You want to train your back and arms with a pull-up bar? I'll show you how to learn pull-ups.
Learning pull-ups is a nice challenge. You pull your entire body weight up a bar with your upper body. This requires an enormous amount of strength in your upper arms and back.
A year ago, I couldn't even do a single pull-up. At that time, my brother laughed at me when I tried it and it absolutely did not work.
That was annoying. But it motivated me even more to learn pull-ups.
Now I'm at 8 on good days and 5 on bad days. I know that's not a masterpiece. But I am proud of it. :)
If you also want to do pull-ups, then you are in the right place. I'll tell you what training plan I used to do it. But first some general info for you.
Table of contents
You're just bubbling over with motivation? That's great! Because you're going to need it right now. Pull-ups can be learned anywhere - in the gym, at the outdoor training park or at home. Don't expect too much from your body at first. It can take quite a long time before you start to see progress.
It's not worth going to the gym or the park every time. But you can order a relatively cheap pull-up bar for the door frame. This is simply attached directly in the door frame - without screws and without drilling. For little money you create here a great training opportunity.
My tip: Go to the bar several times a day. I put my pull-up bar in the passageway from the living room to the bedroom. Every time I walk by it, I pull myself up on it. You won't believe how much progress you can make with regular exercise stimulus!
If you don't have one yet, I can recommend this model:
I especially like the Pull-up bar for the door frame of Pullup & Dip, because it allows four different handles and is therefore very effective. The resistance band is also included, so you can immediately start with the workout.
What do I need to know if I want to learn pull-ups?
Before we get right into it, there are a few little things you should know.
- Your weight decides how difficult your first pull-ups will be. The heavier you are, the more weight you have to pull up - logical, right? If you train regularly and focus on fat loss, then the pull ups will not only be easier for you because you build up your first muscles, but also because you lose body weight.
- Basic exercises are needed for the beginning. There are a few basic exercises that you should be good at beforehand. These include squats, planks and sit ups. If you have some basic fitness, pull-ups will be much easier for you.
- Small advances count. At first, it's really hard to develop into a routine and follow through. Especially if you do not notice progress after a few days. But pull-ups are a very complex exercise that involves many muscles. Building them up simply takes time.
How to learn pull-ups
The first pull-up to create is the Most complicated in the whole endeavor. If you can do one, you can soon do two.
I started learning pull-ups by pushing myself off the floor with my chin over the bar with a lot of momentum and then holding it for as long as I could.
When the power goes down, you let yourself be completely slow Ground direction sink.
To guarantee that it works for you, we have a short guide for two levels of difficulty.
The best exercises for strength training at home!
Learn pull-ups for total beginners
- Begin by fully extending your arms and reaching toward the pull-up bar. Your palms face your body.
- You can reach the bar without any problems and without tiptoeing. Your feet should not touch the floor during the exercise.
- Grasp the bar with both hands.
- Jump up and make sure your chin is above the bar.
- And now hold yourself in this position as long as you can. Tighten your body and don't forget to breathe.
- Running out of strength? Let yourself sink slowly and controlled towards the ground.
You can either stretch your legs straight or bend them. I always bend them a little and cross them. It's easier that way. You have to try out for yourself which variant suits you best.
In the beginning, you need to familiarize yourself with the bar. You will also certainly lack the strength to pull yourself up.
That's why when learning to do pull-ups, you start by grabbing the bar, jumping up and holding the position.
This places enormous demands on the upper arm and back muscles. Especially in the beginning, the muscles really start to shake and jiggle. You repeat this 3x. This is simply about building some muscle in your upper arms.
By the way, these very simple pull-ups are called negative pull-ups. If you want to know more about it, you should check out the post specifically dedicated to negative chin-ups is. Here you will find everything you need to know about it and a much more detailed guide.
Do this torso workout for a stable core!
Learn pull-ups for better beginners
You're already a little better, but can't pull yourself up from a standing start? Then you are in the right place.
- Again, start by grabbing the bar and hopping to the starting position first.
- Instead of just hanging on the pull-up bar, however, you now lower your body at least until your shoulders and elbows form a 90° angle.
- You don't need to go any lower for the time being. Because then you won't succeed in pulling yourself up.
- So when your elbows and shoulders are level, pull yourself back up.
You can also support your muscles with Planks or Push-ups build up. If you're already doing well, you're ready for your first pull-up.
By the way: If you can't do push-ups yet, you can find here is a very detailed instruction for it.
Good to know: 33 pull-ups in 60 seconds
The world record for women's pull-ups is 33 in one minute. American Alicia Weber has held the record since 2008.
Shoulder lift hanging
If you have already noticed the first progress, then you can take care of another preparatory exercise - the shoulder lift.
If you can easily hang from the bar for 10 to 30 seconds without losing strength, then you're ready for it.
- Hang on the pull-up bar with arms stretched out
- Grasp slightly wider than shoulder width
- Tension the torso
- Pull the shoulders up slightly. Movements of just a few centimeters are enough.
- Hold the position for a few seconds and stretch the body again.
Pay attention: the movement does not come from the forearms, but from the shoulders.
Leg lift hanging
And continue with an exercise that mainly strengthens your torso and gives you more grip strength.
- Grab the pull-up bar with both hands
- Tense the abdomen and legs
- Now lift the legs forward in a controlled and stretched manner
- Slowly lower the legs again and start from the beginning.
If this is too difficult for you, you can also bend your legs at the beginning. In both cases, it is important that you do not work with momentum, but with the strength of your abdominal muscles.
The main thing in this exercise is the quality of execution, not a large number of repetitions.
Pull-ups with resistance band
If you already feel quite fit and are ready to do your first "real" pull ups, you can use a resistance band to help you.
- Attach the strap to the pull-up bar by wrapping one end around the bar. Now it forms a loop through which you put the other end.
- Step into the band with one foot and grab the bar with both hands.
- Build up body tension. Pull yourself up until your chin reaches the bar. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
- Then slowly lower the body again.
Choose a resistance band with which you will manage to do 3 repetitions. The band should be well on tension, so that it supports you when learning pull-ups. If it's too loose, you might as well not use it - you won't get any support when pulling up.
You can now gradually approach bands with less resistance.
If you can perform all these exercises cleanly, then normal pull-ups are no longer a problem. I've picked out a great video for you here, in which you'll learn what you need to pay attention to when doing pull-ups:
What does a proper pull-up look like?
For a proper pull-up, you must first decide on the appropriate grip. There are three variants here:
- Top handle
The palms of your hands point away from your body. This is the classic variant of the pull-up, which is especially hard on the back. - Underhandle
This variant is usually easier for beginners. The palms of your hands face your body. In doing so, you stress the biceps a little more. - Hammer grip or neutral grip
Grasp the pull-up bar so that your palms face each other. Do not cross your fingers. Grasp the bar one after the other.
Within these holds you can place one hand closer to the body or further apart. Tighter pull-ups work the biceps more, while wider pull-ups focus on the broad muscle of the back.
The starting position
Once you've decided on the right grip and width, the next step is to hang properly from the bar. The muscles of the shoulder are tense during the entire exercise. So you don't sag like a wet sack, but are always slightly tense.
Likewise, your torso is under tension. If you like, you can bend your legs.
The pulling movement during pull up
- Tense the back and abdominal muscles. Work with the strength from the arms and back. If you do the pull-up correctly, you will feel tension in your back.
- Now go as high as you can. At least until the chin comes over the bar. Pull the chest towards the bar.
- Perform the movements slowly and in a controlled manner. Stop briefly at the highest point.
- Now slowly lower the body back to the starting position.
The most common mistakes
- Taking momentum: Taking momentum is forbidden! The power comes from the upper body! Only beginners help themselves out with momentum to create negative pull-ups.
- Sinking too quickly: Be careful, if you sink down uncontrollably and with momentum, you risk a shoulder injury.
- Loose shoulders: The shoulders are under tension during the execution. Fix them by tensing the muscles even before pulling up.
- Stretch the arms through: Even when hanging, the arms are not fully extended, but slightly bent at the elbow.
- Do not tense your abdomen and back: Your body is tense during the execution and hangs straight on the bar. A bent back, a stretched out belly and similar variations have nothing to do with the pull-up.
What are the variations of pull-ups
Simply pull up on the pull-up bar - if that's not enough for you, you can choose from a large number of pull-up variations.
Basically, there is a distinction between pull-ups where your palms face the body or away from the body.
Chin up
I started learning pull-ups with this exercise. Your grip is shoulder width. The palms of your hands face your body.
Pull yourself up until your chin touches the bar.
Fast chin up
The palms face the body. Instead of doing the entire pull-up, stop at the halfway point and stay in that position as long as you can. You have found the right position when your elbows are level with your shoulders.
Normal pull-up
The backs of your hands face your body. With a shoulder-width grip, pull yourself over the pull-up bar with your chin.
Then slowly lower the body until the arms are almost fully extended and start again from the beginning.
Pull-up with wide grip
I still can't do that properly today. Really exhausting! Use the grip with the back of your hand facing your body. Reach as far as possible and pull yourself up.
One-hand pull-up
This pull-up exercise is only for absolute professionals. With one hand you pull yourself up to the bar - it's crazy how well trained you have to be for this.
Pull-ups with weight
If that's still not enough, you can add weight to your legs. This makes pulling on the bar really difficult. You are rewarded with more muscle mass
5 reasons to learn pull-ups
Not quite convinced yet? Well, let's take a look at all the reasons that speak for pull ups.
And there are quite a few of them. But let's stick to the most important ones.
Did you know that pull-ups give your confidence a real boost?
When you are stronger, you have more confidence in yourself. This in turn increases your self-esteem.
And in everyday life it will also make some situations easier for you. Muscles in the upper body will help you carry heavy groceries by yourself and even improve your posture.
You can make them anywhere
Whether on branches, playgrounds, door edges or in the stairwell - you can do pull-ups anywhere, provided you can hold on to something and pull yourself up. At home, a pull-up bar for the door frame is suitable.
Pull-up workout for your biceps
Pull-ups will keep your upper arms toned and nicely sculpted. Don't want huge biceps? Don't worry.
To get very muscular upper arms, you need to work out a lot. If you incorporate pulling up for variety into your workout routine, you won't grow big biceps.
This workout makes your arms really sexy!
Pull-ups are a great muscle building exercise
The great thing about pull-ups is that you work almost all the muscles of your upper body with a single exercise. Pull-ups are so effective because you pull yourself up with your own body weight. This challenges your arms and your back.
You use a lot of muscle groups and muscle mass at the same time. You also strengthen the joints in the shoulders and elbows.
Pull-ups support fat burning
Pulling up on the bar is one of the complex exercises. This means that you activate many muscle groups at the same time. This naturally increases your energy requirements. This gets the circulation going and burns a lot of fat. At the same time, you also build muscle.
They are exhausting and make you strong.
Relief for back and spine
Pull-ups relieve your lower back and at the same time your spine. The pressure on your intervertebral discs is reduced during chin-up training.
What muscles train pull-ups?
Many. A lot. The latissimus dorsi and trapezius bear the brunt of the pull-up. Pulling yourself up on the bar also promotes bone density.
Pull-ups train the broad back muscle (latissimus dorsi) like no other exercise. By the way, you need this muscle when you stretch your upper arms backwards.
Pull-ups also stabilize your shoulders. The more you train and activate the latissimus dorsi, the more your shoulder is stabilized.
- Biceps: The biceps brachii is known as commonly biceps. It is the muscle on the front of the upper arm. The biceps is responsible for rotating the forearm and helps you bend your elbow. It has to work hard when you learn the pull-up.
- TricepsThe triceps brachii is the large muscle on the back of your upper arm. Biceps and triceps always work together when you put a lot of stress on your upper body muscles. This stabilizes the arms.
- ForearmThe forearm is everything between the elbow and the wrist. It consists of a lot of muscles and is responsible for moving your fingers, rotating your hand or bending your elbow, among other things.
- Broad back muscle: The latissimus dorsi is responsible for tightening, rotating and extending the arm. It also plays a role in the movement of the spine.
- Trapezius: The trapezius muscle is a large muscle and is found in the upper back. Its main function is to support the arm and assist in moving the shoulder blades.
- DeltoidThe deltoid muscle is very popular with many strength athletes. In fact, it conjures up the coveted roundness of the shoulders. The deltoid muscle consists of three parts: frontal, lateral and back. When you do pull-ups, the deltoid muscle is not directly trained, but it is strengthened.
By the way, also involved are the abdominal muscles - they stabilize the torso while you pull yourself up. In fact, pull ups are one of the most effective exercises in an ab workout!
If you can do a few pull-ups, all other exercises that use your upper body will be much easier. Even push-ups shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Treat your arms to this triceps workout!
How high must the pull-up bar be?
Especially in the beginning you should not hang the bar too high. If you then never get up, you will quickly become demotivated.
I had it 30 cm above my head at the beginning. In the meantime, it hangs 15 cm lower.
In the park, of course, the bar hangs higher. That's quite strenuous. Fortunately, there's a little climbing aid on the side - which makes learning pull-ups a lot easier, of course.
Regular training leads to the goal
Every morning and evening, I simply do a few pull-ups on the bar in the living room on the side. And in my regular workout routine, I've simply incorporated pulling up on the bar.
I have this bar and highly recommend it. The great thing about it is that it is padded with foam on the handles. Then pulling up does not hurt so much.
The advantage of a pull-up bar in the living room is that you can exercise several times a day. For me, it hangs between the living room and bedroom. Whenever I go into the bedroom, I pull myself up 2x. :)
There are pull-up bars in many parks. In my case, they're just around the corner. That makes learning pull-ups even more fun.
Our conclusion
Learning pull-ups is hard. I know. But don't give up! It took me a long time to finally get it right. Start slow and don't overwork your muscles.
At the very beginning, it is enough if you pull yourself up on the pull-up bar a few times every 3rd day. Simply incorporate the pull-up bar into your daily routine.
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