How To Do A Pull Up – The Beginner’s Guide

A pull up is one of the most effective exercises you can do to strengthen your back, arms, and shoulders, and it’s not as hard as you think! This comprehensive guide on how to do a pull up will walk you through every step of the process and teach you which muscles are being targeted during each part of the movement. From beginning exercisers to experts, there’s something in here for everyone who wants to learn how to do a pull up!

Step 1: Understand the Technique

Lifting your body weight from a bar isn’t as easy as it looks and most people don’t have the upper-body strength to do it on their own. If you want to get started, enlist a friend (ideally someone who can show you proper form) or buy yourself a set of assisted pull-up bands, which can help reduce gravity’s effect on your muscles so you have time to practice proper form and build up strength. Alternatively, use banded pull ups, which allow beginners to perform chin-ups with greater ease. Eventually, when you’re ready to graduate from either assistive devices or banded pull ups, try stepping onto an exercise bench while performing standard pull ups.

Step 2: Choose The Right Bar

If you’re going to be doing assisted pull-ups, you’ll need to buy a bar or rig that can accommodate a band. Ask around. See if your gym has something that fits your needs or do some digging online and find something within your budget. You can also have one custom made for you. Just be sure it will support enough weight for you to use it safely in case you get stronger and/or decide to buy heavier resistance bands over time. As with any other piece of equipment, ask an expert at your gym if you are unsure of which one is best for your specific goal(s).

Step 3: Getting Into Position

Positioning is key. You want to make sure that your hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and that your feet are placed just beyond hip-width. Step 4: Starting Out Small: If you can’t do a full pull up yet, don’t worry! There are a few ways around it. Try using bands that provide assistance or using assisted pull ups at a local gym until you build enough strength to do them unassisted! It might be harder at first but you’ll get there in no time! Step 5: Letting Go of Gravity: Finally, when you’re ready to let go of gravity, start by squeezing your core, exhaling and fully engaging your lat muscles before pulling yourself upward.

Step 4: Train On Proper Technique

One of the biggest reasons people can’t do a pull-up is because they don’t have proper form. Before you even set foot in a gym, it’s important to know how to do one properly. This will help you build strength in your back and will make your workout more effective, as well as safer. It’ll also make sure that you’re able to execute a pull-up whenever you need it. Start by watching these two tutorials from our friends at BodyBuilding .com . They explain how to get into position for a regular pull-up as well as for an inverted row (or banded pull up). At first, practice these movements every day and make sure you can perform each movement correctly before moving on to step 5!

Step 5: Keep Practicing!

If you haven’t been able to do a pull-up yet, don’t give up. Most people find it easier to add more reps each time they work out than adding that one extra rep. So if you can do 8 pull ups during your workout, try and add 1-2 more each day until you reach 10-12. Once you can do 12+ pull ups at a time without any struggle, it’s time to start working on mastering strict form. Working towards a full pull up is an amazing achievement!