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Towel pull-up

A pull-up where the grip fails first, which is exactly the point and exactly what a bar never does.

StrengthBarControlled both waysAll bodyweight exercisesAll back exercisesAll grip exercisesAll forearms exercises

What it works

Grip, Back, Forearms

How to do it

  1. 1Hang a towel over the bar and take one end in each hand, then pull up until the hands reach bar height.
  2. 2Lower under control to a full hang.
  3. 3The towel removes the bar's help entirely, so the hands do the work a hook grip normally does for them — expect a fraction of your usual reps, and treat the number as the honest one.

Cues that matter

Train the same thing

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