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Pull-ups
The exercise most people want to do and fewest people do. It has one quirk: you don't train it by repeating the movement you can't do, but by doing the versions you can until your body gets there.
What it works
- Lats, the muscle that gives your back its V shape
- Biceps and forearms, which work much more than people think
- Shoulder blades and abs, holding your body so it doesn't turn into a swing
How to do it
- 1Grab the bar
Hands a little wider than your shoulders, thumb wrapped around the bar or over it, whichever feels solid. Hang fully extended, not hunched.
- 2Start with your shoulders
Before bending your elbows, pull your shoulders down, away from your ears. That first, almost invisible move is what switches on your back; without it, your arms do the pull-up.
- 3Pull your elbows toward the floor
Don't think about lifting your chin, think about driving your elbows down and toward your ribs. Your chest goes toward the bar, with your body leaning back slightly and your legs still.
- 4Get your chin over
At the top, chin above the bar and chest close to it. If you always stop an inch short, you're missing the final part, which you train with holds right there.
- 5Lower under control and hang
Dropping fast and bouncing at the bottom is where elbows get tweaked. Lower in two or three seconds and finish hanging fully before the next one.
The mistakes you see most
- Kipping with your legs. The swing does half the work. If you need momentum to get there, the rep isn't there yet: better an easier version done well.
- Half reps. Neither straightening at the bottom nor getting your chin over at the top. You do more reps and train less.
- Starting by bending your elbows. That turns the pull-up into a biceps exercise with your body hanging. Shoulders go down first, then the elbows bend.
- Reaching with your chin. Stretching your neck up doesn't lift your body. Look straight ahead and let your chest rise.
Variations
- With a resistance band. The band helps at the bottom, where it's hardest. It's the most common progression: you move to lighter bands as you get more reps.
- Negatives. Jump up or use a box, and lower as slowly as you can, five to eight seconds. It's what brings your first pull-up fastest.
- Inverted rows. Low bar, body at an angle and feet on the floor. Same movement with less weight: the more horizontal you get, the harder it is.
- Chin-ups (underhand). Palms facing you. More biceps, and almost everyone gets more reps; good for building confidence.
Frequently asked questions
I can't do any. Where do I start?
With negatives and inverted rows, two or three days a week, plus hanging from the bar so your grip holds up. What doesn't work is trying a full pull-up every day and getting stuck halfway.
Pull-ups or lat pulldown?
The pulldown trains the same movement while letting you choose the weight, which makes it better for learning and for longer sets. The pull-up adds holding your own body. The usual thing is to do both.
Wide or narrow grip?
Very wide isn't more back: it's less range and more shoulder. A little wider than shoulder width is the benchmark for most people.
How many should I do?
It depends on how many you can do. A sensible approach is to count total reps: five sets of three done well are worth more than one set of seven done halfway.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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