lululemon athletica

the business of perfecting the pull-up

Pull-ups can be an especially tricky exercise because it takes so many different muscle groups to get that chin over the bar. Getting there takes some time and commitment—about three weeks of strength training according to our friends over at Greatist.

As it turns out, the pull-up is simple, but not easy. This fact is both unfortunate and uplifting: Those of us who can’t do a pull-up are not alone. Sure, it’s going to take some work, but with the right plan in place, you can go from hanging from the bar to hammering out rep after rep of the perfect pull-up.

The business of perfecting the pull-up

It’s true what they say, practice really does make perfect. But practicing improper form is more likely to hinder pull-up performance than actually help, so anyone aiming to make their first pull-up a reality should begin by perfecting the proper form.

1. Get a Grip
Stand under the bar and grab it with both hands. Your palms should be facing away from you with hands shoulder-width apart. If you can’t reach the bar, get a boost from a bench, stool, or box. Use a standard overhand grip, wrapping your thumbs around the bar so that they almost meet the tips of your fingers.

2. Play Dead
A true pull-up begins in a dead hang. When you hang from the bar, your arms should be fully extended with your core engaged and shoulders back. Build strength by keeping your form in mind as you pull—it’ll help you avoid swinging, kicking, and jumping, which means that you’ll be using your muscles, not momentum, to master the move.

3. Pull (Up)
Initiate the actual pull by squeezing the bar with your hands while engaging the muscles of your upper body and core. Imagine pulling your elbows down to your sides as your entire body travels toward the bar. Resist the urge to strain your neck in an attempt to break the plane of the bar with your chin. Continue to pull until your chin clears the bar with ease, at which point the upward phase of the pull-up is complete.

4. Get Down
Congratulations! You nailed the up part of the pull-up. But you still have to get down. The trick is to return to the dead-hang slowly. Maintain a firm grip on the bar while allowing your arms to straighten as you lower. Once you return to the dead-hang, you can count your first rep. Cue shouting “Nailed it!,” high-fiving yourself, pumping your fist triumphantly, all of the above, etc.

Working up to the pull-up

Knowing how to do a pull-up is one thing, but actually doing it will probably take some time (and practice and patience). Instead of walking away from the pull-up forever, use these exercises to work your way up to the perfect pull-up.

1. Suspended Row
Similar to a pull-up, the suspended row is a closed-chain exercise. In this case, however, you’ll be lying under a bar instead of hanging from it. Using a Smith machine or power rack set the barbell so that when you’re under the bar, lying faceup, it’s just out of reach. Grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms out, and thumbs around the bar. Anchor your heels into the ground. Now, pull your chest toward the bar, keeping your elbows close to your body. If the movement is too challenging, adjust the bar or rings so that your body is more vertical. As you build strength, you can set yourself up to be more horizontal.

2. Bent-Over Dumbell Row
Snag a set of dumbbells. Hinge at the waist to grip the weights with both hands outside of your knees, palms facing each other. With a slight bend in the knees, back straight, and chest parallel to the floor, row your elbows back and up toward the ceiling, pulling the weight and exhaling as you do. At the top of the movement, squeeze the muscles of your back, pause for a moment, then lower the weight.

3. Buddy Up
A workout buddy will help out by gripping your legs and gently pushing up, thereby reducing the amount of weight you need move up. Dead-hang from the bar per usual but cross your legs. This is where your friend steps in, holding your legs and pushing up. Upward motion just got a little easier.

4. I’m With the Band
Giant rubber bands called flex bands can be used for a variety of assisted or mobility exercises. For use in perfecting the pull-up, the band is looped around the top of the bar. As it hangs, step your foot through the bottom of the band. Grip the bar and notice that you’re getting up, allowing the band to help you. This version engages your core and stabilizer muscles throughout the movement. (Be careful when stepping into and out of the band. There’s a chance that it could snap back with force.)

5. Go Negative
When it comes to perfecting the pull-up, the “up” part gets a whole lot of attention, but pulling is only one piece of the puzzle. Slowly lowering yourself from the bar (a negative”) is a teriffic way to build the strength that will eventually help you pull yourself up. Grip the bar as you would for a pull-up and very slowly lower yourself to a dead hang, squeezing your back muscles and biceps and keeping your core engaged. You might not be able to pull-up, but you sure can get down. And that’s half of the pull-up battle.


This post was adapted from an article by our friends at Greatist, who have plenty of fab tips when it comes to your healthy, active lifestyle. Check them out!

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