Training Guides / Exercise library
The pull-up and chin-up
The pull-up is the best bodyweight test of upper-body pulling strength. Learn the form, the difference between pull-ups and chin-ups, and a step-by-step plan to get your first rep.
A pull-up means hanging from a bar with straight arms and pulling yourself up until your chin clears it. It needs almost no equipment, it scales to every level with bands or added weight, and it builds a wide, strong back. For many people the first full pull-up is a real milestone.
General fitness education only. If you have elbow or shoulder pain, get it assessed before training pull-ups hard.
Pull-up vs chin-up
| Pull-up | Chin-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Palms facing away, a bit wider than shoulders | Palms facing you, about shoulder width |
| Main muscles | Lats, upper back, biceps | Lats and noticeably more biceps |
| Difficulty | Usually harder | Usually a little easier |
Both are excellent. Many programs use both, or a neutral grip (palms facing each other) on parallel handles, which many people find easiest on the elbows and shoulders.
Muscles worked
The latissimus dorsi (lats) are the prime movers, pulling the upper arm down toward the body. The teres major, rhomboids, lower trapezius and rear deltoids help control the shoulder blades. The biceps and forearm muscles bend the elbow and hold the grip. The abs work to stop the legs from swinging.
Form cues
- Dead hang start. Arms fully straight, shoulders active rather than shrugged to the ears.
- Pull the shoulder blades down first, then drive the elbows down toward your back pockets.
- Chest toward the bar. Think about bringing the bar to your upper chest, not reaching with your chin.
- Legs quiet. Keep the legs straight and slightly in front, or crossed, with glutes squeezed. No kicking.
- Lower all the way under control back to a full hang.
Common mistakes
- Half reps that stop short at the bottom or top. Full range builds more strength.
- Kipping or swinging when the goal is strength. Kipping is a separate skill.
- Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears at the bottom.
- Dropping fast on the way down, which wastes the most useful half of the rep.
Your first pull-up: a progression
| Stage | Exercise | Target before moving on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dead hang | 3 x 30 seconds |
| 2 | Inverted row (body under a low bar) | 3 x 12 |
| 3 | Scapular pull-up (shoulders only) | 3 x 10 |
| 4 | Band-assisted pull-up | 3 x 8 with a light band |
| 5 | Negative pull-up: jump up, lower over 3 to 5 seconds | 3 x 5 |
| 6 | First full rep, then build sets of 1 to 3 | 5 x 3 |
Train these two or three times a week. Most beginners who are not carrying much excess weight can expect progress within a few months, though it varies widely. Losing body fat also makes pull-ups easier because you are lifting less weight.
Building more reps
Once you can do 3 to 5 reps, use ladders (1 rep, rest, 2 reps, rest, 3 reps, then start again) or grease the groove: several easy sets of about half your maximum spread through the day. When you can do 3 sets of 10 to 12, add weight with a dip belt or a dumbbell held between the feet.
The barbell row and lat pulldown machine are great partners to pull-ups. Rows build the thickness of the mid-back, pull-ups build width. Read the back guide for weekly set targets.