1/2 Pull Up

The half pull-up is an excellent way to work the muscle of the upper body, especially if you find a normal full pull-up difficult to perform.

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A smith machine will provide an ideal bar to perform the movement from, as the bar should be at waist height.

Position yourself under the bar, with both legs and feet extended out to your front, having your heels on the floor throughout the movement.

A number of different hand positions can be used, such as close grip - normal - wide, with your hands either over or under the bar, or even a combination of the two.

To work the back muscles, grasp the bar with your arms wide, having your thumbs curled under the bar, fingers over the top, keeping a straight line through your body with your legs and arms straight. Grasping the bar with an underarm grasp, hands shoulder or close grip will also help to work the biceps and tricep muscles.

From a straight arm position, smoothly pull your chest up towards the bar, holding in the upper phase for 2 - 3 seconds prior to lowering back down under control, keeping your body and legs straight.

The height of the bar, and position of your feet, will alter the difficulty of the exercise, the higher the bar, the easier the exercise, likewise with your feet further away, or even slightly raised on a secure step box will increase the level of difficulty.

Always work within your own limits, taking care to make sure that both your hands and the bar are dry prior to performing any reps.