everyone!
Pros
- Installation is simple
- No screws or drilling required
- Secure locking system
- Non-slip soft grips
Cons
- Not suitable for heavy weight
Perfect Basic Pull up Bar
Traditional or negative pull ups are difficult, but the Perfect Basic Pull up bar’s groundbreaking unique swing arm makes the bar accessible to people of all fitness levels. It makes it feasible for virtually anybody to do a pull up successfully.
The Perfect Pull up, which has an adjustable swing arm, aids in the development of upper body strength. Apart from the typical pull up, the swing arm may be utilized for many additional workouts. These include tricep presses, lunges, and a range of other moves.
The Perfect Basic Pullup is simple to install and maintains the complete functionality of the door. Moreover, it fits most door frames ranging in width from 27 to 36 inches. There are three settings available, ranging from beginner to experienced.
Bottom line
The easy installation of this pull up bar makes it a go-to choice for many people. Moreover, it is good for pull up progression as different setting are available. Hence, you can adjust the settings anytime you want.
Pros
- Sturdy construction
- Easy installation
- Rubber foams and grips
Cons
- Bends with high weight
- Screws are not good quality
Garren Fitness Maximiza Pull Up Bar
These pull up bars are composed of chrome steel,and has three sets of mounting gear. The first two of them support up to 300 pounds of weight each. Although the medium-duty door mount has a weight capacity of 150 pounds, it is not suggested for usage above waist level.
Without the door mounts, you may also use the bar for sit-up foot support and other mild activities, such as stretching. The bar is adjustable and fits doors ranging in width from 26 to 36 inches. It may be set in such a manner that a door can still shut properly.
The grips on the bar are made of non-slip, extra-long foam. It is perfect for negative pull ups. The company recommends that you use your weight slowly during the first few workouts. This is to verify that the bar is properly fixed on the wall or ceiling.
Garren Fitness offers a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you’re not pleased for any reason, you can obtain a complete refund with no questions asked.
Bottom line
This is one of the best bar for negative pull ups if you are okay with drilling. It’s installation requires drilling, but the stability is excellent.
Pros
- Comfortable grips
- Heavy-duty chrome construction
- Door mounts for stability
- Non-slip padding
Cons
- Installation requires drilling
- Foam grips may wear with the use
Sportsroyals Power Tower Dip Station Pull Up
The Sportsroyals power tower is composed of 14-gauge thick square steel with a scratch-resistant coat finish. It can support riders weighing up to 400 pounds for extended periods of time.
H-shape foundation with a length of 39.7 inches provides double stability for our power tower. More loading places are available due to the lengthy base. The extended steel creates 8 support points, which increases the contact area.
It is a multi-functional power tower that allows you to do exercises such as vertical knee raises, push-ups, dips, and negative pull-ups.
The armrest of this dip station is slightly slanted towards the inner 10 degrees to prevent the elbow from falling off. It has an ergonomic design with PU padding for elbow protection.
Bottom line
With seven adjustable holes in the supporting tube, the back cushion of the power tower may be modified before and after use in accordance with the user’s height. Hence, it is best if you need the pull up station for more than one person.
Pros
- High quality steel construction
- 8 support points
- Long-size H-shape Base
- Adjustable heights and backrest positions
- Non-slip design
Cons
- Wobbly arm handles
- Squeaks during work out
- Narrow station
Weighted Negative Pull Up
A weighted negative pull up will be a more sophisticated approach to gain even more strength and muscle mass. Your muscles will adapt as a result of the increased resistance, resulting in them being larger and stronger.
Simple jumps up to the top of the bar with a dumbbell between your feet are all that it takes to complete this exercise.
You may also use a weighted belt from which you can suspend a weighted plate. This will offer some additional resistance to your workout. Weight vests, on the other hand, may assist in the same endeavor.
Assisted Pull Ups
The negative pull ups and the assisted pull ups are both excellent workouts. However, the negative pull up requires a greater degree of body control than the assisted pull up.
You are assisting yourself in some of the effort by using an aid. It can be an assisted pull up machine, resistance band, bench, or a training partner.
When doing a negative pull up, you are using all of your own body weight. Therefore, you must maintain control on the way down. This will challenge you to use all of your upper body muscles. This is the perfect exercise to maintain control while fighting against resistance.
The usage of an aided pull up may be beneficial. However, a negative or reverse pull up will be more effective in terms of gaining strength and muscle.
5 Negative Pull Ups Alternatives
Reverse pull ups that don’t need a bar exist in plenty. However, these five are the most effective and require the least amount of supplementary equipment in order to be successful.
If you want to perform pull-ups at home but don’t have a pull-up bar accessible, you may make use of them to help you develop your pull-up strength.
- Bodyweight Rows
- Kneeling Lat Pulldowns
- Overhead Dumbbell Press
- Back Bridge Push-Ups
- Kettlebell Swings
Frequently Asked Questions
Are negative pull ups good?
A genuine measure of strength, body control, and functional strength is the capacity to maintain control of one’s own weight during a weightlifting competition. If you find it difficult to do ordinary pull ups, a negative pull up is a terrific technique to gain lean muscle and strength.
These modifications still enable you to benefit from the workout while also allowing you to complete more repetitions. Their purpose is to assist you in developing the strength and muscle necessary for regular pull ups.
The best thing is that they do so while also helping you to gain muscle!
Reverse pull ups also help to develop your back, arms, and grip. It will help you perform better in other exercises such as deadlifts, barbell rows, cleans, and even rack pulls.
How long should you do negative pull ups?
Attempt to bring your body down for at least 3–5 seconds. Your arms should be finished long and with a tiny bend in your elbows when you are finished. Your shoulder blades should be turned upwards and away from your spine as you stand.
What muscles do negative pull ups target?
- Lats
- Back Muscles
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Core
- Shoulders
What is a negative workout?
For the simple reason that it is the opposite of conventional concentric training, which has long been referred to as “positive,” eccentric training is also known as “negative.”
The weight is increased during the positive training phase, which means that the muscle shortens as it is put through its paces. In the negative phase, the inverse occurs: the weight is resisted as it is dropped. This results in muscle lengthening as it is used to work.
Do pull-ups get harder as you gain weight?
Pull-ups are much more difficult when you are carrying excess weight. You will have to work harder to raise yourself during a pull-up exercise since your weight will increase.
Conclusion
It is vital to do negative pull ups in order to ensure that one is physically prepared to perform conventional pull-ups.
Negative pull ups are quite similar to conventional pull ups, with the exception that one focuses on the downward portion of the typical pull-up instead of the upward phase. Share with us your pull ups routine, and if you used any pull up bars or stations!
