Will Pull-Ups Every Night Give Me A Bigger Back?

Gaining muscle at home can be tough and we previously put to bed a myth that push-ups every night will give you a bigger chest and you can see that video here.

But what about pull-ups? Although with push-ups and pull-ups we are working with only our bodyweight, there is still quite a significant difference in the toughness of the exercise. With a push-up your body is supported by your hands and feet and the angle of a push-up really helps to displace your weight.

When it comes to the pull-up, things are quite different. You are, for the most part, lifting the entire load of your body with each repetition thus greatly amplifying the toughness of the exercise. In fact, most people can’t perform more than 15 pull-ups at a time for this very reason. So if you think about it, there really is no difference if you are comparing a pull-up to various exercises you may be performing at the gym in terms of sets and reps.

As for the question of, will pull-ups every night give me a bigger back? The answer is more like a maybe. We can perform various types of pull-ups to target different parts of the back and you can even hold a dumbbell between your legs for added weight to intensify the exercises. As a beginner you will see significant growth from these exercises, but there will be a point where you have to go to the gym to work with other exercises like lat pull-downs, reverse pull-downs, barbell bent-over rows, T-Bar Rows, and Seated Cable Rows so you can work with more weight, more volume, and incorporate training styles like drop sets, burn sets or super sets to REALLY intensify your workouts to maximize muscle growth.

But don’t worry Nation, I got your back! Literally! Haha

For those of you training at home I am going to give you a kick-ass routine that you can perform twice a week. Just make sure you rest 36 – 48 hours between workout days.

As long as you are pushing yourself hard and eating a proper diet, I guarantee you will see results.

• 4 sets
• 3 exercises
• 10 – 12 reps
• Rest 90 seconds between sets

1. Pull-Up ( Primarily targeting Lats)
2. Chin-Up – More Rhomboids and upper back
3. Neutral Grip Pull-Up – Getting more engagement in your shoulders, biceps, but still targeting lats)

PULL-UP 

To perform this movement hold onto a pull-up bar with your palms facing away and with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Once in place, bend your knees so that your body is suspended in the air and your arms are fully extended.  From here you are going to pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.  As soon as your chest touches, return to the starting position and repeat.

CHIN-UP

To perform this movement hold onto a pull-up bar with your palms facing in and your hands about shoulder width apart.  Once in place, bend your knees so that your body is suspended in the air and your arms are fully extended.  From here you are going to pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.  As soon as your chest touches, return to the starting position and repeat.

PULL-UP (NEUTRAL GRIP)

To perform this movement hold onto a pull-up bar with your palms facing each other and your hands about shoulder width apart.  Once in place, bend your knees so that your body is suspended in the air and your arms are fully extended.  From here you are going to pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.  As soon as your chest touches, return to the starting position and repeat.

SPECIAL NOTE

For those of you who may have a hard time with the amount of volume in this routine or even if you can only perform 6 – 8 reps at a time and need help, here is an easy modifier.  Perform as many repetitions in a row as you can on your own and once you begin to fatigue you can either use a stool or jump up so that you can start the pull-up at the “TOP” position.  By doing this you will be able to focus solely on the negative portion of the movement which will help you build more size and strength over time.

For those of you who want to increase the intensity, you can hold a dumbbell between your legs as you perform the movement.

Now get to work on building a bigger back at home!