SkillIntermediatepull-up bar
Swimming Pull-Ups (Dryland)
Pull-ups performed with a focus on the wide grip and lat engagement specific to swimming strokes. A key dryland exercise for building pulling power in the water.
How to do it
- 1Use a wide overhand grip on the bar, slightly wider than standard pull-ups
- 2Initiate the pull by depressing and retracting the shoulder blades
- 3Pull until chin is above the bar, focusing on driving elbows down and wide
- 4Lower with a slow 3-second eccentric to build pulling endurance
Common mistakes
- Using too narrow a grip, which reduces lat emphasis
- Kipping or swinging for momentum
- Dropping too fast on the way down (missing the eccentric benefit)
Muscles worked
latsbicepsupper backcoreforearmsshoulders
Variations
Easier
Band-assisted wide-grip pull-up
Harder
Weighted wide-grip pull-up or L-sit pull-up
Used in
Related exercises
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