Two oddly underutilized exercises are Weighted Pull-Ups and Weighted Dips. Why are they underutilized? For one, there are both machines which replicate these movements (Lat Pulldown and sitting Triceps Push Down), and machines which assist in actual Pull-ups and Dips. I don't advise using them, or most machines. The machines offer a single plane of movement which couldn't be more unnatural for human motion. It is true that the fastest way from Point A to Point B is a straight line, and that resistance is most easily overcome by staying the path a straight line, but machines are not built for your body's specifications.
It's interesting how people good at Lat Pulldowns can't necessarily do Pull-Ups, and vice-versa. They are said to be two different movements, and that perhaps some people's bodies are more apt to take advantage of the Lat Pulldown. I've never trained it. Pull-Ups require Lat control. People try pulling themselves up with just their Biceps, and you're not going to curl your own bodyweight that easily. There are many different grips to employ on Pull-Ups. It's often said wide-grip is the best for Lats and isolates the Lats the most. I've never trained Wide-Grip as I prefer the strongest Pull-Up position for leverage, and that is the Chin-Up, which is a supine (palms up) grip. This grip is easier on your elbow joints, involves more of the Biceps and Chest. The Lats seem more secure when using an underhand grip.
The bottom position of a Pull-Up allows you to stretch your Lats, which helps in storing energy for a rebound into the concentric portion of the exercise. Joint problems can hit you though if you deadhang incorrectly, and there's nothing wrong with keeping a slight bend to avoid injury. The top position can vary quite a bit. You can pull to your sternum, eye level, chin level, or the top of your head. I recommend keeping your shoulders down, and tilting your torso back slightly. I believe tension leaves the Lats when your shoulders raise, as a hard Lat contraction involves having your elbows at your sides.
I have seen people claiming you shoulder flare your elbows to stress the Lats and to cut out the Biceps involvement, but I don't find that necessary for Lat development and strength. In fact, the best Lat workout I can get is by Deadlifting heavy (385lb+) for 8 reps and 2 sets.
I see people use the Assisted Pull-Up Machines and they're bodies are loose, and they stand vertically on a platform, using no intensity. This is comparable to watching people lay on a bench to Bench Press, but they don't keep their body tight at all. If you don't have a tight body during an exercise, you'll never be able to handle heavy weight in it. This is why I recommend Negatives on Pull-Ups rather than any other exercise or machines. Negatives are simply the eccentric portion of a lift. So for Pull-Ups, you would either jump, or step-up so you can grab the bar at the top position, and slowly lower yourself down while squeezing and feeling your lats.
Most people cannot perform Pull-Ups, and I'm highly convinced it's because they don't understand how to use their Lats. After conquering Pull-Ups, you may get so high in volume that your joints are in jeopardy, and your strength cannot improve, nor can you continue to develop the muscles used in them. This is where Weighted Pull-Ups should be subbed in. Good technique on Pull-Ups will allow you to pull with a large spectrum of poundage. I do not recommend holding a dumbbell between your knees or to wear a backpack. There is device which works perfect for leverage, safety, and loading weight, and that is a Dip Belt.
You can look normal weight plates through the belt, and can increment in 2.5lb if you wish. I recommend just choosing a rep range, and increasing the weight by 5lb each session (1-3 times a week). When I was still performing bodyweight Pull-Ups, I had mastered them so well that they weren't a challenge at all, and I pulled myself upwards so explosively that I could tell I had more energy than required - more strength and explosiveness required for pull-ups. There is an exercise which is a more advanced variation of a Pull-Up and that is the Muscle-Up.
Lastly for Pull-Ups, I take longer rests between sets than any other exercise. During the sets, my breathing is very important for completing the rep range I'm attempting. When I breathe in, my muscles get a surge of energy as well as when I breathe out, which I do through the gut with a grunt. With a tight underhand grip, pull your body towards the insides of your wrists (below your pinkies). This will help adduct (move inwards) your shoulder blades, which puts the Lats in a strong position.
Dips are an incredible exercise. Like Push-Ups and Pull-Ups, your form can really vary. When I cut Dips from my routine, my inner Chest loses definition, and isn't as ripped in general. I feel they're very good for your wrists as well. If you're not strong in that position with your wrists, you should aim to be strong there. It's vital for L-Sits, and general gymnastic moves, which can lead up to a Handstand Push-Up or Planche.
When I first began Dips, I loved the stretch my Delts and Chest felt so much that I dipped myself too low, and although it didn't hurt at the time, after a few weeks, I couldn't do Dips at all. Having researched after I hurt myself, I saw people suggesting that you don't go below parallel, which is a common theme in many movements. So I aim for parallel, but probably dip a bit below it, but nothing severe as I used to.
Only recently haven't I thought myself to stress the point of never flaring my elbows. It's a weak position for the elbows and shoulders. You usually aim to line your joints and bones up for leverage sake. I recommend starting at the top of the Dip movement to avoid starting with a concentric movement. When you start with the eccentric like in Squats, you store energy to rebound out of into the concentric. It's important to remember that the eccentric portion of any exercise is what builds muscle and is our bigger strength, whereas we are weaker in the concentric.
Torso lean can dictate how much you use your Chest and Triceps. A forward lean will hit your Chest, whereas a more vertical torso will hit your Triceps. What's funny is that I like the Chest version, but as the weight goes up in Weighted Dips, it prevents me from leaning forward, as to do so would require me to do a Planche basically with a lot of extra weight.
Weighted Dips feel very good on my shoulders and elbows. Throughout my workouts, I lean heavily on various objects, and push all of my weight onto my straightened limbs, and this makes me feel stronger, and helps me build energy. Something I notice about most people's Dip form is that they don't go very high in the top position. It's said that you can still build muscle with partial range of motion, but you should really use full range of motion most of the time in your training. Some people opt to avoid locking out the joints of the limbs in order to keep tension on the muscle, and to avoid joint injuries.
I lockout in most exercises (not Pull-Ups). In Dips, even more so than locking out, I raise my knees, and crunch powerfully with my abs with every part of my body tense and taut. I'm able to match the weight I Pull-Up and Dip, and so for convenience, I superset Weighted Pull-Ups with Weighted Dips on the days I do Pull-Ups. I don't often superset, but these two exercises work very well together. You're either pulling down hard or pushing down hard. The genius of combining these two lifts also include the doorway to legendary Muscle-Up.
A Muscle-Up is a Pull-Up followed by a Dip. It's rather a mindfuck to think how you can pull yourself over the bar. The trick is that your wrists need to spin from being horizontally attached to the bar to vertically atop the bar. This also means that to get atop the bar, you must have somewhat of an arc. I don't recommend cheating in most exercises (not having proper form), but for Muscle-Ups, I think it's required to start off with a kip (swing) to learn them.
In order for your wrists to swing from horizontal to atop the bar, place your thumb on the same side of the bar as the rest of your fingers. This is called a false grip. You can also flex your wrist a bit. Approach the bar, grip it, swing forward just a little, and when your body swings back, wait for the moment in which you are the highest, then pull like a Pull-Up, and strive to land your Chest atop the bar, but as your Chest approached the bar, do a Dip to extend your arms, and place yourself atop the bar, which I then follow with a slight knee raise crunch with straight legs with my feet are crossed and my hips open. I keep my legs rigid and together throughout the movement. You don't want to flail about. I feel the upper body can control the lower body more easily when your legs are more like one unit. To get down, lean back, and allow your wrists to spin downwards. You will be reversing the arc movement, and so you'll have a bit of a forward swing when you're back below the bar, and this is perfect for starting the next rep. Just wait for yourself to swing back to the highest spot like in a swing set where you pump your legs at the right moment.
The Ab activation I feel from a Muscle-Up is greater than any other Ab exercise I've tried. I believe it's because, you're launching your body through space and landing atop a bar in a crunch. You also have the option, while you're atop the bar during the Muscle-Up to do as many Dips as you choose while you're in the prone grip, which is different than the normal parallel grip for Dips. Be sure to tuck your elbows.
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