Gravitron pull-ups (wide, narrow, reverse grip) for girls: what muscles work, technique

October 18, 2018
Workouts in the gym
Nikita Novikov

Long gone are the days when gyms only had barbells, weights and dumbbells. Nowadays there are a dime a dozen different fitness centers, which can please you with a large selection of both classic equipment and newfangled exercise machines. Sometimes even an experienced athlete, when he sees some new exercise machine for the first time, does not immediately understand what it should be used for, let alone beginners. One of these unusual simulators is the gravitron. The gravitron push-up exercise is very popular among beginners, as it helps them learn how to do push-ups on uneven bars. This article describes in detail the technique of this exercise, as well as the features and errors of its implementation.

How to use

It is important to know how to do gravitron exercises correctly and safely

Pull-ups

Execution technique (medium level of difficulty):

Set acceptable load levels on the simulator. For beginners, the optimal figure is 70% of your own weight.
Kneel on a special stand.
Grasp the gravitron with your hands. The back should be straight. To avoid slouching, you should look up. It is necessary to remember this position, it is the initial one.
Inhale, and as you exhale, begin to stretch upward using the strength of your back muscles. You should rise until your chin is at the level of your hands. It is necessary to fix the body in the accepted position.
Return to the starting position slowly and carefully.

Pull-up options

Varieties of the exercise: with a wide, reverse and neutral grip. The neutral option means that the person will lean on the stand not with his knees, but with his feet.

Technique (with wide grip):

Take the starting position on the machine (the distance between your hands is wider than your shoulders).
Point your body up (you should touch the bar with your collarbones).
Fix the accepted position for a few seconds.
Return to starting position.

The main rule in any technique is a straight back, without bending forward or backward.

Push ups

Push-ups on the gravitron allow you to develop the muscles of the shoulder girdle. Great for those who can't do push-ups with their own weight.

Step by step execution:

Install a suitable counterweight. Grasp the bars. The grip is wider than shoulder width. Place your knees on the gravitron pad. Lean forward

It is important to keep your lower back arched and look down. Lower yourself down while inhaling. Bring your shoulder blades together at the bottom and spread your elbows to the sides. Push up while exhaling. You should not straighten your arms completely; this will help maintain tension in the muscles.

It is important not to sway or round your back

Let's consider a technique with a different type of grip

In particular, let's pay attention to the wide grip. To do this, you still need to fix your body on the machine, but the distance between your hands should be wider than your shoulders.

The elbows should be spread apart, the shoulder blades should be in a position together, the back should be as tense as possible, and the spine should be arched.

With the first jerk, you need to direct your body weight, reaching as far as possible. Ideally, your collarbones should touch the bar. Don't forget to fix your body in this position. Next, carefully straighten your arms, returning to the starting position. But you shouldn’t fully extend your arms while holding it for a long time.

How to effectively perform pull-ups in Gravitron?

As with any other exercise, to achieve maximum effectiveness, you need to follow simple rules. The main thing is to keep your back straight, without bending forward or backward.

Once your body is in the lower position, you can determine how best to place your hands. We mean straightening them to the end or leaving them half-bent.

While at the top point, fix your body for a few seconds so that the broad back muscles contract. To do this, you need to feel and strain them.

When pulling yourself up, try to reach as high as your physical fitness allows. The ideal option would be to equalize the level of the handles of the exercise machine and your chin.

When lifting, you can make a jerk in order to use your own strength to strain your muscles more and rise quickly. But the lowering should be smooth, as if you were giving your back a little rest, then making a jerk again.

Which muscles are used the most?

It is worth noting that by performing exercises on this simulator you can improve the appearance of not only the back muscles, but also the pectoral muscles. By constantly performing these exercises, you will feel the tension in them, and over time the desired relief will be developed.

Of course, by using arm strength, your biceps will increase. As for the back, most of the load goes directly to the broad muscles, expanding and strengthening them.

Experiment with loads and technique

When you put a higher weight on the Gravitron, it means that you reduce the load, making the exercise easier. If you set the weight on the machine less, you will work more with your own weight. In the latter case, your body will receive maximum load. Remember that the machine is used for counterweight pull-ups. Therefore, by increasing the weight on it, you seem to reduce the weight that you will have to lift during the execution.

It is not necessary to always follow the same execution technique. Pull-ups in Gravitron will be more effective if you gradually increase the weight of the load. But it also doesn’t hurt to try doing the exercises while changing your grip.

Typically, pull-ups in Gravitron are performed in 3-4 approaches. The number of repetitions in each approach is 12-15 times.

How to do pull-ups on a machine for girls?

Many guys do the Gravitron because they want to have a V-shaped back. Girls are also not lagging behind in this regard, but they often find it difficult to do pull-ups on this machine. In this case, the technique can be simplified.

To begin with, you can practice on a regular horizontal bar. To make the process easier, you can reduce the load to the maximum. You can do fewer sets with a similarly reduced number of reps

But still, to get the desired result, it is important to do pull-ups on the machine after each workout. You should leave them until the end of class.

If you do everything as prescribed in the technique, then there will be no difficulties and over time your body will get used to the new type of load.

And after that, the result will not keep you waiting long.

If you do everything as prescribed in the technique, then there will be no difficulties and over time your body will get used to the new type of load. And after that, the result will not keep you waiting long.

If you want to work out all the back muscles as much as possible, we also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the exercises - hyperextension and pull-ups on a horizontal bar with weights.

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Effective option

What muscles work when doing push-ups on parallel bars - technique of execution
There are quite a lot of programs that are based on the push-up technique. The proposed option is considered highly effective and is aimed at maximizing the development of human muscles. If everything is done correctly, then within a month the result will be noticeable on the arms and chest. Men will be able to radically transform the muscles of the shoulder girdle, forearm, triceps and abs.

In order to build muscle mass, it is not at all necessary to resort to a large number of push-ups at one time. Push-up sets increase the body's endurance if done frequently and intensely.

How many times should you do push-ups if an amateur athlete wants to strengthen his muscles? In this case, a large number of push-ups is also not recommended. Exercises must be alternated with short breaks, during which the muscles rest. If we talk about professional athletes, then a special training has been developed for them; in this case, push-ups are done 100 or more times. In this case, the number of approaches is reduced to 4, which directly affects the ability of the muscles to withstand loads. They definitely use weights, which make it possible to get colossal results in a month.

The set of exercises for gaining muscle mass differs somewhat in the technique of execution, because here the load needs to be distributed differently. And the number of approaches should be increased. As practice shows, in a month it is quite possible to achieve the desired result and gain the necessary weight.

If you need to work your triceps, it is better to place your hands as close to each other as possible. If the emphasis is on the chest, then a wide stance of the arms is encouraged. To gain muscle mass, it is better not to use weights, but to stick to the most common technique. If the goal is to strengthen the muscles, then the additional load will be beneficial. In this case, you can use the most common means at hand, for example, a bench or chair

It is important to calculate the forces correctly so as not to get injured. After a month of intensive and constant training, you will be able to see the first positive result.

The effectiveness of push-ups depends on how your hands are positioned. There are the following types of exercise techniques for men:

working out the triceps - push-ups with fists, hands together, opposite the chest;
deltoid muscles (front and rear) - fists are turned inward with the wrists, about 10 cm between them;
collarbone - fists placed at shoulder level;
pectoral muscles - elbows bent at an angle of 90, fists placed at a distance wider than shoulders.

To gain muscle mass, work out muscles, and create sculpted body shapes, you need a special psychological attitude to win. Do not neglect the recommendations of specialists in conducting classes. It is necessary to correctly distribute the load, take short rests between approaches and constantly increase the pace and intensity.

A beginner should always remember safety precautions. Before training, be sure to do a warm-up to warm up your muscles and prevent injury. When performing push-ups, you should remember about proper breathing, positioning of your arms and body. You also need to control your feelings. If a person feels bad during a workout, he needs to stop and not force his body until he loses consciousness. Everything should be in moderation.

Errors and possible difficulties

Exit by force: technique, benefits, which muscles work

The gravitron is a block simulator; its moving parts must be periodically lubricated and cleaned. If this does not happen, the load is distorted. That is, if you put half your weight, the counterweight cannot move easily enough, making the exercise more difficult. If this happens, discard the counterweights for a while until the problem is resolved. Tell the coach.

Here are the basic recommendations to help avoid mistakes:

Do all exercises without jerking, smoothly.
Breathe like this: exhale with effort, inhale when returning to the starting point. A lot depends on breathing, believe me.
If you feel pain in any working muscle, give up this exercise for a period until the pain disappears. It usually starts with a stretch. If you work through pain, it will develop into chronic inflammation (tenosynovitis). And it can take months.

If you don’t have a gravitron in your gym, you want to learn how to do pull-ups, but you don’t want to practice on the street - install a regular hanging horizontal bar at home and try to practice the movements on it. For example, you can start by doing negative pull-ups. The main thing is to make sure that the technique is correct.

Technical features and characteristics

The machine is designed in such a way that, using a system of blocks, it compensates for a person’s weight or makes pull-ups and push-ups a little easier. For example, a guy weighs 75 kilograms, but he only does 3 pull-ups. When using this simulator, he can set a counterweight of 50 kg (or more, or less - whatever), it turns out that he pulls up as if with his own weight, but 25 kilograms (75 - 50 = 25).

After a certain period of time, he can, for example, reduce the counterweight value to 40 kg, which will ultimately lead to working with a dead weight of 35 kg.

Well, if things are really bad in pull-ups and push-ups, then feel free to set your own weight on the machine (I hope you know your weight?) and do pull-ups without any problems.

If you start listing all his physical data, such as total weight, height and width, then I think you will get bored. Well, who would be interested in reading numbers alone? Therefore, I will indicate only what you need to know to work on the Gravitron. This is the total weight of the blocks - a maximum of 70 kg, and the weight of each of them is 5 kg. Well? Let's move on to exercises?

Dips with emphasis on triceps - pumping up your arms

Barbell squats: technique, which muscles work

Triceps dips are an excellent compound exercise for increasing arm size, strength, and shoulder stability. The triceps style of push-ups differs from the chest style, or rather, it has its own characteristics.

Muscle load

In order to understand what the differences are in the technique of performing push-ups with an emphasis on the triceps and on the chest, let’s look at the mechanics of the work of the mentioned muscle groups.

In general, dips on parallel bars involve:

Triceps - take on the bulk of the work when performing the movement correctly.
The pectoralis major muscles help the triceps and pull the load on themselves if the technique is not followed. Then we get chest push-ups.
Deltoid muscles of the shoulder (anterior bundle). They do not play a leading role in this exercise, so we will not dwell on them.

The main function of the triceps is to extend the arm at the elbow joint. The long head is also involved in shoulder extension and adduction of the shoulder to the body. The pectoral muscles work in synergy with the triceps. However, their main function is to bring the arms to the body and rotate them inward.

The detailed technique for performing the exercise will be given below. The main thing now is to understand the principle of performing the movement.

As for the safety of performing push-ups on the uneven bars, it is important to take into account that the exercise creates a load on the elbow and shoulder joints, as well as on the wrists

That is, if you have weak shoulder girdle muscles or have had any joint injuries, you should perform the exercise extremely carefully, carefully listening to your sensations. Perhaps you should start doing push-ups with a partial amplitude, and then, when the muscles get used to the load, move on to the full amplitude

Perhaps you should start doing push-ups with a partial amplitude, and then, when the muscles get used to the load, move on to the full amplitude.

Dips for triceps go well with bent-over arm extensions, close-grip push-ups, reverse push-ups, and close-grip presses.

Execution technique

To perform triceps-focused push-ups, you will need parallel bars that are slightly wider than your shoulders apart.

Take the starting position - emphasis on the uneven bars with straight arms. The body should be in a vertical position, i.e. there is no need to lean forward. Bend your legs, you can cross them - whatever is more convenient for you. Do not sag in your shoulders, your back and neck are straight, your gaze is directed forward.
As you inhale, slowly lower yourself down. At the same time, move your elbows back. Try to maintain as upright a body position as possible. The front of the shoulder will noticeably stretch as it moves down. Avoid pain in this area. As a rule, it is recommended to bend your arms to a right angle, however, everything is individual here. The greater the amplitude, the higher the load not only on the muscles, but also on the joints.
As you exhale, straining your triceps as much as possible, rise to the starting position. Repeat the exercise.

To gain weight and increase the volume of your arms, it is recommended to do push-ups on the uneven bars 10–15 times in 3–4 approaches. The technique of performing the exercise in this case is more important than the number of movements made. The slower the pace at which you work, the greater the load, and, accordingly, the more effective the workout.

Advantages of the exercise

According to many experienced athletes, dips on uneven bars in a gravitron have the following advantages:

Ability to perform finishing approaches and drop sets.
Increased strength of the triceps brachii muscle.
Improving the definition of arm muscles.
More comfortable and natural work of the shoulder joints than, for example, with the same classic push-ups on uneven bars.
Improving strength in bench press exercises (for example, horizontal bench press).
The ability to choose the required weight and work with any level of training.

Exercises in the gravitron simulator

In addition to various types of pull-ups with a counterweight, using the gravitron simulator you can perform push-ups on parallel bars, as well as an exercise for training the buttocks - one-leg press from a standing position

When doing push-ups on parallel bars, the gravitron allows you to use a counterweight, which is important for beginner athletes and for girls who are unable to perform the exercise with their full body weight

Depending on the model of the simulator, the handles for dips can have several positions - in particular, a narrow and wide position. The wider the elbows are spread to the sides, the greater the load on the triceps muscles; the narrower the elbows, the more the chest is involved. Also, when performing push-ups on the uneven bars, you need to slightly tilt your body forward.

Gravitron for butt training

In addition to training the muscles of the back and chest, the gravitron simulator can also be used to pump up the buttocks - this means performing a one-leg press from a standing position. Let us remind you that the best exercises for the buttocks involve pushing movements, due to which the gluteus medius muscle, responsible for giving a rounded shape, is involved in the work.

Before starting the exercise, install a small counterweight, then grab the handles of the machine and place one foot on the platform. The second leg is firmly on the floor. Press down on the platform with your foot, forcing it down while squeezing your gluteal muscles as hard as possible. At the bottom point, do not straighten your leg completely, keeping your buttock muscles tense. Perform for left and right legs.

***

The Gravitron is a machine that allows you to perform pull-ups and push-ups on parallel bars with a counterweight. Gravitron training is recommended for both beginner athletes and girls who are unable to do pull-ups with their full body weight. In addition, in the gravitron you can perform an effective exercise for pumping up the buttocks - the one-leg press from a standing position.

Muscles involved

Since performing an exercise on a gravitron imitates classic push-ups on uneven bars, the following muscles are involved when working on it:

triceps brachii (triceps);
anterior delta, rhomboids, pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, levator scapulae, latissimus dorsi, act as synergistic muscles;
biceps brachii muscle (biceps), acts as a dynamic stabilizer;
the bottom of the trapezoids acts as a stabilizer.

Options for pull-ups in the gravitron

Wide grip pull-ups.
Medium grip pull-ups.
Narrow pull-ups in the gravitron.
Partial pull-ups.
Alternate pull-ups in the gravitron with one hand.

How to replace the pull-up gravitron?

There are a lot of exercise machines that, by analogy, set the same mechanics of movement for your back muscles. For example, you can replace it with a rod of the upper block. There are also vertical simulators with top thrust, similar to a gravitron in performing movements.

How to replace a pull-up gravitron

If you have enough strength, you can do simple pull-ups on the bar.

Gravitron pull-ups with medium grip

Can be done with a forward or reverse grip. In terms of execution technique, the exercise is similar to the main basic version. The only difference is in the grip of the hands. The muscles of the back and arms work a little differently. The load from the back is slightly shifted to the arms.

Close grip pull-ups in gravitron

A narrow grip gravitron pull-up is different from a wide hand position. The main load during this exercise goes to the biceps muscles. But at the same time, the back remains in work and does its job with less intensity for the latissimus muscles and other main muscles that are included in the work.

Another close-grip option is partial pull-ups. The main goal of the exercise is to specifically load the muscles of the biceps of the arms. When you don't go all the way down, the biceps are under constant load. This allows you to use the exercise specifically as the main one for training the biceps of the arms.

Partial pull-ups with counterweight technique

Climb the steps to the gravitron bar. Take a close grip. Stand on a counterweight and lower your body to the middle position. We do not straighten our arms. The humerus should be parallel or slightly below parallel to the floor. This will be the starting position.
Rise up, touch the bar with your chest, take a breath. Be sure to keep your elbows in front of you; when lifting, your elbows are facing forward.
Return to the starting position by exhaling. Repeat the movement 15-20 times.

Counterweighted partial pull-ups

Alternate pull-ups in the gravitron

The gravitron allows you to pull yourself up one at a time. If you are an experienced athlete, alternating pull-ups will help in detailing the upper pectoral muscles. You can also train the biceps muscles in a more isolated manner.

Do you want to do one-arm pull-ups!? The gravitron simulator will help you master technique and strengthen your muscles.

Load on target muscles on a 10-point scale

Latissimus muscles	8 (high)
Upper back	7 (high)
Forearms	5 (average)
Biceps	4 (average)
Shoulders	3 (weak)
Triceps	2 (weak)
Type of exercise	Basic
Total load	29 (high)

Using a counterweight pull-up

To whom. Suitable for all gym goers. It is one of the favorite exercise machines for girls and beginners.

When. Gravitron pull-ups are performed at the beginning of back training. If the workout is circuit training, do the exercise at the beginning or in the middle of the workout.

Features of the gravitron

The design of the block simulator provides for facilitating the pull-up technique through the action of a counterweight. Thus, the simulator pushes the body up with a certain force, which the athlete can set himself. If your body weight is, for example, 70 kg, and the set load in the simulator is 35 kg, then the difference in weight will be the load when pulling up, in this case, it will be only half of your own weight. Therefore, you can determine the difference in weight that you will push yourself. The fewer slabs are exposed, the more difficult the load will be.

Useful tips for training

Pull-ups in the gravitron for girls are effective if you follow the basic rules:

At all stages of pulling up, the back is kept flat and straight, avoiding bending in the lumbar region.
At the lowest point of the movement, the arms are left slightly bent at the elbows, without straightening them completely. This technique is necessary in order to minimize the risk of injury to the elbow joint.
At the top point of the movement, hang for 1-2 seconds to get the maximum benefit from the pull-up.
Lowering down is carried out smoothly and evenly, and lifting up is performed with concentrated strength and maximum tension of the back muscles.
Before starting the class, the muscles are warmed up and stretched, which reduces the risk of injury.
When planning a lesson, the number of approaches and repetitions matters. Optimal option: 3-4 sets with 12-15 repetitions.
During the pull-up, monitor your breathing technique. This is one of the components that affects the final result. As you exhale, perform maximum muscle tension and lift the body. When inhaling, take the starting position.

Fitness instructors recommend experimenting with your grip technique. This helps you find a more comfortable grip and increases the effectiveness of pull-ups by targeting different muscle groups.

One of the main types of grips is used on the gravitron:

Wide. Place your hands on the bar with your palms facing away from you. The palms are parallel to the shoulders. To achieve a narrow waist and widen the upper back, focus on this type of grip.
Full. The palms are placed towards you, while the elbows are raised forward to their maximum. When pulling up, your chin should be level with the bar. This grip option is used to fully pump the pectoral muscle.
Back. Hands are placed with palms facing you, slightly narrower than shoulder width. This approach is used to pump up the biceps.

Tips and tricks

To increase the effectiveness of the exercise, practice the following recommendations:

At the top point, do not extend your arms all the way so that the triceps remain tense all the time.
By slightly changing the technique of dips on uneven bars in the gravitron, you can shift the emphasis from one muscle group to another. For example, if you hold your body at an angle, then most of the load will fall on the pectoral muscles, and if you keep it in a level position, then the triceps will be better pumped.
If you do not have the opportunity to visit the gym or your fitness center simply does not have a gravitron, then a rubber expander will come to the rescue. It is very comfortable and you can perform a large number of different exercises with it. Just below is a video that shows how you can learn to do push-ups on uneven bars using a rubber expander.
Do not spread your elbows too far to the sides and try to keep them in the same position.
Don’t forget about proper breathing: in the negative phase of the exercise you need to inhale, and in the positive phase you need to exhale.
Per workout, do 4-5 sets of 12-15 repetitions each.

Gravitron[edit | edit code]

Gravitron Gravitron

— a multifunctional sports machine designed for strength training aimed at developing and strengthening the muscles of the chest, back (deltas), arms (biceps and triceps) and buttocks. The Gravitron pull-up and push-up exercise machine also has an accentuated effect on the abdominal muscles and ensures the development of the shoulder girdle. For similar complex exercises, you can use a triceps machine.

How to train in the gravitron

The machine for pull-ups, push-ups and knee raises is a welded structure consisting of the following elements:

guides with a weight block (counterbalance);
crossbar (horizontal bar with counterweight) for grip;
handrails (bars) for push-ups;
movable platform;
two steps for climbing.

The moving platform is mounted on 16 rolling bearings, which contributes to the smooth and quiet operation of the Gravitron machine. It serves to compensate for the user's working weight, assisting him in performing the exercise. However, it is recommended to buy a Gravitron simulator not only for beginners who do not yet have sufficient strength for full pull-ups and push-ups, but also for athletes who, in addition to loading their own weight, need additional weights. The price of this equipment fully justifies its wide functionality.

Push-ups on the Gravitron

The most effective exercise for strengthening the upper body is the dip, and the load can shift to the chest or triceps muscles depending on the technique of the exercise. To work the pectoral muscles on a counterweight push-up machine, grasp the handles with your palms facing the athlete's body. To load the triceps, you should spread your elbows to the sides and point the phalanges of your fingers towards each other. It is worth noting that before starting push-ups on the Gravitron, you need to do a warm-up to reduce the risk of injury when working with heavy weights. The pull-up and push-up machine allows you to control the load, ensuring the safety of each exercise.

Pull-ups on Gravitron

The rapid development and growth of back muscles is facilitated by pull-ups on the Gravitron. They are performed with a wide or narrow, straight or reverse grip, shifting the emphasis from the deltoids to the biceps. Pull-ups in the Gravitron simulator should be carried out smoothly, without jerking. The body must be kept straight, avoiding an unnatural arch in the lower back. Keep your arms slightly bent at the lowest point of the range of motion, which helps reduce stress on your joints when using a counterweight pull-up machine.

Gravitron for pumping the buttocks

One-leg press technique The machine is also suitable for pumping up the buttocks in the one-leg press exercise.

Performance

Firmly grasp the handrails of the machine to maintain your balance while performing the exercise. Place your foot on the movable step of the machine. Place your supporting leg on a footstep or floor. Press down on the movable step of the machine with your foot, forcing it to lower. At the same time, tighten your gluteal muscles as much as possible. At the bottom of the movement, do not straighten your leg completely to keep your gluteal muscles tight. Return to starting position and repeat. After finishing the set for one leg, do the exercise for the other leg without pausing.

Advantage

Strengthens the gluteal muscles like no other exercise.

T-bar row

This exercise is designed to train the large back muscles. The movement is similar to pulling a barbell to a belt, but it is easier to maintain accuracy in performing the exercise. Thanks to this, you can work with heavy weights without fear of injury. The T-bar row can be done either in a special machine or with an ordinary barbell.

Technique:

Place weights on one end of the barbell. Place the opposite end into a corner or ask your partner to secure it with their foot. If you have a special handle, secure it to the bar next to the weights. If there is no handle, grab the bar with both hands near the plates. One hand is in front, the other is behind.
Place the barbell between your legs, then lean forward with your knees bent. Using your back muscles, lift your body to lift the bar off the floor.
As you exhale, pull the barbell towards you without moving your elbows away from your body. Pause for a second at the peak point, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
As you inhale, slowly lower the barbell to the starting position, feeling the stretch in your back muscles. Do not straighten your elbows at the bottom, leaving the pancakes hanging. Perform 10-15 repetitions.

Basic mistakes

You have already figured out the technique of push-ups in the gravitron and the features of this exercise, now let’s move on to an equally interesting topic, namely, the most common mistakes of beginner (and not only) athletes:

No warm-up. This mistake is typical mainly for novice athletes. Quite often you can hear the following phrases from them: “I don’t warm up before training because it’s a waste of time and effort,” “I don’t warm up because I don’t see the point in it,” etc. Unfortunately, this attitude By warm-up, sooner or later it will backfire on them. When a newbie like this gets injured, he starts to look at it completely differently.

It is important to understand that when warming up, you warm up your muscles and joints, thus preparing them for serious loads. And this applies not only to classes with a gravitron, but also to the entire training process as such. Weights too heavy

Although gravity push-ups are much safer than standard dips or bench presses, even doing this exercise can cause injury. The reason for this is incorrectly selected weight. Any professional athlete will tell you that progression of loads is the basis of bodybuilding, but he will also add that safety is no less important in this sport. That is why every athlete should increase weight gradually and slowly. Incorrect technique. Almost everything depends on the technique of performing the exercise. If you do it incorrectly, there is a high chance that you will get injured or simply not get the expected result. Before you add gravitron push-ups to your workout routine, make sure you're doing them correctly. It would be best if you ask a coach or some experienced athlete to observe your technique and, if anything happens, be able to point out your main mistakes. Insufficient rest. Gravitron exercises train the pectoral muscles and triceps, and these muscles, like any other in our body, need to recover after heavy training sessions. Some people believe that the more often you exercise, the faster your muscle mass will grow. In fact, it's not like that. Exercising too frequently tends to push the body into a state of overtraining. Muscles grow during rest, not during training. This is why it is extremely important to train one muscle group no more than 1-2 times a week.

Pull-ups by Melody Schoenfeld

Once upon a time I couldn’t do one pull-up. Heck, I couldn't even do push-ups! I asked my mother to write a note for the teacher to take time off from physical education class, I was so afraid of physical exercise. I was reluctantly accepted to play on the team.

Times change and in my mid-20s I learned to make my body do what I want it to do and pulled myself up for the first time. Now I do pull-ups with a weight of 20 kg, and this is one of my favorite exercises.

People always ask me how to learn to do pull-ups, or how to do more pull-ups. Therefore, I decided to collect in one article all the tips and exercises that helped me.

First, I’ll say something that DOESN’T WORK for me personally. That doesn't mean it won't work for you too. I've noticed that a lot of things that work for most people don't work for me, so maybe I'm something of an anomaly. So:

Pulling the block to the chest. I believe this doesn't work for several reasons. Firstly, you won't be able to pull much without a barrier on your legs - at some point you will "bounce" with the weight. The barriers push into your hip flexors, which are not in a natural position for pull-ups. Secondly, the chest row does not imitate pull-ups, so it is not the best auxiliary exercise.
Gravitron. (This is a rarity for our halls). Exercise machine with an auxiliary mechanism for pull-ups. I never even go near him. From the looks of it, it appears to help with pull-ups more than deadlifts. However, in both cases, my ability to do pull-ups in the gravitron improved, but my ability to do regular pull-ups remained the same. The same goes for using elastic bandages.

I understand why these methods did not work - all because at that time I did not do other exercises besides them. Luckily, I realized this and tried new methods. So, if you want to learn how to do pull-ups, you need to do pull-ups and perform auxiliary elements for this exercise.

Execution technique

When compared to dips, there is not much difference. However, there is still a difference. The point here is that in the gravitron simulator the lower part of the body does not hang, but rests on the knee rest. The latter rests on a counterweight. And when a person does push-ups, he has to overcome the resistance of this counterweight.

If during push-ups from parallel bars the downward movement is achieved by your own weight, and your hands only slow it down, then when doing push-ups in the gravitron on the triceps and chest muscles you will have to apply force from your hands to lower yourself. There is also a difference when extending the arms.

If during ordinary push-ups you have to pull the body up, then in the gravitron it will rise on its own

However, it is important to straighten your arms smoothly in order to do the exercise correctly. So, just like when curling your arms, there will be resistance to the counterweight, just less. The technique is as follows:

The technique is as follows:

The correct position in the gravitron is assumed.
Repeats of push-ups are performed.
Slowly, they descend from the simulator.

Take the following starting position: Climb into the simulator, kneeling on the stand and grasping the handrails (bars). The legs are kept together. The back is straight. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows. From this starting position, they begin to do push-ups at an average pace.

It is important to remember here: You should not stand in the starting position for a long time. It is important to make sure that the body is ready for gymnastics. A couple of seconds, or even less, will be enough to do this.

Otherwise, the muscles will initially get tired, and there will be less strength left for push-ups from the parallel bars of the simulator

A couple of seconds, or even less, will be enough to do this. Otherwise, the muscles will initially get tired, and there will be less strength left for push-ups on the parallel bars of the simulator.

It's better not to go very low the first time. This is a trial time, which will make it clear whether the body is ready to continue such gymnastics. If there is no discomfort or other signs that the body is not ready, you can continue.

During the first push-ups you go lower and lower. As a result, most of the training is lowered so that the middle ribs (below the heart) are at the level of the bars. This is done no more than seven or eight times. Then they reach the starting position and only then slowly descend from the simulator.

With this technique, the elbows are brought together and kept closer to the body. This results in a so-called narrow grip. Thanks to this, the triceps work well and they are the ones who are best trained with such gymnastics.

Which grip to choose: narrow or wide

Wide grip exercises can be divided into two types: pull-ups to the chest and behind the head. When pulling to the chest, the main emphasis is on the paired teres, trapezius and latissimus (upper) muscles. The grip for such pull-ups should be approximately the same as for a bench press with a barbell. There is no need to strain your biceps when performing the exercise. Squeezing your shoulder blades together, try to touch the top of your pectoral muscle to the bar. You need to arch your back a little and constantly look up. Try to do pull-ups smoothly.

When you pull yourself up with a wide grip behind your head, the main emphasis will be on the trapezius, paired teres and latissimus (middle part) muscles. The technique is the same as in the previous exercise. Only now, when you lift up, the back of your head should touch the bar.

When doing pull-ups with a narrow straight grip in the gravitron, the main emphasis is on the serratus, latissimus (bottom) and shoulder muscles. When you rise up, your hands should be 7-10 cm apart. At the same time, try to arch your back and reach your lower chest towards your hands.

In 1994, the 70-year-old Korean did 612 pull-ups.