Pull-Up
The pull-up is a lat exercise that most people turn into a biceps and momentum exercise: the difference is whether the shoulder blades move before the elbows do.
How to do Pull-Up
- Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
- As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
- Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
- After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
- Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Pull-Up Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4-6 sets of 3-5 reps with a dip belt, 3 minutes rest. Add weight only when you can complete 8 clean bodyweight reps from a dead hang.
Hypertrophy
3-4 sets of 6-12 reps with 90-120 seconds rest and a 2-second lowering phase. Use a band or an assisted machine to stay in the rep range once you fatigue.
Endurance
3-5 sets stopping 2 reps short of failure with 60 seconds rest. Accumulate total reps across the week rather than grinding one set to failure.
Common Pull-Up Mistakes
Starting each rep from a fully relaxed hang with the shoulders around the ears, which strains the shoulder and skips the lats entirely.
Begin every rep by depressing the shoulder blades — pull the shoulders away from the ears first, then bend the elbows.
Kipping the hips to generate momentum when strict reps run out.
Keep the legs still or crossed behind you. When strict reps stop, switch to band assistance or negatives rather than swinging.
Cutting the range short at the top and stopping with the chin well below the bar.
Pull until the chin clears the bar and the collarbone travels toward it. If the top half is missing, reduce the load with a band and keep the range.
Easier and Harder Than Pull-Up
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Pull-Up — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Pull-Up?
Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position. Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Pull-Up work?
The Pull-Up primarily targets the lats. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Pull-Up should I do?
For muscle growth: 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps with 90-120 seconds rest and a 2-second lowering phase. Use a band or an assisted machine to stay in the rep range once you fatigue. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Pull-Up good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic back patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Pull-Up?
Try the Chin-Up, Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown or the Inverted Row. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
