Do Your First Pull Up
Why You Should and How to Get There
Raise your hands if you failed the pull up section of the Presidential Fitness Test when you were a kid.
Yeah, me too. I remember almost doing one, once. Not the best experience. So I wasn’t sad to learn that the test was replaced several years ago with an updated and less discouraging fitness program.
I’m here to suggest that you replace those memories of failing to do pull ups with new ones as well — let me explain why.
Why Everyone Should Do Pull Ups
In my article on speed training for runners I talked about how doing just a few sets a week of the most powerful compound exercises for the lower body — weighted squats, dead lifts, and Bulgarian Split Squats — can dramatically increase your running speed.
Pull Ups have the same kind of powerful effect, but for your upper body.
The list of benefits from doing pull ups is huge:
- stronger back (upper, middle, and lower)
- stronger shoulders
- stronger biceps & triceps
- stronger forearms & hands → stronger grip overall
- improved bone structure & cardiovascular health
- stronger abdominals — yeah, pull ups work your core!
Regular exercise of any kind also has massive benefits for your mental health, including improved self-image and confidence, reduced anxiety and depression symptoms and even better cognition.
Pull ups aren’t just for athletes and young people either — they’re for everyone!
Sure, Ginny MacColl gave birth to an American Ninja Warrior legend (and competed on the show herself some time after this video), but she did her first pull up at 63!
Pull ups are for everyone!
Training your upper body like this doesn’t only come in handy when you’re competing on TV or saving yourself from falling off of a bridge, either — the benefits will be felt throughout all aspects of your daily life.
Have trouble opening jars? Pull ups will help.
Lawn mower pull cord wearing you out? Consider doing pull ups.
Frequently need to get things down from (and put them back onto) high shelves? Do more pull ups to build your hands, arms, and shoulders.
Want to compete in an obstacle course race, but you can’t do the monkey bars on your local playground? You know what I’m going to say.
Everyone from 6 to 60 and on up can benefit from building upper body strength. That includes you, even if you think it’s not possible.
How to Do Your First Pull Up
I’m going to write this guide with the assumption that you find hanging from a pull bar impossible right now. If you’re a bit further along in your own fitness journey, feel free to skip ahead!
Starting from Zero
Before you can start training pull ups, you’re going to need a few things (like somewhere to do them).
Here’s what I recommend to get you started from zero:
- doorway pullup bar
- strength bands / resistance bands
- access to a low bar or an adjustable squat rack and barbell
A membership to a local gym can replace all of these items, though it will be more expensive in the long run. You may also be able to pick up a squat rack or pull up bar for cheap from craigslist — that’s where we got our rack.
Just make sure you have a way to transport it home!
If you don’t have or don’t want to buy strength bands, you can also use a stable chair as a leg support for many of the assisted exercises below. If you do, I suggest also using a cushion of some kind to protect your ankles from the edge of it. A strong workout partner or trainer who can spot you can also replace resistance bands in many cases.
A membership to a local gym can replace all of these items.
Finally, if you don’t have a gym membership, a squat rack and barbell, or access to a low bar, consider picking up a cheap pair of gymnastics rings and straps to hang them from your doorway bar for the low exercises.
Disclaimer: This article contains a number of links to 3rd party sites, including some affiliate links. Should you use those links and make a purchase, I may be financially compensated.
Pull Up Progressions for Beginners
Take note that all of the exercises below can be modified in many ways to make them easier or harder. I’ll make note of some of these modifications along the way.
For now, I’ve ordered them from easiest to hardest based on my own knowledge and experience with the assumption that you’re keeping things simple.
- Low Bar Assisted Scapula Shrugs
Using a resistance band wrapped around a low bar, perform scapula shrugs and dead hangs to build up your shoulder and grip strength. - Low Bar Assisted Descends
Building directly off of step 1, use your legs to assist in raising your chest to the bar and then slowly descend. While descending, use your arms and back as much as possible while minimizing the support provided by your legs. - Low Bar Assisted Chin Ups
As Descends become easier, you can move on to performing a more recognizable chin up movement while supported by a resistance band.
Pull the bar as close to your chest as possible at the top, and fully lock out your arms at the bottom to maximize the length of the motion and the benefit to your biceps and back. - Low Bar Assisted Pull Ups
Again building directly off of the previous step, move on to the pull up motion (hands on the front of the bar instead of the back). This shifts the muscle activation somewhat away from the biceps and into the back, preparing you for the next progressions. - Low Bar Chin Ups
This step is just like number 3, but without the help of the strength band. - Low Bar Pull Ups
Again, just like number 4 but with no band. Do your best to pull all the way up and go all the way down. - Assisted Chin Up Descends
Now you’re moving up to the full height bar and getting the resistance band back out. You may need a step stool or plyo box to help you start at the top. You can also jump into a chin up to help reach the starting point (but I recommend using a step up of some kind). If you want to build your own plyo box, I’ve written a guide for that. - Assisted Pull Up Descends
Once again we build toward the end goal by moving from a bicep-loading chin up motion to a standard front grip as you level up to this move. - Scapula Shrugs
It’s time to shift gears and spend some time at the bottom of your pull up. You will want to continuously work on this progression while completing 7, 8, 10, and 11 for the quickest overall progress.
Flex your shoulders and back muscles, imitating a shrugging motion, but do your best not to bend your elbows or engage your arms. The goal is to strengthen the back muscles involved in starting the lift from full extension. The extra time hanging from the bar is great for your grip, too.
These may feel too basic, but I encourage you not to skip them. If they seem easy, do more reps! You’ll feel it the next day if you’ve done this right. - Chin Up Descends
When Assisted Pull Up Descends start to feel comfortable, escalate your training by ditching the band again. Continue to use the step stool or plyo box if at all possible. - Pull Up Descends
Once more, build on the previous sets of descends by switching your grip to a standard pull up (front of the bar). - Assisted Negative Chin Ups
We’re almost there now! Using the band for assistance, start doing reps of chin ups. Go quick on the way up if you can, but go slow on the way down just like in the descends. - Assisted Negative Pull Ups
Some people might be able to skip this step entirely, but I think it’s useful for building up the muscles you need to do full sets of pull ups — in fact, this is one you should continue even after you can do unassisted pull ups. Focus on pulling the bar all the way to your chest, and descending to a fully locked out position. - Chin Ups
Another step some people might skip, but I’m including it because chin ups are easier for most people, especially if you’re seeing big improvements in your bicep strength. - Pull Ups
You’ve reached the mountaintop, my friend. Welcome to the pull up club!
Advanced Progressions: Pull Up Bar Hero
Once you’ve mastered the strict pull up, the progressions don’t stop, and you don’t have to either!
I think it’s good to know that mastering the pull up isn’t the end of the road.
If you want to become a Bar Hero, you can level up even more with challenges like Archer Pull Ups, Around the World Pull Ups, Muscle Ups, and even the legendary One-Arm Pull Up.
I’m not getting into details on those here — we have to stay on track. But I think it’s good to know that mastering the pull up isn’t the end of the road.
In fact, it qualifies you to learn dozens of moves that are both more fun and much flashier.
For now, let’s look at incorporating these moves into your workouts.
Creating a Pull Up Plan
This is the part where I remind you to use your brain before starting anything that might affect your health. If you have concerns of any kind — past injuries, illnesses, and so forth — please talk to your doctor, physical therapist, or other relevant medical professional before doing anything you’ve read about here.
Also bear in mind that I am not your doctor, therapist, or personal trainer and anything you do is at your own risk.
Okay, let’s move on.
If you’re serious about doing a pull up, you’ll want to plan on training three times a week. When you first start out, everything will be hard and that’s okay. It won’t get easier, but you will get stronger.
A example workout plan for a beginner might look like this:
Warm Up:
Spend 10–15 minutes warming up your arms and shoulders. Windmill your arms one at a time for a 20 count in each direction, do some jumping jacks and push ups, and finish with a light stretch of your arms and shoulders.
Challenge:
If this isn’t your first workout, attempt to do a single rep of the exercise above your current highest level. If it feels doable (aka, if you think you have one or two more in you), then that is your new highest level. If you can’t do it, or it take everything you have to do that 1 rep, no worries — you’ll get there! Rest for at least 1 minute, or until you feel recovered.
Skills Practice:
Do 3 sets at your current highest level exercise. The first set should be easy — about half of your previous maximum repetitions. Aim to hit or beat your previous maximum in the second set. In the 3rd set, go for max again, knowing that you probably won’t make it. Rest for at least 1 minute between sets, taking longer if needed to feel recovered.
Power and Endurance:
You’ve warmed up and maxed out — now it’s time to build your power and endurance with more sets of easier exercises. I suggest doing the exercise 1 or 2 levels below your current highest achievement. Do 6 sets of 8 reps if you can, resting for about a minute in between each set. Try to make these sets as explosive as possible to get your heart rate up and build your power.
Stretch:
Take a few minutes after the work out to stretch your arms, shoulders, and back. You’ll probably want to plan on stretching again later in the day, before bed, and when you get up in the morning as well — especially if you’re new to upper body exercise.
A Final Note
One thing I haven’t touched on in any of my articles yet is the important of good nutrition and finding a healthy weight for your body type. Running is a great way to lose excess weight, in combination with a healthy diet.
While “a healthy weight” is pretty nebulous, and will differ wildly for anyone reading this, I mention it here because it directly affects how quickly you will find success in pursuing your first pull up.
The simple truth is that being lightweight (to a reasonable point) will make mastering the pull up easier. That said, regular upper body exercise in combination with a healthy diet can be a valuable contributor to finding your way to a healthy weight.
As ever, I encourage anyone starting a new exercise program to consult a trusted medical professional and use common sense to keep themselves and those around them safe.
Good luck, and please let me know when you do your first pull up!
