Wrist-strap pull-ups are a very unique and revealing exercise that can be substituted for the towel chin or any other lat exercise mentioned throughout this site. Preparatory to performing wrist-strap pull-ups, a pair of heavy duty canvas straps (2" loop-stitched a the tail end of each canvas strap) must be slid onto a fixed position overhead pull-up bar.

The actual exercise protocol is to step up on a sturdy flat bench, stool, etc., and loop you (chalked) wrists through the straps as shown here. Now carefully step off the bench and, while doing so, slowly lower you body to an arms length dead-hang position. Relax your shoulder girdle so that it can be drawn or elevated upward and s-t-r-e-t-c-h the lats completely. Be sure to spread the wrist straps fairly wide apart. Upon stretching for a few seconds, shrug or crunch the shoulder down and back your pull your body as high a possible upward toward the bar. Then reverse the procedure for lowering back down to the full stretch position. To get maximum benefits out of this exercise incorporate the appropriate tracking pattern tips mentioned for wide-grip front pull-up mentioned the the Primary First Phase Workout No.1 mentioned at the beginning of chapter nine. Work up to 3 sets of 6 reps. When this becomes easy with you body weight only, up you ladder of intensity by either adding weight or by doing the 21 principle, etc.When the body is supported exclusively by he unique wrist hang from the straps, it de-emphasizes the use of fingers, palms, and biceps. This tends to involve the lats more fully during the pulling motion. This innovative lat exercise was taught to us in some descriptive letter correspondence by the later former IFBB bodybuilding superstar Chuck Sipes, back in 1966.

Sometimes a bodybuilder's own weight can become the number one enemy in accomplishing such an exercise as the wrist-strap pull-up. If so, this is for you.

Pro-Tip: Rather than sliding the canvas wrist straps over the pull-up bar, slide them instead over an overhead lat-machine dorsi bar. Now its only a matter of looping the wrists through the straps and performing the motion to the chest (upper torso in inclined back approximately 30 degrees from vertical), with a poundage which will allow you to do the set and rep scheme mentions As you lat pulling strength increases dramatically in the movement, you may wish to attempt much harder pull-up bar version.