Towel Pull-Up Guide: How to Do Towel Pull-Ups Properly

Towel pull-ups are advanced pull-up exercises that make use of a towel to help you build upper-body strength. Towel pull-ups primarily target your forearm muscles, core muscles, and latissimus dorsi—a muscle in your middle and lower back. The towel grip activates the muscles in your forearms more than a regular pull-up, helping increase your grip strength. This pull-up variation is an effective grip-training exercise worth incorporating into a number of strength-training programs including weightlifting, bodybuilding, gymnastics, and calisthenics. For towel pull-ups, begin by performing 2–3 sets of 6–12 repetitions. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout. 1. Place a large towel or two small towels over the pull-up bar. Grab the ends of the towel with a full overhand grip. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart. If you’re unable to grab the towel, stand on a plyometric box or a secure flat bench. 2. Step off of the box and allow your legs to hang. Your arms and legs should be long. Your elbows should be slightly bent. Squeeze your glutes and quads. Engage your core. Your ribs should be down and your pelvis should be slightly tucked. 3. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats. Your shoulder blades should be upwardly rotated away from your spine. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. All repetitions should begin from this starting position. 4. Initiate the upward movement by simultaneously pulling your shoulder blades down and pulling your elbows toward your body. Continue to pull your shoulder blades toward your spine and squeeze your upper back and lat muscles until your chest reaches hand level. Pause at the top of the movement. 5. Begin the downward movement by simultaneously straightening your arms and allowing your shoulder blades to upwardly rotate and move away from your spine. Slowly lower your body back to the starting position. Your arms should be long with a slight bend in your elbows. Your shoulder blades should be away from your spine. 6. Repeat the towel pull-up for your desired number of repetitions. Towel pull-ups offer several notable benefits. 1. __Towel pull-ups are a convenient addition to your workout routine__. Compared to other strength-training exercises, towel pull-ups require minimal equipment. All you need to practice towel pull-ups are a bath towel and a pull-up bar. 2. __Towel pull-ups are a dynamic grip-training exercise__. Towel pull-ups engage the muscles in your hands and forearms more than standard pull-ups. Developing a strong grip can help you complete weightlifting exercises like deadlifts and bench presses more effectively. 3. __Towel pull-ups can be easily made into a lat exercise__. By simply moving the towel ends or two towels to a wide-grip position, you can isolate your latissimus dorsi for a powerful lat exercise. If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort. To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery. Throw on some athleisure, fire up a [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com), and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and *GQ* fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time. Mix up your pull-up routine with towel pull-ups, a bodyweight exercise that uses a towel to improve your upper-body and grip strength. Learn how to do towel pull-ups with proper technique.