Which exercise is the best overall indicator of fitness? If I had to pick just one, I would say the Pull Up. They’re an extremely important upper body exercise and require excellent physical condition to perform. Let’s look at some of the reasons why this exercise is so important and then look at a few ways to help you do more.

This movement requires a solid ratio of strength to body weight (which forces you to have a healthy body weight) and also a very strong set of core muscles. There is no exercise that can replace the pull up or offer the exact benefits that it does. So unless you have a specific physical limitation that prevents it, you need to be working on being able to do more!

Here are five tips to help you get started:

-Be patient

Pull ups are extremely physically demanding, which means you won’t see the quick results that you can with other exercises. If you can do two today, it would be almost impossible to be able to do twelve in two weeks. Accept that being able to do more is a slow and steady process.

-Get lots of practice with the movement

When we’re tired, we often try to cheat by giving up proper form in order to make things easier on ourselves. Just focus on doing a couple per day at first, and think of it as practice – don’t work on them to the point of exhaustion or muscle failure.

-Use the Pull Up Ladder

Try this:

1. Do 1 rep and then rest for 30 seconds.

2. Do 2 reps and then rest for 45 seconds.

3. Do 3 reps and then rest for 60 seconds.

Then repeat this sequence again twice more (3 sets total).

-Use Negatives in your training

A Negative Pull Up starts with you at the top (over the bar) and then you lower yourself down. Your muscles are able to handle more weight on the way down than the way up, so this is another way to keep working even after you’re too tired to do any more normal repetitions.

- Lose some weight

Pull ups require you to carry all of your body weight, so less weight means being able to do more! It’s that simple.

To recap, pull ups are an excellent indicator of all around fitness. If you want to do more, follow the tips in this article and be willing to put in the time required. You might not see the fast progress in number of repetitions that you do with other exercises, but quality is more important than quantity.

P.S. For a free copy of my seven day quick start workout plan, in addition tons more articles and videos with bodyweight training tips like the one you just read about, head over to my bodyweight strength training blog at http://bodyweightstrengthtraining.com

I know that back when I played competitive sports and wasn’t yet a fitness professional, I always thought of bodyweight training as conditioning – and never something you could use to actually build size and strength.

When I started my personal training career and learned more about the science of program design, I realized that I was quite wrong!

Body weight strength training can be used to get stronger and build mass; however, you do need to use advanced and difficult moves to get the best results.

Here are three of the best bodyweight exercises for size and strength

The One Arm Push Up

This advanced push-up variation is great for building upper body strength, stability in the shoulders, and a rock-solid core.

Place one arm behind your back and lower yourself to the floor with the other arm. Abs should be braced hard and your feet should be in a wide stance for added stability. Touch your chest to the floor and press yourself back up.

The Door Pull Up

Open a door halfway and place a towel over the top. Place your hands on the towel and let yourself hang off the door.

Pull yourself up by leveraging your body weight against the door until your chin is over the top. Your elbows will be pressing against the door throughout the drill. Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position and repeat for reps.

The Pistol Squat

Start the pistol standing on one leg. Dropping your hips back behind you, squat down to a full squat position and stand back up using the same leg.

(The pistol squat is a very tricky exercise to master; make sure you practice your form and get it down cold before you incorporate it into your regular program).

Body weight strength training can indeed be used to build size and strength. This article outlines three of the best; add them into routine today for improved results!