The short version: to get your first pull-up, build strength with dead hangs, inverted rows, slow negatives and band-assisted reps, three times a week. To do more pull-ups, train them often with sets that stop short of failure, and add reps a little at a time. Chin-ups (palms facing you) are easier because your biceps help more; pull-ups (palms away) hit your lats harder. Train both.
Few exercises tell you as much about your strength as the pull-up. It’s simple, needs nothing but a bar, and builds the lats, upper back, biceps and grip that make your whole upper body look and work better. Here’s how to get your first one, then a lot more.
Pull-ups vs chin-ups: what’s the difference?
- Pull-up: overhand grip (palms facing away), hands a little wider than your shoulders. More emphasis on the lats and upper back. Harder for most people.
- Chin-up: underhand grip (palms facing you), hands about shoulder-width. Your biceps contribute more, so most men can do a few more chin-ups than pull-ups.
- Neutral grip: palms facing each other on parallel handles. A good middle ground and often the most comfortable on the shoulders and elbows.
Neither is ‘better’. Both train the back and arms hard; chin-ups give your biceps more work, pull-ups your lats. Rotating between them works well.
How to do a pull-up with good form
- Hang from the bar with straight arms, grip just outside shoulder-width.
- Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes so your body stays still. No swinging.
- Start by pulling your shoulder blades down, away from your ears.
- Drive your elbows down towards your ribs until your chin clears the bar.
- Lower under control until your arms are straight again. That’s one rep.
Think of your hands as hooks and your elbows as what does the pulling. If your neck strains forward to get your chin over the bar, the rep didn’t count.
Can’t do a pull-up yet? How to get your first one
Most men who can’t do a pull-up are missing either the strength to start the pull or the strength to finish it. These five exercises fix both:
- Dead hang: hang from the bar for 20–60 seconds. It builds the grip and shoulder strength everything else depends on. See our dead hang guide.
- Scapular pull-up: from a dead hang, pull your shoulders down without bending your arms, hold for a second, then relax. This is the very start of every pull-up.
- Inverted row: lie under a low bar or sturdy table, body straight, and pull your chest up to it. The more upright you are, the easier it is. It’s a staple of our military calisthenics plan.
- Negative pull-up: jump or step up so your chin is over the bar, then lower yourself as slowly as you can, aiming for five seconds. Lowering is the part you’re strongest at, so it’s where you build strength first.
- Assisted pull-up: loop a resistance band over the bar and put a foot or knee in it, or use an assisted pull-up machine. Use the least help you can for 5–8 clean reps; our resistance band guide explains band strengths.
A 4-week first pull-up plan
Three sessions a week, with a day off between them:
- Dead hang: 3 × as long as you can (stop before your grip fails completely)
- Scapular pull-ups: 3 × 8
- Inverted rows: 3 × 8–12
- Negative pull-ups: 3 × 3, lowering for 5 seconds each
- Band-assisted pull-ups: 2 × 5–8
Each week, lower more slowly, hang longer and use a lighter band. At the end of week four, test a full pull-up when you’re fresh. If you get one, great. If not, repeat the block; most men get there within one or two.
How to do more pull-ups
Once you can do a few, the fastest way to add reps is to train pull-ups often without grinding out every set to failure. Failure sets leave you too sore and tired to practise again soon, and practice is what builds pull-up numbers.
The 6-week rep plan
Test your max number of strict pull-ups, then train three times a week:
- Day 1, volume: 5 sets of about half your max, resting 90 seconds. (Max of 8 means 5 × 4.)
- Day 2, ladders: do 1 rep, rest briefly, 2 reps, rest, 3 reps, and so on until a rep gets slow, then start again at 1. Do three ladders.
- Day 3, strength: 4 slow negatives of 5 seconds, then 3 sets of chin-ups, stopping one or two reps short of failure.
Add one rep to each Day 1 set every week and one rung to your ladders when they feel easy. Retest your max in week six.
Practise between sessions: if you have a bar at home, a few easy sets of two or three reps spread through the day (sometimes called ‘greasing the groove’) add lots of quality practice without much fatigue. Pull-ups every day are fine at this low intensity. For an extreme version of the idea, read how Gero Arias did 67,161 pull-ups in a year.
Weighted pull-ups
Once you can do about 10–12 clean reps, adding weight builds strength faster than chasing higher reps. Use a dip belt with a plate, or squeeze a dumbbell between your feet. Start with 2.5–5 kg for sets of 5, and add a little weight whenever you can do all your sets with good form.
Common pull-up mistakes
- Half reps: not straightening your arms at the bottom, or stopping before your chin clears the bar.
- Swinging and kicking: momentum hides weakness. Keep your body tight unless you’re deliberately training kipping for CrossFit.
- Shrugging: pulling with your shoulders up by your ears. Start every rep by pulling your shoulders down.
- Maxing out every session: testing your best every time stalls progress. Test every few weeks instead.
- Skipping the rest of your back: pull-ups alone won’t build a complete back.
For the full picture, add rows and other pulling moves from our back workout.
How many pull-ups should you be able to do?
It depends on your age, weight and training history, but 8–10 strict pull-ups is a solid benchmark for a fit man, and 15 or more is excellent. See how many pull-ups you should be able to do at your age, or check your numbers in our pull-up standards calculator.
Pull-up FAQ
Why can I do chin-ups but not pull-ups?
Chin-ups let your biceps help more, so you have more pulling power. If pull-ups are the problem, keep doing chin-ups for strength and add pull-up negatives and band-assisted pull-ups.
Are negative pull-ups effective?
Yes. Slow lowering reps build strength through the whole range of motion and are one of the best ways to get your first pull-up. Keep them to a few sets, because they cause more soreness than normal reps.
Can I do pull-ups every day?
Easy, low-rep sets every day are fine and can speed up progress. Hard sets to failure every day are not; your elbows and shoulders need recovery.
Which builds bigger arms, pull-ups or chin-ups?
Chin-ups, because your biceps work harder. Pull-ups build more back width, which also makes your arms and shoulders look bigger.
Should I use bands for pull-ups?
Yes, if you can’t do a full rep yet. Use the lightest band that lets you do clean reps, and move down a band size as you get stronger.
