Doing a pull-up is “an amazing feeling,” said Chilasa King, a powerlifter and coach at LiftedMBK in New York, US. “It’s a simple exercise that’s really hard to do.”
Therein lies the pull-up paradox: pull-ups are simple but hard, and many people who think they cannot do one really could, if they put in the effort and time.
Everybody has a good chance of achieving a pull-up if he or she trains for it, said Meghan Callaway, a strength coach based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and creator of the Ultimate Pull-Up Program. Most people who fail to master the pull-up struggle not because they are physically incapable, but because they are not training in the right way, she said. The trick is to focus on proper technique and approach your training with patience and deliberateness.
Focus on Form
The first thing to understand is that pull-ups are a full body exercise. “A lot of people think of a pull-up purely as an upper body exercise, and they neglect what is going on from the chest down,” Callaway said. Your body should be rigid, not slack. What would be easier to move, Callaway asked, a stiff board, or an equally weighted floppy sandbag? If your torso, hips and lower body are rigid, it makes it a lot easier to lift them.
Grab the bar slightly greater than shoulder width, with your palms facing away from you. (Holding your palms toward you would be a chin-up, a different — and most say easier — exercise.) Your body should be aligned in a relatively straight line with your feet just slightly ahead of your body so that you’re in a very slight arc. It’s better for the bar to be just within reach on your tip toes, but if you’re doing them in a doorway, it’s okay to bend your knees with your feet out behind you, Callaway said.
To initiate the pull-up, move your shoulder blades toward your spine (think of it as the opposite of shrugging) while simultaneously driving your elbows down toward your ribs. Keep your abs and glutes tight. As you pull up, don’t reach up with your chin, Callaway advised, but instead keep your chin tucked, your neck in a neutral position and your eyes looking straight ahead.
Practise the Components
Not everyone can do a pull-up the first time. Even before you can do a complete pull-up, you can break down the movement into its component parts and train for each of them.
Bar Hangs: The first step is to learn how to hang in a rigid position, rather than flaccidly. King has beginners practise hanging by grabbing the bar, engaging their abs and glutes to make their body stiff like a board, and then holding for 30 to 45 seconds.
Scapula Pull-ups: These are a way to practise the initial pull-up movement. Start by hanging on a bar and then engage the muscles in your mid and upper back to move your shoulder blades in toward your spine. As you do this, you’ll feel yourself elevating just a tiny amount. Hold for a moment in this elevated position, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position. Don’t bend your elbows. Your arms should be straight for the entire motion.
Eccentric Pull-ups: Begin at the top position of a pull-up with your head above the bar (stand on a chair to get up there if you need to) and then slowly lower yourself to a hanging position using a controlled, fluid motion.
Inverted Rows: This exercise strengthens the back and improves shoulder mobility. Position yourself underneath a weight bar as if about to do a bench press. But instead of lying on a bench, hang from the bar, with your heels on the floor. Hold your body in a straight, rigid line and pull yourself up, initiating the movement using your back muscles, rather than your arms. Return to the starting position in a slow, controlled motion. Imagine moving your shoulder blades away from your spine and around your rib cage.
Take your Time
“Be patient,” King said. Getting your first pull-up “takes time and a lot of consistency; it doesn’t happen overnight”. Consistency is crucial, she said: “There is no way around this. You have to work at it, week after week and month after month.”
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