How to learn to pull up

How to prepare for pull-ups

These conditioning exercises will pump all the muscle groups needed for the pull-up and improve neuromuscular coordination in this movement.

Your workout will look like this:

Shoulders Involvement - 5 sets of 10 seconds.
Holding at the top point - 5 sets of 60 seconds. Or negative pull-ups - 3 sets of 15 times.
Australian pull-ups - 5 sets of 10 reps.
Pull-ups with an elastic band or with support on a chair - 5 approaches at close range.

Do it every other day so that the muscles have time to rest and recover.

Involving the shoulders in the hanging on the horizontal bar

How to learn to pull up: Activating your back muscles while hanging

This exercise will build your grip and help you remember the correct starting position.

Grasp the horizontal bar with a straight grip so that your palms are slightly wider than your shoulders. Hang on straight arms. Tighten your abs, lower your shoulders, and bring your shoulder blades together. Maintain this position for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

Do the exercise always, even when it is easy. This is a great shoulder warm-up before pulling up.

Hold at the top

How to learn to pull up: holding the top point

Grasp the bar with a straight grip and jump to reach the top of the pull-up point with your head over the bar.

Hold this position for 60 seconds. Complete 5 sets. If you can't hold out for a minute, do as much as you can, but try to lengthen the time each time.

When you get to a minute, replace this exercise with negative pull-ups.

Negative pull-ups

Jump onto the bar and pull up using the momentum of the jump. If your bar is hanging too high, substitute a chair. Stay at the top and descend as slowly as possible.

Perform 3 sets of 10-15 negative pull-ups.

Australian pull-ups

How to Learn to Chin-Up: Horizontal Bar Chin-Ups

To do this, you will need a low bar, a barbell bar on racks, or even a mop on two tall chairs. The only requirement is that the bar should be high enough so that you can fully extend your arms in the hang.

Grab the bar with a straight grip, leave your feet on the floor, stretch your body in one line. Pull yourself up to the bar, touch it with your chest, and then lower yourself back down. The body is always stretched out in one line, the abs and buttocks are tense so that the butt does not hang down.

Do five sets of 10-15 reps.

Pull-ups with an elastic band or with a support on a chair

If you have a rubber band, hook it over the bar, tuck one or both legs into the loop, and do pull-ups. The tape will remove some of the load, and it will be easier for you.

If a set of resistance bands is available to you, start with the thicker ones with more resistance and gradually move on to the thin ones.

If you don't have an elastic band, place your feet on a chair. Relax them and try to help yourself as little as possible in pulling up.

Do 5 sets at close range: as many reps as you can.

When you can do 10 reps with support in the set, you can try pull-ups without help.

How to do pull-ups

What should be the grip

With the reverse grip, the load is shifted to the biceps of the shoulder, the direct grip puts more stress on the back muscles. Reverse grip pull-ups are easier, so use that first.

When you can do the exercise with good form, switch to a straight grip.

What is the starting position

Hang on the horizontal bar. Initially, your shoulders cover your ears. Now lower your shoulders and bring your shoulder blades together, tighten your abs, twist your pelvis forward a little. From this tense position, you will perform pull-ups, and you must return to it.

If your bar is low, you can push your legs forward a little and bend them. The angle between the body and the hips is about 40–45 degrees.

You do not need to bend your legs to a right angle, as if you are sitting on a chair. This pumps the hip flexor muscles, but at the same time stretches the latissimus dorsi and deprives them of some of their strength.

How to climb

Pull yourself up until your chin is over the horizontal bar. Do not relax your back: at the top of the shoulder blades should be collected, as in the starting position, the chest is brought forward.

Do not swing or jerk. The movement should be smooth and controlled. You rise strictly vertically and descend in the same way.

Do not stretch your chin up, trying to complete the approach. The head and neck do not change position until the end of the exercise. Keep the pelvis twisted, bring your straight legs forward a little, strain them.

How to get down

Descend smoothly, without jerking or falling.

Do full range pull-ups until the elbows are extended. You can do more partial pull-ups, but the muscles will not receive the desired load.

Do not relax your shoulders at the lowest point, keep the original tense position.

How to relax

After finishing the set, rest for 1–2 minutes. Resting less, you will not be able to fully give all your best in the next set, more - you risk cooling down, so it will be more difficult to start the set.

How much to pull up

Start with 5 sets at close range. Do as much as you can, but watch your technique. If errors appear against the background of fatigue, such as a sharp fall, an extended neck, or jerking, stop the approach, rest and try again.

It's okay if you do fewer reps in the last sets: it's better than overexerting and injuring your muscles.

You can exercise every day or every other day to give your muscles time to recover.

What to do if it doesn't work

Pulling up is a tricky exercise, especially if you have no athletic experience. Therefore, do not despair if in the first month or two you do not do much or until you can not pull up without support. This is especially true for girls with a weaker shoulder girdle than men.

Try a few machines and free weights to strengthen the muscles you want.

Row of the upper block to the chest

How to Learn to Chin Up: Pulled Up To The Chest

This exercise will help to pump the broadest muscles, which do the main work in pull-ups on the horizontal bar.

Sit on a bench, grab the handle with a reverse grip. Straighten your back, bring your shoulder blades together, and press your feet firmly to the floor. Pull the handle towards your chest until it touches, without changing the position of your back. Return and repeat. Perform the exercise smoothly, without jerking or swinging.

Pick up a weight for 8-10 reps. The last repetitions in the set should be difficult. Complete 3-5 sets.

Bent over dumbbell breeding

This exercise will help build the dorsal deltoid muscles of the shoulders. Pick up dumbbells, start with small ones, 2-4 kg. Tilt the body to parallel with the floor. Spread your arms with dumbbells to the sides and slightly forward, return and repeat.

Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Curl biceps

The exercise is designed to pump the biceps of the shoulder, this muscle also has a huge load in pull-ups.

Hold the barbell at outstretched hands. Bend your elbows and bring the barbell to your chest. Lower and repeat. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. Adjust the weight so that the last repetition of the set is difficult.

Row of the bar to the belt in the slope

This exercise works well for the lats, as well as the trapezius, deltoid, and large rounds - a complete pull-up kit.

Take the barbell in outstretched, lowered arms, bend over with a straight back, bend your knees slightly. Pull the barbell up to your stomach and then lower it down. Perform 5 sets of 8-10 times. Adjust the weight so that the last repetitions are difficult.

What else to do

Perform lead exercises in parallel. Just do it on your free days so as not to overload the muscles and not lead to injury.

And do not forget about the rest of the body: a strong shoulder girdle is great, but harmony is above all.

Along with weak muscles, excess weight can hinder you. If this is your problem, do long cardio or HIIT weight loss sessions in parallel with your upper shoulder workouts. Even a couple of pounds can make a big difference.