Get in the shape of your life this summer with just a pull up bar
Hot out there, isn’t it? It’s time to take your training outdoors. Get your pull up bar or portable pull up rack, find a shady spot outside, and let's get to work. You'll build strength, master skills, top up your vitamin D, and enjoy the fresh air – what’s not to love?
Can you get in shape using just a pull up bar?
If you’re new to calisthenics, you might be wondering can I get properly fit with just a pull up bar? The answer is yes. A pull up bar gives you arguably the most effective upper body exercise on the planet. Pull ups work your lats, biceps, shoulders, forearms, and core simultaneously. But that's just the start of what you can do with a pull up bar or portable pull up rack.
With a bit of creativity, your pull up bar transforms into a full gym. Hanging leg raises for core strength, muscle up progressions for power, and different grip positions to target more muscle groups.
The beauty of calisthenics is that it builds functional strength that translates to real-world activities and sports. Instead of isolating muscles like traditional gym equipment, pull up variations encourages your body to work as a unified system.
What's the difference between a pull up bar and portable pull up rack?
Let’s quickly talk about equipment before we get onto the workouts. A standard pull up bar typically mounts in a doorway or on a wall, offering a fixed position for exercises. Great for basic stuff, but it has its limits.
A portable pull up rack is a game-changer. It's a freestanding unit that you can use anywhere – garden, park, living room – or even take with you on your travels. Beyond the obvious pull up capability, the portable pull up rack is made for levers, dips, muscle ups, and other exercises that a door-mounted bar can’t really handle.
And it’s portable, so you can chase the shade as the sun moves throughout the day or pack it away when the sun goes down. No need to drill holes in the wall or make dent marks in your doorframes.
How many exercises can you do on a pull up bar?
Even a simple pull up bar allows you to do dozens of exercises. Here's how to get fit and strong using a pull up bar:
• Pull ups (wide grip, narrow grip, neutral grip)
• Chin ups
• Hanging leg raises and knee raises
• Toes to bar
• Windscreen wipers
• L-sits and front levers
• Australian pull ups (using a lower bar setting)
• Muscle up progressions
• Commando pull ups
• Around the world pull ups
Each of these has multiple variations and progression levels. Struggling with pull ups? Start with negatives (jumping up and lowering slowly). Finding them too easy? Try slow negative or weighted pull ups. The point is, you'll never run out of challenges.
Is a pull up bar enough for a full workout?
A pull up bar gives you exceptional upper body and core training options, but for a truly complete physique, you'll want to incorporate some lower body work too. But you don't necessarily need additional equipment. Do bodyweight squats, lunges, split squats, and calf raises, add some plyometric movements like jump squats and burpees for cardiovascular conditioning, and you've got a well-rounded workout.
With a portable pull up rack, you get even more options since you can use the structure for dips, inverted rows, and as support for certain leg exercises – making it a complete gym.
5 best exercises to do on a pull up bar
If you're just getting started with pull up bar training, here are the movements to master:
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Scapular pull ups – build the foundational strength needed for full pull ups by focusing on shoulder blade movement.
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Australian pull ups – progression exercise where you keep your feet on the ground and pull your chest to a lower bar.
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Dead hangs – for grip strength and shoulder health. Try to build up to 60 seconds.
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Negative pull ups – jump up and lower yourself slowly to build pull up strength.
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Hanging knee raises – core exercise that also improves grip endurance.
Full body workout using a pull up bar
Ready for a full session? Give this workout a go in your garden this weekend. The strength section is taken directly from the Gravity Fitness app!
Warm-up:
• 2 minutes of jogging or jumping jacks
• 30 seconds arm circles
• 30 seconds shoulder rolls
• 30 seconds active hangs on the bar
Strength (3-4 sets):
• Scapular shrug – 2 sets, 10 reps (45 seconds rest)
• Tuck skin the cat – 2 sets, 2 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Banded close pull up – 3 sets, 10 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Banded hammer grip pull up – 3 sets, 10 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Negative pull up – 2 sets, 5 reps (75 seconds rest)
• Straight bar dip – 2 sets, 5 reps (75 seconds rest)
• Leg raises – 3 sets, 10 reps (60 seconds rest)
Conditioning finisher:
• 30 seconds burpees
• 30 seconds rest
• 30 seconds air squats, 15 seconds jump squats
• 30 seconds rest
• 30 seconds walking lunges, 15 seconds jump lunges
• 30 seconds rest
• Repeat twice
The beauty of this routine is that you can do it anywhere. Nothing beats knocking out some pull ups with the sun on your back! Who’s planning on getting some outdoor sessions in this week?
