Apart from the 2.4km run, the pull up station have always been one of most feared in any IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test). Though I scored 12 pull ups during my IPPT test, I was not satisfied. My ultimate aim wasn’t just to get an A grade.

For those who are unable to do a single pull up, don’t be disheartened and give up. In addition to training the Latissimus Dorsi muscle and the assisting ones which are responsible for the pull up exercise, attempt to hang on the bar for as long as you can to get yourself comfortable. Lat pull downs are a great way of strengthening your Latissimus Dorsi muscle.

However I stand by the traditional way of training your pull ups, you got to keep pulling to actually improve. Just working on the muscles involved is not going to be enough.

It has been 4 months since my BMT (Basic Military Training) was over. Despite hitting the gym regularly every week, I only improved the number of pull ups by 2 to 14. That was until quite recently when I wanted to push my limits a little further.

I decided to increase the difficulty by changing from the usual standard pull up to weighted ones. If I am able to do weighted pull ups as a form of routine, imagine the amount of difficulty a standard one would pose to me? There are 2 ways of using weights. You can either add them using a dipping belt or you can use your feet to grasp them while doing your pull ups.

In my case, I used a 5kg dumbbell. I tilted it so that it could stand vertically and used my feet to lift it up while doing pull ups. Many tend to use the momentum of their pull to get their chin over the bar, and that isn’t the right way to do it. With the weights loaded onto your feet, it would be almost impossible for you to use any momentum and so you are actually doing a standard pull up the right way.

If you have other ways of improving your pull ups, I would like to hear of it.