Negative pull-up
Full guide coming soon
Pull-Up
The pull-up is a bodyweight pull from a dead hang to chin over the bar, with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders. It trains your lats, upper back and biceps, and it needs only a bar that holds your weight.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Pull-up bar
- lats
- upper back
- biceps
Left: start position. Right: end position. Orange: the muscles that work.
How to do the pull-up
- Grip the bar with your palms facing forward, hands just wider than your shoulders. Wrap your thumbs around the bar.
- Hang with your arms straight and your feet off the floor. Keep your legs together and still.
- Tighten your abs and squeeze your glutes so that your body stays in one line and does not swing.Breathe
- Pull your shoulder blades down, then drive your elbows down toward your ribs.
- Keep pulling until your chin clears the bar. Keep your neck long; do not reach up with your chin.
- Lower yourself under control all the way to straight arms before the next rep.
Breathing. Breathe in at the bottom and hold your abs tight as you pull. Breathe out near the top or as you lower. Do not hold your breath for the whole set.
Tips
- If you cannot do one pull-up yet, start with a band-assisted pull-up or slow negatives from the top position.
- Chalk or a dry towel helps when your grip slips before your back is tired.
Muscles worked
The pull-up works mainly the lats, upper back and biceps.
- Lats (main muscle)
- Upper back (main muscle)
- Biceps (main muscle)
- Rear delts (also works)
- Forearms (also works)
- Abs (core) (also works)
| Muscle | Role |
|---|---|
| Lats | Main mover. They pull your upper arms down and in toward your sides, which lifts your body to the bar. |
| Upper back | The lower and middle traps and the rhomboids pull your shoulder blades down and together, so the shoulders stay stable at the top. |
| Biceps | Bend your elbows. They work hard in the top half of the pull, but less than in a chin-up. |
| Forearms (also works) | Hold the bar. Grip often gives out first in long sets or when you hang for a long time. |
| Abs (core) (also works) | Stops your legs from swinging, so the pull comes from your back and arms. |
Sets, reps and rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (first weeks) | 3 | 3-8 reps | 75 s |
| Build muscle | 3 | 3-8 reps | 2 min |
| Get stronger | 4 | 4-6 reps | 3 min |
| General fitness | 3 | 3-8 reps | 75 s |
| Fat loss (with more daily activity) | 3 | 3-8 reps | 60 s |
These numbers come from the same rules as the Oh My Coach app, with this exercise as the first main lift of the day. Use a load that leaves 1 to 3 reps in reserve. When you reach the top of the range in every set, add a little load or move to the harder version (double progression). What is double progression?
Common mistakes
-
Half reps at the bottom
Why it matters: If you start each rep with bent arms, the lats never work through their full length and the rep is easier than it looks.
Fix: Let your arms go straight at the bottom of every rep. Use an easier version if you cannot pull up from a full hang.
-
Kicking or swinging the legs
Why it matters: The swing moves your body up with momentum, so your back does less work and the reps do not show your real strength.
Fix: Squeeze your glutes and keep your legs together. Pause for a moment in the hang before each pull.
-
Reaching with the chin
Why it matters: Pushing your chin up strains your neck and makes a short rep look complete.
Fix: Keep your head neutral and pull your chest toward the bar until the chin clears it on its own.
-
Shrugging at the top
Why it matters: When your shoulders ride up toward your ears, the upper back stops holding the shoulder blades in place.
Fix: Think "shoulders down, away from the ears" before you bend your arms, and hold that through the rep.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier Negative pull-up
- Easier Chin-up
- This exercise Pull-up
If you cannot do clean reps yet, start with the chin-up.
Versions of this exercise
Assisted pull-up
Full guide coming soon
Alternatives
Same main muscle and the same movement pattern first, from the same rules as the app's swap list.
Chin-up
Same movement pattern
Lat Pulldown (Wide Grip)
Same movement pattern
Close-grip lat pulldown
Same movement pattern
Full guide coming soon
What you need
-
Take care if
This exercise loads the shoulder and elbow. If your shoulder hurts, stop. Options that do not load the shoulder in the same way: Prone lat pulldown. For pain that does not go away, see a doctor or a physiotherapist.
If your shoulder or elbow hurts during the pull, stop. Try a neutral-grip or band-assisted version, or a lat pulldown with a light load.
Compared with
Questions
What muscles do pull-ups work?
Pull-ups work mainly the lats, the muscles under the shoulder blades and the biceps. The forearms hold your grip and the abs keep your body still. In an EMG study, the lats showed the highest activity of the muscles measured in both the pull-up and the chin-up.
What is the difference between a pull-up and a chin-up?
A pull-up uses an overhand grip (palms forward), and a chin-up uses an underhand grip (palms toward you). In one EMG study, the chin-up gave higher biceps and chest activity, and the pull-up gave higher lower-trap activity. Most people can do a few more chin-ups than pull-ups.
How can I get my first pull-up?
Train an easier version on most pull days: chin-ups, band-assisted pull-ups or slow negatives where you jump to the top and lower yourself. Add a little more control or a little less help each week. Rows and lat pulldowns build the same muscles in between.
Does grip width matter?
A grip just outside shoulder width suits most people. A very wide grip shortens the range of motion and can feel hard on the shoulders. An EMG study of overhand, underhand and neutral grips found mostly similar muscle activity across a full rep.