How to Do the Pull-Up: Form, Sets, Progression
The Pull-Up is a pull-up bar exercise that mainly works your back. Beginners start with 3 sets of 8–12 reps and try one more rep next time.
Form in 3 steps
- Grab the bar a little wider than shoulder-width with your palms facing away, and hang with your arms straight.
- Pull your shoulders down first. Breathe out and drive your elbows down toward your sides until your chin clears the bar.
- Pause briefly at the top, then breathe in and take 2–3 seconds to lower until your arms are straight.
Common mistakes
- Kicking your legs to swing up: momentum does the work instead of your back. Keep your legs together and your body still.
- Craning your chin to get over the bar: it strains your neck. Think about pulling your chest to the bar.
- Half reps at the bottom: your back muscles don't get a full stretch. Lower until your arms are nearly straight every rep.
Sets, reps and rest by goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 sets | 4–6 reps | 3 min |
| Build muscle | 4 sets | 6–10 reps | 2 min |
| Lose fat | 3 sets | 10–12 reps | 1 min |
| General health | 3 sets | 8–12 reps | 1 min 30 sec |
How to progress
Bodyweight and band exercises progress by reps, not weight. DailyFit looks at your best set last time and asks for one more rep today.
When to pick another exercise
If your shoulder or elbow bothers you, skip this one for now. Mark it as sore in DailyFit and the app swaps this exercise out of your routine.
Alternatives
Add the Pull-Up to today's workout?
Tell DailyFit your goal, time, equipment and any sore spots, and it builds today's workout. Ducky counts your reps out loud and the rest timer runs itself.
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FAQ
What should I do if I can't do a single Pull-Up?
Start with lat pulldowns, band-assisted pull-ups, or negatives where you just lower yourself slowly. If you pick shoulders or elbows as a problem area in DailyFit, this exercise is left out of your routine.
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