Pull Ups

Pull ups are one of the most solid, sure-bet traditional exercises you can do. I'm a big fan of the "use your own body weight" philosophy and pull ups are Exhibit A in this category.

I'm including this oldie-but-goodie exercise in this website for several reasons:

1) You only need a few minutes to get a good workout in.

2) It's challenging. Beginners will often go 1... 2... urrrrrrrggggh. (That is, if they even get past "1".)

3) Your body has this nice, encouraging way of providing you with accurate feedback. 1... 2... urrrrrrgggghh soon becomes 1... 2... 3... 4... urrrrrrgggghhh. Stick with it and eventually you'll be doing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10... and beyond. The strain of urrrrgggghhhh is soon replaced by fluid motion and that nice feeling of your muscles working in harmony.

4) Speaking of your muscles, they're going to grow.

5) Regular incorporation of "use your own body weight" exercises seems to have this effect where it encourages not only muscle gain, but weight loss as well. The more muscle and less fat you have, the easier it becomes to pull your own weight. The muscle you gain consumes more calories -- in effect helping you lose weight -- but I also believe that when you get hooked onto a great exercise like this, it gives you more determination to lose weight via proper diet and other exercises too.

Ultimately, there's nothing like the feeling of satisfaction that comes from being able to smoothly glide through several reps on a pull up bar. You'll work your pecs, biceps, abs, and obliques. And you'll work them all out at once, as opposed to doing separate isolation exercises. You'll wind up with impressive gains in strength and muscle tone without having to go to a gym.

You can find a reasonably-priced exercise bar at virtually any sporting goods store. I highly recommend Everlast's Multi-function Home Gym Bar because it allows you do do pull ups, chin ups, and even sit ups from various angles. Even better, it's a portable bar that you can easily attach and remove from any doorway.

If you're not inclined to add more gizmos in your household, you might want to try what my buddy Dave did. When he goes for his daily run he makes it a point to stop at the local playground and do 3 or 4 sets on the monkey bars. Hey, whatever works! This is an age-old, fantastic exercise that's been around for eons. The results speak for themselves.

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