The Pull Up Progression

Have you ever jumped up to the bar, followed with a measly attempt at trying to do a pull up only to feel stuck, you’re not alone. The good news? Pull ups are a skill that can be built overtime and don’t fret, I know exactly the way. 

The pull up:

An ultimate test of upper body strength that can intimidate even the most experienced athletes. Whether you’re starting from zero or trying to add more reps, my step-by-step progression will help you build the strength and technique needed to achieve this iconic exercise. 

Let’s start from the base. 

STAGE 1: BUILDING THE PULL

Though it would be ideal, we can’t just jump straight into a pull up, you first need to build a solid foundation. At this stage, the main goal is simple: Strengthen your back and arms enough to support your body weight. You can achieve this by focusing on the following exercises:

1. Scapular Pulls:  
   Yeah, they might feel a little awkward at first, but trust me — they’re super important. Start by hanging from a bar and practice only pulling your shoulder blades down and together, without bending your arms. This exercise teaches you to properly engage your lats. 

2. Lat Pulldowns:
   This exercise is great for mimicking the pull up motion without having to lift your full body weight yet. Plus, you can easily adjust your resistance as you get stronger. 

3. Dumbbell Rows:
   Rows are perfect for building the muscles you’ll rely on during a pull up — mainly your lats, traps, and biceps. Get strong here, and you’re setting yourself up for success on the bar.

Tip: Other exercises you can also focus on are bicep curls, preacher curls and machine rows.

Having trained that, how can you pull yourself up if you can’t hang onto the bar? Don’t worry though, I have just the solution.  

STAGE 2: MASTERING THE DEAD HANG

Now that you’ve built strength in your lats, traps and biceps, we have to start focusing on grip strength. The best way to do exactly that is by performing dead hangs - just hanging from the bar while keeping your shoulders slightly active. 

A few tips you should consider:

1. At first, aim to hang for about 10-20 seconds, then work your way up to 30-60 seconds as you get stronger. 

2. Remember to focus on keeping your shoulders slightly engaged - don’t just dangle, it puts unnecessary stress on your joints. We are building strength not deteriorating it. 

Awesome! Since you’ve built endurance in your hands, forearms and shoulders you are almost ready for the real deal. Let’s continue to the next stage and progress to the assisted pull ups. 

STAGE 3: ASSISTED PULL UPS

You don’t need to muscle your way into a full pull up right away — and honestly, you shouldn’t! Assisted pull ups is the perfect segue from the dead hang to build strength through full range of motion. Luckily, there is two exercises you can choose to help you:

1. Resistance Band Pull Ups - Grab a resistance band, loop it around the bar above, and hook it onto your foot or knee (whichever you feel more comfortable with). The band gives you a little extra lift, making the movement way more manageable. And don't be intimidated to use more than one band. Remember, we all started somewhere. 

2. Machine Assisted Pull Ups - If your gym is fortunate enough to have a pull up assist machine, it's a great alternative to a resistance band pull up. The machine adjusts how much backing you need, making it easy to scale to your current strength level. 

Now that you’ve progressed so far, you’re far past halfway through the progression. Don’t give up now though, you’re much closer than you think. Stick through and you’ll be able to do a pull up in no time. 

STAGE 4: THE ‘NEGATIVE’ 

Don’t worry, this stage is not as depressing as it sounds. It’s actually the name of the final exercise we’re incorporating into our routine to build the last bit of strength required for the much awaited pull up. 

This exercise involves jumping to the top position of a pull up and slowly lowering yourself, aiming for at least 5-10 seconds, until you’re in a dead hang position. It quickly builds strength because you’re stronger during the lowering phase than the lifting phase. 

STAGE 5: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

As the heading suggests, practice is crucial. Once you're strong enough, start attempting unassisted pull ups. But don’t forget:

1. Focus on your form: Begin with a dead hang, then pull yourself up with your chin clearly over the bar. 

2. Don’t burnout: Start with low reps, build up over time.

Now that you know how to achieve a pull up, here’s a few tips I'd recommend following:

1. Train at least 2-3 times a week for the best progression

2. A strong core keeps your body from swinging during the upwards phase, it’s best to exercise your core as well. 

3. Consistency is key, my friend. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Pull ups aren’t just about pure strength — they’re also about showing up, staying patient, and trusting the process. Every single rep (yes, even the assisted ones) is moving you closer to that very first full pull up. Keep at it, because you won’t just hit that goal — you’ll build a kind of strength and confidence that shows up in every part of your fitness journey.

You’ve got this — one rep at a time!

REFERENCES:

American Council on Exercise. (n.d.). ACE exercise library. https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/ 

Baechle, T. R., & Earle, R. W. (Eds.). (2008). Essentials of strength training and conditioning (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics.

Clark, M. A., Lucett, S. C., & Sutton, B. G. (2014). NASM essentials of personal fitness training (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Rippetoe, M. (2011). Starting strength: Basic barbell training (3rd ed.). The Aasgaard Company.

Nippard, J. (n.d.). YouTube channel: Jeff Nippard. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/user/icecream4PRs 

Delgado, J. (n.d.). Athlean-X. Retrieved from https://athleanx.com