Pull-Up

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Grab the bar with an overhand grip (pull-ups) or underhand grip (chin-ups) at or slightly wider than shoulder-width.

2. 2

   Hang with arms fully extended and shoulder blades engaged — don't just dangle from your joints.

3. 3

   Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down toward your hips until your chin clears the bar.

4. 4

   Lower yourself under control to a full dead hang. Avoid kipping or swinging unless intentionally training a kipping variation.

Common Mistakes

• Using too much momentum and swinging the torso. If you cannot pull the weight without heaving, it is too heavy.

• Shrugging the shoulders up instead of retracting the scapulae back and down. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.

• Not achieving a full range of motion — cutting the pull short at the top or not fully extending at the bottom.

Pro Tips

• Initiate every pull by retracting your shoulder blades first, before bending your arms. This ensures your back does the work instead of your biceps.

• At the top of the movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together like you are pinching a pencil between them. Hold for a full second before lowering.

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