Typewriter Pull-up

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Use a structurally secure bar or handles with enough clearance for a controlled mount and dismount. Use a closed grip unless this exercise specifies another grip, and establish the rep standard before the set. Use a bar wide enough for the hands and shoulders to travel laterally without losing the grip.
2. 2Starting position. Begin with the elbows extended within the defined pain-free range, ribs stacked over the pelvis, and the shoulder girdle controlled. Begin from a controlled hang with the hands wider than the shoulders and the trunk quiet.
3. 3Concentric phase. Pull by driving the elbows down or back while keeping the trunk quiet. Pull high enough to move the chest toward one hand, then travel laterally while keeping the elbows bent and the shoulder girdle controlled.
4. 4End position / lockout. Reach the defined height without jutting the head forward or losing shoulder control. Pause briefly at each side only if the shoulders remain stable; do not rest the chest on the bar.
5. 5Eccentric phase. Lower under control through the same path and return to the stated start position. Do not drop into the bottom or let the grip open.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Brace the trunk moderately before the pull, maintain a quiet ribcage, and exhale through the hardest portion as appropriate. Brief higher-pressure bracing is a programming choice, not a cue to ignore medical restrictions.
7. 7Valid rep. A valid repetition uses the defined grip, range, body line, and tempo without unplanned momentum. The high position and lateral travel are completed without a kick, drop, or uncontrolled shoulder shift.

Common mistakes

• Using momentum

  Fix: Reset the body line, lower the difficulty, and begin the repetition without momentum.

• Changing the range

  Fix: Define the start and endpoint before the set and use the same markers on every repetition.

• Shrugging or losing shoulder control

  Fix: Keep the neck long and let the scapulae move under control rather than collapsing.

• Travelling while too low

  Fix: First earn a stable high pull; then add a small lateral shift before increasing the distance.

Safety

• This is a high-skill unilateral-strength variant; the lateral transition has limited direct research and should be treated as a biomechanical and coaching construct.
• Choose a setup, load, assistance level, and exit strategy that allow the defined standard to be maintained; do not train through acute, sharp, electric, or worsening symptoms.

When to stop

• The prescribed grip, body line, or endpoint can no longer be maintained and momentum increases from repetition to repetition.
• The shoulders, elbows, wrists, or trunk become visibly asymmetric or the eccentric return is no longer controlled.
• The apparatus, assistance device, grip, or dismount becomes unsafe.
• Stop for acute, sharp, electric, or rapidly worsening pain; new numbness or weakness; chest pain; unusual breathlessness; dizziness; or near-fainting.

Progressions & alternatives

• RegressionArcher Pull-up— Use a simpler lateral shift before requiring the higher typewriter endpoint.
• ProgressionOne-arm Eccentric Pull-up— Use the high unilateral position as preparation for eccentric one-arm loading.
• AlternativeStrict Chest-to-bar Pull-up— Build high bilateral pulling without lateral travel.