How to do a Pull-Up
- Grip the bar with palms facing away, hands slightly wider than shoulders.
- Hang with arms straight, then set your shoulders down and back.
- Pull your elbows down and drive your chest toward the bar until your chin clears it.
- Lower yourself slowly until your arms are fully straight.
- Avoid swinging or kipping, keeping the movement strict.
Keep in mind
- Start from a dead hang with the shoulders active, not slack.
- Pull the elbows down toward your ribs rather than thinking about your chin.
- Keep the body quiet — no kicking or swinging.
- Lower all the way back to a straight-armed hang.
Common mistakes
- Craning the chin over the bar while the chest stays low — pull higher instead of reaching.
- Kipping past the sticking point — use a band or your feet for honest assistance.
- Dropping into the bottom of the hang — control the last part of the descent.
Breathing
Breathe out as you pull up, in as you lower.
Take care
Check the bar takes your weight before you hang from it, and build shoulders and elbows up gradually — this is a big jump in load.
Easier and harder
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