# Towel pull ups



## TheGreatSatan (Sep 30, 2003)

One of the most difficult exercises ever.  Only for the truly hardcore!


Simple yet effective, the towel pull-up is down right sadistic and brutally tough!

To utilize this exericse, simply drape a towel over the middle of the pull up bar, so that it dangles over.

Now grab both ends of the towel and pull yourself up!

Remember to squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull with your back for a maximal lat contraction!

This variation will target the middle and upper back.

For, outer lats drape two towels on the ends of the pull up bar, and perform wide grip pull ups.

These heavily tax the forearms as well as superior gripping power is a must! To make this exercise more challenging on the grip, use smaller towels and simply grab onto them hard.

If you can't perform this in this manner, use longer towels that you can wrap your hands around a few times for stronger gripping power.

Whichever method you use, this chin up varation will quickly become part of your back workout repitorie!


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## Tha Don (Sep 30, 2003)

could you also use a towel over the lat-pulldown?

and do towel-pulldowns for bis and lats?

or... towel tri presses for your tris?

just a thought


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## drew.haynes (Oct 17, 2005)

young d said:
			
		

> could you also use a towel over the lat-pulldown?
> 
> and do towel-pulldowns for bis and lats?
> 
> ...




The only problems I would see with those is the towel would have to be short for the pulldowns or you couldn't stretch much at all before the bar was back at rest at the top.

With the pressdowns, I would also think that would work, but... how is that different than rope pressdowns?


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## ihateschoolmt (Oct 17, 2005)

I've done them. The only harder bodyweight exercise is glute ham raises.


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## lnvanry (Oct 17, 2005)

I do not mean to sound like an ass, but that is what the close-grip and ropes are for dude.

 The towel is just harder to hold on to, which is a forearm work out not a back thing.


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## * Legion * (Oct 17, 2005)

towel pull ups are rough.. I keep hitting my face on the bar at the top.


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## Squaggleboggin (Oct 17, 2005)

* Legion * said:
			
		

> towel pull ups are rough.. I keep hitting my face on the bar at the top.


  Generally one stops short of the bar... unless, that is, you're going for the whole 'improved appearance' thing...


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## ihateschoolmt (Oct 17, 2005)

* Legion * said:
			
		

> I keep hitting my face on the bar at the top.


Ha.


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## lnvanry (Oct 17, 2005)

ihateschoolmt said:
			
		

> Ha.


 that pic is great...I think Bigdyl was looking for that pic.


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## * Legion * (Oct 17, 2005)

lnvanry said:
			
		

> that pic is great...I think Bigdyl was looking for that pic.


'

Hey ivanry, where are you from in Illinois


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## P-funk (Oct 17, 2005)

I just wrote a similiar article for the news letter this month (oct.).


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## CowPimp (Oct 17, 2005)

lnvanry said:
			
		

> The towel is just harder to hold on to, which is a forearm work out not a back thing.



That's the idea.  It's an awesome way to increase grip strength.  It is often called "soft bar lifting."  That is, using compressable force absorbing objects to sit between your hands and the bar.


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## lnvanry (Oct 17, 2005)

* Legion * said:
			
		

> '
> 
> Hey ivanry, where are you from in Illinois


 I currently live in Bloomington.  I have lived in four cities in IL.  Northside of Chicago (Clarkston 1/2 south of Wrigley), Peoria, Morton, and Bloomington


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## lnvanry (Oct 17, 2005)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> That's the idea. It's an awesome way to increase grip strength. It is often called "soft bar lifting." That is, using compressable force absorbing objects to sit between your hands and the bar.


 Thanx for the clarification


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## fletcher6490 (Oct 18, 2005)

I live in Geneva...Thats kinda close


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