Basic Pursuits

Pull-ups (palms facing away from your face) and chin-ups (palms facing your face) are two great strength building exercises that don't require complicated equipment. The smallest apartment can accommodate a bar that you can get from Walmart. I have a good-enough arrangement on my boat and it's smaller than the smallest apartment.

At home, in just a few minutes, you can get a lot done with a pull-up bar. Get yourself into a three-minute per session habit and you'll notice the difference almost immediately in your arms, upper chest and back. Make it a habit and you'll continue to enjoy the benefits.

Just remember not to blow your self out so that you hate the thought of touching the bar. Over the long haul, too little at a session is better than too much. Think long term. Work to enjoy the feeling that the work brings you.

Here's a short piece on pyramiding to increase pull-ups and chin-ups. This morning I did just one set of chin-ups: 1+2+3+4+3. One set seems plenty for beginners. But as Steve Hanson has described in this post, you can get up to three sets and really get some work done. Let your body tell you when you are ready for that.

Increase the Number of Pull-Ups You Can Do By 50 Percent in One Day

Photo by Sally