Pull-up

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Grip the bar centrally, thumbs wrapped. Let the body hang freely, legs calm and together or slightly forward. Before the first rep, check your grip, overhead clearance, and a safe dismount.
2. 2Starting position. Elbows fully extended, without painfully "dropping" into a passive end position. Shoulder blades controlled over the ribcage; ribcage over pelvis, glutes and abs lightly braced. A dead hang is valid if your pain-free shoulder mobility allows it.
3. 3Concentric phase. Begin with pulling intent through the elbows and upper arms; actively control the shoulder girdle. Bring the body up as one calm unit. No leg kick, hip pop, or cyclical swinging. Forearms stay roughly under the bar.
4. 4End position / lockout. Chin clears the top of the bar with a neutral head; alternatively a plan can define a chest-to-bar standard, but don't mix the two within one set. Shoulders stay controlled, not painfully pulled forward.
5. 5Eccentric phase. Lower under control over 2–3 seconds. Fully open the elbows and return to your defined start position without dropping the last few centimeters.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale and brace moderately before the pull; exhale through the hardest part. On heavy reps you can brace Valsalva-style briefly if medically cleared, then actively exhale.
7. 7Valid rep. Starts with extended elbows, ends with the chin clearly above bar height, stays free of kipping, and returns under control to the same start standard. Changing your range or style breaks comparability.

Common mistakes

• Kip / leg swing

  Fix: Ribs over pelvis; start without any pendulum motion.

• Cutting the bottom range short

  Fix: Lower the load/volume and fully reset every rep.

• Jutting the chin forward

  Fix: Keep the crown of the head long; lead with the chest toward the bar.

• Shoulders shrugging up uncontrolled

  Fix: Keep an active, not rigidly fixed, shoulder girdle.

Safety

• Teens 14–17: competence and supervision matter — no forced max attempts, use a safe bar.
• Older adults: relative strength, grip, and the dismount can limit you — assistance, a platform, and longer rests help.
• Shoulder: full overhead range/hang can be poorly tolerated — only use a cleared, pain-free grip/range.
• Elbow/wrist: grip and flexion load the tissue — consider a neutral grip or the lat pulldown.
• Cardiovascular concerns: heavy sets and breath-holding can matter — use a pre-cleared, submaximal intensity.
• Reduced bone density: individual pulling/fall risk — needs medically or professionally cleared load and setup.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionBand-assisted Pull-up— Learn the full range of motion with assistance — aim for 3×8 with a small, documented amount of help.
• progressionWeighted Pull-up— Fine-tune maximal strength — 3×8–12 at 2 reps in reserve within the same standard.
• alternativeCable Lat Pulldown— Dose pulling load independent of body weight, if relative strength or overhead tolerance is limiting.
• prerequisiteExplosive Chest-to-bar Pull-up— Develops the explosive high pull only once strict pull-ups are stable.