Ryan George - Doorframe Pull-Up Bar Workouts: Full Body Strength Training for Arms, Chest, Shoulders, Back, Core, Glutes and Legs

Text Copyright 2014 Ryan George. Design and Concept Copyright 2014 Ulysses Press and its licensors. Photographs Copyright 2014 Rapt Productions except as noted below. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions and the Internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published in the United States by

ULYSSES PRESS

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-384-4

Library of Congress Control Number 2014932304

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions: Keith Riegert

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Lily Chou

Proofreader: Lauren Harrison

Indexer: Sayre Van Young

Front cover and interior design: what!design @ whatweb.com

Cover photographs: man Rapt Productions; brick wall Tupungato/shutterstock.com; stone background in doorframe HolyCrazyLazy/shutterstock.com

Interior photographs: Rapt Productions except on page 12 Photobank gallery/shutterstock.com

Models: Tyler Eisner, Ryan George, Nadia Velasquez

PLEASE NOTE: This book has been written and published strictly for informational purposes, and in no way should be used as a substitute for consultation with health care professionals. You should not consider educational material herein to be the practice of medicine or to replace consultation with a physician or other medical practitioner. The author and publisher are providing you with information in this work so that you can have the knowledge and can choose, at your own risk, to act on that knowledge. The author and publisher also urge all readers to be aware of their health status and to consult health care professionals before beginning any health program.

This book is independently authored and published. No sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with any doorframe pull-up bar, including Iron Gym (Ontel Products Corporation), or any other trademarked brands or products mentioned or pictured, is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands and other products mentioned and pictured in this book.

CONTENTS

At its core, exercise is really simple. It involves the application of a few basic but well-tested principles in order to achieve a desired result: consistency, specificity, efficiency, progression and recovery. These core principles are both easy to understand and easy to apply to any situation.

Over time and for a variety of reasons, this simplicity has become overly complicated. Were bombarded with new equipment, fad diets and trendy workouts that often make promises that are far too good to be true. While some have merit, more often than not theyre simply a cash grab. Magazines have to sell issues, websites have to generate hits. As a result, we find a market oversaturated with information thats often contradictory. The problem is that, with so much misinformation flooding the market, the average person can be overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed with an exercise program. This leads to months and years of guesswork and a process of trial and error that can be frustrating and discouraging and ultimately lead to failure.

The purpose of Doorframe Pull-Up Bar Workouts is to peel back the layers of misinformation in order to reveal exercises simple roots. A second purpose is to make exercise and fitness accessible to anybody in any setting. To achieve this, Im centering the workouts around one of the absolute best pieces of exercise equipment: the doorframe pull-up bar.

In order to understand why Id write a book focused on a single piece of equipment, its important to know a bit about my background in the fitness world. My journey began in 2002 when I decided to become a personal trainer. Initially, I did it simply to learn how to improve my own workouts while making a few extra dollars on the side. I quickly fell in love with fitness as I grew passionate about understanding how the body works and the different ways that one could effect change on it. Like most trainers, I started my career working at a couple of large health clubs. That experience allowed me to train a diverse clientele base, as well as work with and learn from some brilliant minds in the fitness industry. I eventually moved on to start my own business, My Home Trainer, a personal training company that sends trainers to the clients home. Working in this setting forced me to make the most of my surroundings and allowed me to test my own creativity.

Variety is important in developing an exercise program because it keeps things interesting and allows a person to make progress. Working in a health club gives a trainer access to hundreds of unique pieces of equipment. When working at home, theres typically very limited access to equipment, and I quickly learned that a person had to make the most out of a small number of items in order to both achieve results and stave off boredom. This is where I discovered the value of the doorframe pull-up bar. For me it killed two birds with one stone: It supplied enough diversity to keep the workouts progressive and different, and also provided enough of a challenge to impart consistent and great results.

Of the many benefits of the doorframe pull-up bar, the one that stands out the most is the ability to perform pull-ups almost anywhere. Pull-ups are in the opinion of many, myself included, the very best exercise. Having this as an option while training my clients in a limited setting allows them to achieve significant results. Ive had great success with my in-home clients, largely due to the diversity of the doorframe pull-up bar and the ability to perform pull-ups combined with other key exercises.

For years, pull-ups have been a staple in my own workouts as well as my clients and Ive seen great results in both areas. Doorframe Pull-Up Bar Workouts is my chance to share simple, no-frills, goal-oriented workouts that are useful for any number of goals, including weight loss, functional strength, athletic conditioning, core stability and increased muscle tone.

If youre one of the many who find pull-ups intimidating, too difficult or impossible to attain, dont worry. Included is a program designed to help you build up to performing pull-ups. Additionally, there are many modifications described in this book that will assist you in getting many of the benefits of pull-ups, even if you cant yet perform a full one.

While Im a big proponent of pull-ups, what makes the doorframe pull-up bar even more effective is that you can perform other exercises with it. You can use it for hanging ab movements to work the midsection and core. Additionally, it can be placed on the floor for upper- and lower-body exercises. I find using a doorframe pull-up bar in combination with bodyweight exercises to be among the most effective and efficient ways to exercise.

My goal is that you find this book to be accessible and valuable regardless of your fitness level. Total beginners will have access to step-by-step instructions on the core movements as well as valuable information that anyone starting an exercise program should have. If you suffer from a muscular or joint injury or limitation, I provide detailed instructions on how to modify movements in order to get the benefits of exercise without exacerbating an injury. If youre more advanced or athletic, there are advanced workouts and exercises to maximize your results. If youre a fitness enthusiast looking to change things up, youll find programs to help re-energize your fitness routine. No matter what your level, youll find