5 pulling exercises you need to get stronger

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Here’s what we have for you today:

• 5 pulling exercises for stronger shoulders

• Science takes aim at shoulder hypertrophy

• The best budget-friendly barbells on the market

Strength Training

Pull Your Way To Victory

Pressing sometimes takes center stage in ego-measuring contests in all walks of life. “Whatcha bench?” is a much more common question than “How much upper-back work capacity do you have?” This, despite the latter tending to be a better representation of ogre-like strength.

Pulling exercises that balance your rear shoulders are vital for your posture and unlocking your strength potential on the field, farm, or sales floor. These five shoulder pulls strengthen the entire musculature of your upper body's backside and will put you well on your way to clubbing people and eating their bones (hopefully, just metaphorically).

You can plop these exercises directly into your normal training routine. Remember, you should be pulling more than pressing (potentially two or three times as much), so don’t be afraid to up the reps and set ranges on most of these. Working in face pulls of rear delt flyes really isn’t a big ask considering the enormous benefit they can provide. Check out all of the exercises below.

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Science Training

Embiggen Your Shoulders

Science really is wild. In the past 100 years, humans have split the atom, gone to the moon, and decoded the human genome. Now, at the apex of scientific endeavor, the research community is turning to the most pressing issue of our time: how to get bigger shoulders.

Using electromyography (EMG) and pro bodybuilder Eric Janicki as a sort of lab mouse with muscles, a series of tests were completed to find out which gym movements provided the most potential for shoulder size.

Janicki’s feelings proved to be useful. In fact, his favorite exercises, based solely on his feel, turned out to be exactly what the EMG data recommended the most. See how a pro bodybuilder and a team of science folks ended up on the same page with regard to building up this most cannonball-like part of the human anatomy.

Fitness Equipment

Barbells On a Budget

Whether you’re driving around in a $1.2-million Lambo or a used Honda Civic, the end result is about the same: you will arrive at your destination.

When shopping for barbells for your home gym, the spread across price ranges isn’t quite as noticeable as with automobiles, but these budget-friendly options prove you don’t need to empty the piggy bank to get a great training tool.

Our expert personal trainers and at-home training enthusiasts cover all your bases when looking for seven-foot pieces of knurled steel (and their adjacent barbell relations). You can find bars perfect for whatever type of lifting makes your frugal self want to click your Romaleos together and say, "There's no place like home (gyms)."

Everything Else

Cha-Ching

• CrossFit has been a leader in normalizing equal payouts for male and female competitors. The minutia of the prize system has become more complicated as the sport has grown, and you can learn all about how the system works thanks to recent additions to the rulebook.

• Start working your forearms as hard as your biceps by twisting the dumbbell curl into a Zottman curl.

• The 2025 TYR Wodapalooza takes place this weekend and features some of the best CrossFit athletes in the world. Check out our full preview.