How to Get Better at Pull-Ups
Want to Crank Out More Reps on the Pull-Up Bar? Read This
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What is it about pull-ups that makes them so impressive, and why do so many lifters judge themselves based on how many they can crank out in a row?
Unlike the squat, bench press, and deadlift – the “big three” of the weightlifting world – pull-ups require a good strength-to-bodyweight ratio. You might be able to squat 500 lbs, but if you weigh 300 lbs, you probably won’t be a pull-up master as well.
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In other words, total body fitness is a key contributor to your proficiency with pull-ups. It’s not just about how strong your lats are, or how wide, or even how great your grip strength is – although all of these things play a role. It’s also about your body fat percentage, your muscular endurance, and of course your mental grit and tenacity, since pull-up training is grueling work.
To help you improve your form and increase your pull-up output, we consulted Brock Armstrong, a certified personal trainer and coach, as well as the host of the Get-Fit Guy Podcast.
Brock has an excellent pull-up progression video worth watching:
But for more in-depth information, read on.
Benefits of Pull-Ups
Brock is extremely enthusiastic about pull-ups, and we don’t blame him. They’re extremely good compound movements that recruit a whole lot of muscle to perform well. As he put it:
”We, modern-day humans, have lost the need and ability to truly manipulate our body weight on the vertical plane. Regularly doing some pullups (or chin-ups) is the most effective way to regain that ability, not to mention sculpting us some great-looking lats. Pull-ups make us strong enough to climb ropes, scale fences and trees, and of course pull things toward us with ease. In some extreme cases, being able to pull your body up and over something can even save your life!”
How Can You Get Better at Pull-Ups?
According to Brock, the key to perfecting your pull-up is repetition, repetition, repetition:
“One of the best tactics to use is to install your pull-up bar somewhere convenient and in plain sight so you can do what is called Greasing the Groove with it. This basically means that several times a day you do a few (no more than 5) pull-ups and then move on with your day. This allows your body to get better at pull-ups faster than if you only do them "to failure" as part of your upper body workout twice a week. For example, I keep my pull-up bar right outside my office door and make sure to do 5 pull-ups most times that I go by it.”
What Are Some Cues for Proper Pull-Up Form?
We’ve seen some pretty funky-looking pull-ups in commercial gyms, Crossfit boxes, and even playgrounds. Brock shared some helpful tips to correct your form and make sure that your back is doing more of the work:
- “Always aim to get your chin over the bar (not just by straining your neck) at the top of the movement and then lower all the way down to a dead arm hang on each rep."
- "Always try to keep your body in a neutral position."
- "And a strict pull-up (or chin-up) does not include any swinging to generate momentum.”
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How to Progress If You Can’t do a Single Pull-Up
One of the things that makes pull-ups so infuriatingly humbling is that many, many people can’t do a single darn one. But that’s OK. Just because you can’t get one rep now doesn’t mean you can’t get one rep one week or one month from now.
Brock recommends you concentrate your efforts on perfecting the eccentric portion of the lift: “Start with the bar low enough to allow you to keep your toes on the ground can be helpful until you master the movement. Then you can practice the lowering (or eccentric) part of the pull-up movement with your feet off the ground. Doing some pull-up holds can also help you on the road to doing your first pull-up. Remember that part of learning to do a pull-up is neuromuscular (teaching your brain to communicate with the correct muscles) it’s not just about strength, so be patient.”
Another option is to use a training partner or band attachments to help reduce your effective bodyweight. A band around your legs or feet will have the same effect as a person holding you up ever so slightly, reducing the movement difficulty while still allowing you to maintain strict form and tax the right muscle groups.
The Best Pull-Up Bars
With the right equipment, you can practice your pull-ups almost anywhere, from the inside of a garage to the doorway separating your living room and bedroom – the possibilities are endless.
Sportsroyal Power Tower
If you have room in your garage or barn or basement, this standalone pull-up tower is a great option, enabling both close- and wide-grip pull-ups, as well as a variety of other exercises.
$169.99 at Amazon.com
Perfect Fitness Multi-Gym Doorway Bar
Doorway bars are the cheapest, most accessible option, and this one doesn't require any screws to install. It's also sturdy, well-made, and wide enough to enable a variety of pull-up grip positions.
Rogue Monster Flying Pull-Up Bar
If you already own a rack and want to really upgrade your pull-up capabilities, this offering from Rogue dramatically extends what you can do, including wide-grip pull-ups, flying pull-ups, and handle-bar pull-ups.
The Best Pull-Up Accessories
SUNPOW Pull-Up Assistance Bands
Assistance bands help reduce your effective bodyweight during a pull-up, making the movement easier without compromising your form. They're also easy to progress with, since you can just use a less powerful band as you get more and more proficient with your current option.
Gymreapers Steel Chain Weight Belt
Once you start to be able to do five or more pull-ups with strict form, it might be time to add difficulty, and the best way to do that is with a weighted belt. This model from Gymreapers is both comfortable and sturdy, allowing you to add lots of extra weight without discomfort.
APEXUP Weighted Vest
As you get better and better at pull-ups, one of the challenges becomes, uh, finding new ways to make them challenging. "Progressive overload" is the name of the game in strength training, and that's difficult to achieve if the only weight you have to work with is your bodyweight. Thankfully, this weighted vest from APEXUP makes it easy to add weight in five-pound increments, so you can keep forcing your body to adapt and eventually make mere bodyweight pull-ups easy.
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