Muscles worked
What the pull-up trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick the bar height. Use a bar high enough that you can hang with straight arms and your feet off the floor. Bend your knees if you have to, but do not stand on anything mid-set.
- 02
Grip. Palms facing away, hands a little wider than your shoulders, so your forearms are close to vertical at the top. Wrap your thumbs around the bar.
- 03
Dead hang. Start from straight arms with your feet off the floor. Let your shoulders rise toward your ears for a moment so you feel the full stretch.
- 04
Set your body. Squeeze your legs together, point your toes slightly forward and brace your abs so your body forms a long, slightly hollow line. Your ribs stay down.
Step by step
How to do the pull-up
- Bar height
- Full hang, straight arms
- Chin
Pull 1s → Chin over 1s → Lower 2s → Hang 0.7s
Hatching marks the highlighted muscle groups.
- 01
Set the shoulders. Before you bend your elbows, pull your shoulder blades down and slightly back. Your body rises an inch and your shoulders move away from your ears.
- 02
Pull. Drive your elbows down toward your back pockets and lift your chest toward the bar. Keep your forearms close to vertical so your elbows travel down beside your body, not flared straight out to the sides.
- 03
Clear the bar. Finish when your chin is clearly over the bar with your chest close to it. Keep your neck in line; do not crane your chin up to reach.
- 04
Lower. Come down under control, taking about two seconds, until your arms are fully straight. Do not drop into the bottom.
- 05
Reset and repeat. Pause briefly at the bottom with straight arms and a still body, then set your shoulders again for the next rep.
Cues to say in your head
- Shoulders down first
- Elbows to your pockets
- Chest to the bar
- Ribs down, legs tight
- Full hang every rep
- Control the way down
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Half reps that stop short of straight arms
Lower until your elbows are fully straight on every rep. Partial reps let you count more but skip the stretched position where the lats work hardest.
Kipping or swinging to get up
Keep your legs together and abs braced, and pause at the bottom until you are still. If you can only finish reps by swinging, use a band or the assisted machine for the rest of the set.
Pulling with the arms only, shoulders shrugged
Start every rep by pulling your shoulder blades down. Think about driving your elbows toward your hips rather than bending your arms.
Reaching with the chin
Keep your head neutral and bring your chest up instead. Craning your neck to clear the bar is not a full rep and strains the neck.
Dropping fast on the way down
Take about two seconds to lower. The lowering half builds strength too, and a controlled descent is easier on the elbows and shoulders.
Grip far too wide
Bring your hands in to just outside shoulder width. Very wide grips shorten the range and tend to bother the shoulders without adding much.
Stay safe
Build up volume gradually, because the tendons around the elbow can take longer to adapt than muscle, and pain on the inside or outside of the elbow is a sign to cut back. Get on and off the bar with control rather than jumping up or dropping down from the top, and check that any bar or doorway rig is secure before you hang your full weight from it. For weighted pull-ups, add load in small steps and keep the same full range. Stop and get the shoulder or elbow checked if you feel sharp pain, pinching at the top, or numbness down the arm.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 3 to 6 | 80–90% 1RM | 2 to 4 min |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 6 to 12 | 67–80% 1RM | 1.5 to 3 min |
| Technique | 3 to 5 | 3 to 5 | 50–65% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Muscle sets
145–173lb
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps, 1.5 to 3 min rest. Use bodyweight, a band or the assisted machine so you land in this range with full reps. Take sets close to failure.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Pull-Up questions
What muscles do pull-ups work?
Mainly the lats, with the biceps, brachialis, upper back, lower traps and rear shoulders helping. Your forearms hold the grip and your abs keep your body from swinging.
How do I do my first pull-up?
Practice the movement with an assisted machine or a band, add slow lowering reps from the top, and hold dead hangs to build grip. Doing this two or three times a week and reducing the assistance over time is a reliable way to work up to your first rep.
How do you use the assisted pull-up machine?
Kneel or stand on the pad, grip the handles and do full pull-ups: chin over the handles, then down to straight arms. The counterweight helps you up, so more weight makes it easier; lower it as you get stronger.
When should I start weighted pull-ups?
A common point is when you can do about 8 to 10 strict bodyweight reps with full range. Start with a small plate on a dip belt and keep every rep to straight arms at the bottom.
Are neutral grip pull-ups easier?
For many people, yes: the palms-facing grip puts the elbows and shoulders in a more comfortable position and the arms in a stronger line of pull. They still work the lats hard, so they are a fine main pull-up if the overhand grip bothers you.
How wide should my grip be for pull-ups?
Start with your hands a little wider than shoulder width, so your forearms are close to vertical at the top. A very wide grip shortens the range and is harder on the shoulders without much extra lat work; if the overhand grip bothers you, try a neutral grip.
Train in Protocol
Log your pull-up by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.