Pull-ups with bands / loops

To perform this exercise, you don't necessarily need special TRX straps. You can make your own bands, which is not difficult and about 20 times cheaper. Additionally, you will need a bar or a wall-mounted rack. This exercise is similar to pull-ups on a Smith machine but has several advantages, which will be discussed below.

Nuances and mistakes

1. You can and should rotate the handles. When you lower yourself, turn them palm-down, and when you pull up, turn them palm-to-palm. This will allow you to better stretch the latissimus dorsi and contract them effectively.

2. Try to pull up as high as possible. Fortunately, here you are not limited by a bar that presses against your chest, as in Smith machine pull-ups.

3. Lowering your pelvis down will help further stretch the latissimus dorsi muscles. However, in this case, there is a temptation to use momentum by swinging your pelvis rather than relying on muscle strength. Therefore, you should try to eliminate inertia and work solely in a strength mode.

4. Try to keep your elbows close to your body at the top position rather than flaring them out to the sides to better engage your back.

5. Additionally, try to push your chest forward and squeeze your shoulder blades together. The more you squeeze your shoulder blades, the better your back will work.