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THE PULLUP IS having a moment, particularly online. Along with being a great bodyweight exercise that works muscles in your arms, back, and core, it also requires a significant level of strength and movement mastery to consistently nail good reps. People can get emotionally invested in what they consider right and wrong in the fitness world—so armchair fitness experts are particularly fixated on pullup technique.
“The level of technical criticism in pullup land and and the trolls that live over there is extreme,” says exercise physiologist and strength coach Dr. Pat Davidson in the latest Strong Talk episode. “I really wasn’t aware of it until I did something on that front.” For context, Davidson is talking about sharing a video of himself performing pullups with four plates hanging from a chain, with what he calls “decent reps.” Instead of recognizing the extra weight, commenters “came out of the woodwork” to talk smack about his form.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was a recent target of this criticism after participating in a pullup contest at an airport. Some people online have criticized his form claiming he didn’t do any real reps. The latest Strong Talk episode dives into whether this type of criticism is usually warranted. They also discuss how many pullups an average number can do and the link between body composition and pullup ability people often overlook.
In short, you can come at RFK for a lot of things. His obsession with red meat and working out in blue jeans? Fair game. But the critique of his pullup form seems to be in less than good faith.
In regards to RFK’s form, Davidson says you can spot areas in need of improvement but “it was way better than most people I see at the gym especially for a dude that’s 72 years old.” A common critique for RFK is that his chest does not get close enough to the bar. For the airport video, Davidson says that might be more based on the angle of the clip. The most important part, according to Samuel, is that RFK is close enough where he can still benefit from the whole purpose of performing a pullup—namely, back development and upper body strength.
“[RFK] is in a very small percentage group in ability to do this task for his demographic,” says Davidson. “That’s not the right place to be critical. He’s crushing it on that particular realm.”
Want more deep-dive fitness wisdom from Samuel and other celebs and experts who’ve been on our Strong Talk podcast? Check out all our episodes here.
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men’s Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she’s not working, she’s doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.
