How To Get Your First Pull-Up

For many of us, our first attempt at pull-ups was in front of a clipboard-wielding gym teacher.

Maybe you got a few shaky reps.

Maybe you strained and slipped off the bar after just a few seconds.

Maybe you were left discouraged and quietly accepted that you were “bad” at pull-ups…

Now years later, you want to finally conquer the pull-up (and silence that negative inner voice) but that first rep still feels impossible.

Most pull-up training advice amounts to: “Add bands and grind out negatives until something clicks.”

For some, it eventually works.
For most, it doesn’t.

They struggle for a while, get sore elbows, and eventually give up because there’s no real plan…

So in this post, I’m breaking down the exact exercise progressions that will give you the strength, skill, and confidence to finally get your first pull-up, even if you’re brand new to working out.

If you’re new here, my name is Zack – I’ve been a personal trainer and strength coach since 2012. Over the years I’ve helped a bunch of people to get their first pull-up (and beyond) – from middle-aged soccer moms who just started working out to former CrossFitters who finally ditched the kip.

There are three things you need to do a pull-up:

#1) Dynamic pulling strength of your back and arms to lift your body.

#2) Isometric strength of your grip and core to support and stabilize your body.

#3) The neurological skills to coordinate all of the above to create a strong, smooth pull-up.

My pull-up road map takes those basic ingredients and organizes them into three levels, each with their own performance standards to stair-step you into your first pull-up.

Let’s go!

Level 1 Pull-Up Exercises

Most trainers would have you immediately jump up on a bar and start with bar hangs or pull-up negatives.

Those are great exercises, but they’re also pretty advanced.

So, if you’re a beginner, let’s start with some exercises that are more approachable, scalable, and build your foundation.

For pulling strength, the obvious place to start is the lat pull down.

Start from a full stretch position, arms outside shoulders, and strive to touch the bar to your upper chest with every rep. This will ingrain the best pulling pattern for full range of motion pull-ups.

Work up to five reps at a resistance of about 50% of your body weight.

Farmer carries are a great way to build functional grip strength.

Simply grab a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells and take them for a walk.

Stay tall and try not to wobble too much.

Work up to 1/3 of your bodyweight in each hand for a 30-second carry.

For nailing the basics of core stability, it’s hard to beat the classic plank.

Tighten every muscle in your body. Think about driving your elbows and toes towards each other to really maximize core engagement.

Work up to a 30-second plank while maintaining full-body tension.

Level 2 Pull-Up Exercises

Now that you’ve built a solid foundation of general strength, you can start training with more specificity… and that means lots of bodyweight exercises and time on the pull-up bar.

We’ll start with a variation on the classic bodyweight row that I call the “Seat Row.” This little known exercise bridges the gap between your horizontal and vertical pulling strength, further strengthening and coordinating all the muscles involved in the pull-up.

Set up a suspension trainer or fixed bar to a height that allows you to hold this hanging tabletop position. Knees bent, feet flat, and your back approximately parallel to the floor. Simultaneously pull your hands to your shoulders and sit your butt straight down.

Hold the top flexed arm position for 3-5 seconds to build lockout strength before slowly reversing course back to the tabletop position.

After some practice, float your feet at the top for a full flexed arm hang. Work up to three sets of five reps.

Your level 2 grip strength comes with hang time on the bar. But rather than simply hanging on for dear life, you’re going to perform a progression called the scapular pull-up.

Grip a bar just outside shoulder width. Relax your back and allow your shoulder blades to elevate – basically shrugging the shoulders up to the ears. With the arms locked out straight, pull the shoulders down and away from the ears. Think about pushing the hands forward, causing your head to move slightly back. If you’re having trouble with the free hang, unload some of your body weight from your hands by planting your feet.

The scap pull-up not only develops grip strength and endurance, but the movement itself is a key first step to engage the lats in full range of motion pull-ups. Work up to a set of 10 free-hanging reps.

Your level 2 core exercise is the hollow body hold, and this is the basic shape you’ll want to maintain on the bar for strict pull-ups.

The hollow body position improves pull-up performance by supercharging your core strength, keeping your torso stable, and putting your shoulders in the best possible position for a lat engagement and a strong lockout.

Tighten your abs to press your low back into the floor with the ribs down and a slight pelvic tilt. Raise the shoulders slightly and reach the arms overhead, biceps by the ears. Match that same angle with the legs. Point the feet at about 30° with tight quads and glutes.

Work up to a 30-second hold.

Now that you’ve developed strength in the top and bottom position of the pull-up, we’re going to fill the gap between them with pull-up negatives.

By working just the negative or lowering portion, you’re going to build the strength and coordination at the same angles and positions required in a standard pull-up.

Get to the top of a pull-up with a jump or ideally from a box to minimize swaying. Slowly lower yourself down to the straight arm hang position while keeping a hollow body shape. Rest and reset after every rep. Try these with a chin-up grip or a neutral grip if you’re having trouble controlling the lockout and slow tempo.

For bonus, pause at various angles on your way down to really shore up your strength. Work up to five reps of 5-second negatives.

We’re supercharging your level three grip and core strength with hanging leg raises.

From the hollow body hang, exhale as you fold like a jack knife, pushing your hands forwards while driving the legs up. Allow the low back to round as the abs flex to tilt and raise the pelvis. Inhale as you lower your legs under control and squeeze your glutes to prevent swaying.

Hanging leg raises will solidify your control on the bar and are worth training for the core strength benefits alone. Work up to five strict hanging leg raises.

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Once you can consistently hit the level three standards, hop up on the bar and go for your first pull-up.

If you got it, congratulations!

If not, you’re really close and you might even be able to perform a pull-up with a different grip orientation, like the chin-up, neutral grip, or the commando pull-up.

These are all great exercises in their own right and are useful for adding variety to your pull-up training.

One more technique to get you over the bar is using assisted reps and there are two ways to go about it.

First is self-assisted pull-ups.

Push your feet down against a box as needed to facilitate full range of motion reps. You can obviously do this on the floor by racking a low barbell.

Second is the partner assisted pull-up.

Have your training partner help you over the bar by pushing up and into your mid-back (not against the feet). This will help you keep a strong hollow body brace.

Finally, and to address the obvious, your bodyweight has a big impact on your pull-up performance.

So, if this is a serious goal for you and you’re still struggling with those level two or three standards, consider losing weight alongside your strength practice. Even 5 lbs can make a huge difference.

In any case, don’t rush this process and squeeze all the strength gains you can from each step along the way. Every progression here is super valuable. So, in the pursuit of pull-ups, you’re going to develop phenomenal upper body strength!