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Thread: Towel pullups

  1. #1
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    Default Towel pullups

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    Was wondering what the consensus was on these, specifically for grip strength? Worth doing, or just stupid?

  2. #2
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    How do you train them? Are you asking if they are better than deadlifts?

  3. #3
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    No, more like instead of regular chins.

  4. #4
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    Other than for grip strength in some non-striking martial art, why do them? Those Judo people do love them some towel pull-ups.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Kalin View Post
    Was wondering what the consensus was on these, specifically for grip strength? Worth doing, or just stupid?
    Didn’t Mr. T do those?

    I’ve found deadlifts help chins, much through grip strength, not the other way around. At one point, my monkey grip was going strong in weighted chins, which was also when I was pushing limit loads in the DL.

  6. #6
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    When I was lifting heavy, but doing it wrong, just before I discovered this whole scene through dr. Mike Simpson’s podcast, I was starting to use alternate grip on deadlift, and I kind of intuitively felt there was something wrong with that. Towel pull-ups were recommended to increase grip strength. Well, towel hangs really, but I figured if I’m hanging here anyway, why waste the time, right? Do some pull-ups.😁

  7. #7
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    I can only speak for myself and the few anecdotes I've heard from friends, but they can fuck up your knuckles and wrists; especially if you do them with a balloon grip.

    Deadlifts and chins are just phenomenally better.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark E. Hurling View Post
    Other than for grip strength in some non-striking martial art, why do them? Those Judo people do love them some towel pull-ups.
    Yeah, but judo people, in general, also don't deadlift.
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  8. #8
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    Yes. Do them. Do regular chins too because you can use more weight but towel chins will make your hands stronger for sure.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by AndrewLewis View Post
    Yeah, but judo people, in general, also don't deadlift.
    Or lift at all very much. Donn Draeger (although he was SO much more than just Judo) and Anton Geesink being some notable exceptions. That's how far back you gotta go before Tradition reasserted itself in that art with a vengeance.

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