How to do the Pull-Up
- Grasp the bar with palms facing away, hands a bit wider than your shoulders.
- Hang with straight arms, feeling your shoulder blades pull down.
- Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar, bending your elbows.
- Slowly lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Take an overhand grip on the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Hang from the bar with elbows straight and legs still beneath you.
- Set your shoulders down away from your ears before starting the pull.
- Drive your elbows down and pull your chest upward toward the bar.
- Continue until your chin clearly passes the bar without craning your neck.
- Lower under control until your elbows fully straighten and shoulders fully open.
- Reset in a full hang before beginning the next repetition.
Common mistakes
- Kipping or swinging through reps
- Stopping short of full hang
- Reaching chin with neck
- Shrugging shoulders during the pull
- Half reps above midpoint
Form cues
- Start from full hang
- Drive elbows down
- Chest toward the bar
- Keep legs quiet
