- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternPull
- Reps3 to 15 reps
- Joint loadShoulder
Hang from a bar with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders, arms straight.
First cueKeep your body still, legs together.
How to do the Pull-Up
Set up. Hang from a bar with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders, arms straight.
- Pull your shoulder blades down and back to start the movement.
- Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down toward your ribs.
- Bring your chin over the bar.
- Lower under control to straight arms.
Form cues
- Keep your body still, legs together.
- Think of pulling the bar down to you.
- Finish every rep at full hang.
Common mistakes
- Kicking or swinging to get over the bar.
- Stopping halfway down between reps.
Muscles worked
Main target: Lats. The latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back, running from the lower spine and pelvis up under the arm to the upper arm bone. It pulls the arm down and back: pull-ups, pulldowns and the start of a deadlift.
On the way: Biceps and Upper back.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Side delts and Triceps, in the overhead press and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Pull-Up, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Upright Row Superset partner: it trains the other side of the overhead press and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Prone T-Raise Same pull session: it trains the rear delts.
- Power Clean Same pull session: it trains the traps.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Pull-Up first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Pull-Up 3 × 3 to 15 reps
- Upright Row 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Prone T-Raise 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Power Clean 3 × 1 to 5 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Band-Assisted Pull-Up
Band
Gym or cable swap
Assisted Pull-Up
Machine
Less load on the overhead range
Lat Pulldown
From the app's workaround table: works in a smaller shoulder range.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Chin-Up, Lat Pulldown, Assisted Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up, Negative Pull-Up and Scapular Pull-Up.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades), Scapular Pull-Up (shoulder blades), Dead Hang (same movement, lighter) and Inverted Row (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Pull-Up is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Pull-Up?
Set up: Hang from a bar with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders, arms straight. Steps: 1. Pull your shoulder blades down and back to start the movement. 2. Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down toward your ribs. 3. Bring your chin over the bar. 4. Lower under control to straight arms. Form cues: Keep your body still, legs together. Think of pulling the bar down to you. Finish every rep at full hang. Common mistakes: Kicking or swinging to get over the bar. Stopping halfway down between reps.
What muscles does the Pull-Up work?
It trains the lats as its main target and works the biceps and upper back on the way.
What can I do instead of the Pull-Up?
At home: Band-Assisted Pull-Up. In a gym: Assisted Pull-Up. With less load on the overhead range: Lat Pulldown. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Pull-Up with?
Good partners in the same workout are Upright Row, Prone T-Raise and Power Clean.