Pull ups are old school.  Who doesn’t remember them as part of elementary gym class or on the playground!  They’re definitely a power house for muscle building, but what are the best gloves for pull ups?

First, let’s quickly review the basic pull ups exercise and proper form.

What Muscles Do Pull Ups Work?

Pull ups are a great upper body exercise.  Depending on the type of pull ups you’re doing, you can concentrate on specific muscle groups.  The biggest muscle group trained with the standard pull up are the Back Muscles – specifically you’re upper back and Lats.  The Latissimus dorsi muscle is the most noticeable and is the part you can “see” when looking in a mirror.  It kind of spans from your armpit down to the side of your back.  Pull ups are great for training rear delts and arms as well.  The best gloves for pull ups are going to be a pair that act as a barrier between your hand and the metal bar, while still allowing some natural hand rotation.

Types of Pull Ups Exercises

The Standard Pull Ups

Hanging from an overhead bar with your hands at about shoulder width apart and hands facing away from you.

Chin Ups

This is the most popular pull ups variation and the main difference is hand position.  With chin ups your hands are facing towards you.  This variation also works the biceps a bit more.

Close Grip Pull Ups versus Wide Grip Pull Ups

Pay attention to your natural tendencies when doing pull ups.  If I wide grip is too challenging then try a close grip.  Generally speaking a wider grip will place more emphasis on the Lats (back) and a closer grip will hit the arms, shoulders and even chest a bit more.

Kipping Pull ups and Plyo Pull Ups are more advanced variations of our more familiar pull ups exercises. If you need a refresher course visit “What Are Kipping Pull Ups.”

A Plyo Pull Up is short for “plyometric”.  When you do a pull up and let go of the bar it’s considered a plyo pull up.  A variation would be the clapping pull up where at the top of the movement you release, clap your hands, and grab the bar as you lower down.  Both Kipping and Plyo Pull ups require explosive force and moreso than other pull ups you need a good grip!

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