Pull-up
LatsPull-up BarAdvanced
The gold standard upper body test. Pull yourself up, and gravity respects you.
Muscle worked
Lats
Equipment
Pull-up Bar, Bodyweight
Difficulty
Advanced
Time per set
20-40s
How to perform
Step by step, every rep
01
Grab the bar
Hands slightly wider than shoulder width, palms facing away (overhand). Full grip, thumbs wrapped.
02
Hang with tension
Hang with arms straight but shoulders packed down. You're not dead hanging, you're set up.
03
Pull with the back
Drive your elbows down and back. Think of pulling the bar toward your chest, not pulling yourself to the bar.
04
Chin over
Go until your chin clears the bar. Chest high, shoulders tight. No chin craning.
05
Lower with control
Come down slow. Full extension at the bottom but shoulders still packed. Reset and repeat.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✕
Swinging or kipping
Momentum does the work and you're not training the back anymore. Fix: Strict pull ups only. If you can't do a strict rep, use bands or a pulldown until you can.
✕
Partial range at the top
Half reps equal half results. You miss the top squeeze which is where lats finish. Fix: Chin fully clears the bar every rep. Don't cheat yourself.
✕
Shrugging the shoulders up at the start
Takes the lats out of the lift and puts load on the neck and traps. Fix: Pack the shoulders down first, then pull. Long neck the whole rep.
✕
Not going fully extended at the bottom
Short range, limited growth, and biceps get stuck short. Fix: Full hang at the bottom. Arms straight, shoulders still tight.
Progressions
Scale it up or down
Make it easier
- Band assisted pull up: loop a band over the bar and under your knee
- Jumping negative: jump to the top, lower slowly over 3-5 seconds
- Lat pulldown: same pattern, less load
Make it harder
- Weighted pull up: belt with a plate or dumbbell between your feet
- Archer pull up: shift weight to one side
- L sit pull up: legs held horizontal the whole rep
How to program it
Sets, reps, rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Strength | 4-6 | 3-6 | 2 min | Add weight (belt) once you can do 8+ strict. |
| Build Muscle | 3-5 | 6-10 | 90s | Bodyweight or added weight. Go to near failure. |
| Build Endurance | 3-4 | Max reps | 60s | Bodyweight. Stop 1 shy of failure each set. |
Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?
Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.
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