How To Get Your First Pull-Ups | Pull-Up Progressions
Pull-ups are hard; they require healthy shoulder mobility, stability, and lots of upper body strength!! If you’re working towards your first few pull-ups, the most important thing you can do is practice form and learn the skill. The more connected you are to the movement, the better.
For example; making sure that your hands are actively screwed into the bar, locking your shoulders down & away from your ears, keeping your torso tight, and butt squeezed. Don’t progress with your techniques or add resistance until you’re comfortable with all of the cues.
Now, let’s get you to your first pull-up!
The best Pull-Up progressions:
SCAPULAR PULL-UPS
These help you practice the very beginning phase of the pull-up. Keep your arms straight and pull your shoulder blades down and back. Practicing this technique first helps you learn how to set your shoulders into a safe and healthy position. If you have a tendency to shrug your shoulders in your posture, this will be extra helpful to practice.
BANDED PULL-UPS
Use a band with a resistance (or thickness) that allows you to practice great technique for at least 12 reps over time. The band helps you to gain control throughout the full range of motion, with some assistance. Continue to make progress with this movement by using lighter bands over the months. When practicing, make sure that you’re not using momentum from the band.
BANDED PULL-UPS WITH 4s ECCENTRIC
This technique involves slowing down the decent of the pull-up by 4 seconds for more control. You’re pulling yourself up to the bar normally with the band still wrapped at your feet, but the moment you begin to lower yourself from the bar, you’re going to fight gravity to slow down your pace to a 4 count until your arms are completely extended at the bottom.
ECCENTRIC-ONLY PULL-UPS
This movement just utilizes the lowering portion of the lift, challenging you to now work with your entire body weight to control yourself on the way down. While you’re not pulling yourself up yet, the eccentric portion of the lift is where you experience the most muscle growth, and this allows you to add more volume to challenge your lats and practice the movement. Start by grabbing the bar and screwing your hands into it as you would with a normal pull-up. From here, jump up to the top of the bar and maintain control at the top before you begin. Utilizing the same technique as above, lower yourself down with complete control at a 4-5 second count!
YOUR FIRST PULL-UP!
Utilizing these techniques, you’ll get to your first pull-up!
REST-PAUSE SETS
Once you’re able to get your first pull-up, you’ll obviously want to get your second and third, too. 😋 At this stage, a technique that tends to work really well is performing anywhere from 1-3 pull-ups, resting anywhere from 10-30 seconds, and then repeating for a few “mini-sets.” For example, you can start with one pull-up, rest 20 seconds, and repeat for 3 total mini-sets. Do this for 2-3 sets. You’ll begin to increase your volume and challenge your strength. Eventually, you’ll be able to get to regular pull-ups from here!
WEIGHTED PULL-UPS
If you’re looking for more intense challenges with your pull-ups and strength, you can also work towards eventual weighted pull-ups! Once you’re able to get up to 12 comfortable pull-ups with great form, you can begin to work on the technique and skill by adding resistance slowly. You can do this via weighted vests, weighted belts, or holding a dumbbell at your legs.
Final notes
Keep in mind that just because you have progressed from one of these movements, that doesn’t mean you need to eliminate it from your routine. For example, one day in your plan may includee eccentric pull-ups, but another is scapular pull-ups. How you progress through these movements all depends on your individual needs and goals!
