Want to Get Your First Pull-Up? Here's How!

Dreaming of achieving your first pull-up?

It's an impressive feat that requires dedication, consistency and hard work combined with the right training approach. It's a worthy pursuit that is highly rewarding.

Achieving your first pull up will not only improve your functional strength, but it will give you greater physical and mental confidence, and work wonders for self esteem.

I'd say that's a worthy pursuit!

So to help you on your journey of becoming a badass in the minority of people who can achieve a full pull up, I've compiled a guide with exercises and tips that will gradually build your upper body strength and bring you closer to mastering that elusive pull-up.

FIRST LET'S START WITH THE PERFECT PULL UP:

1. Take a grip on a pull-up bar just outside shoulder width with the palms facing away.
2. Enter a hang with the arms fully extended and the legs straight and together.
3. Depress the shoulder blades by squeezing the lats and then pull the elbows down and back until the chin breaks the vertical plane of the bar. Position the chin slightly up to bias mid back, maintain a slight arch through the chest, and avoid the shoulders rounding forward. (Pro tip: Think of pulling the bar to you, rather than straining to reach your chin over the bar.)
4. Lower the body back down with control to the starting position.?

Now with that out of the way, here are the steps to nailing your first pull up...

Active Hang: 60 seconds

• Start by hanging from the pull-up bar with your arms fully extended. Focus on depressing your shoulder blades (imagine you are pulling them down towards your back pockets) whilst simultaneously pushing your chest out towards the bar.
• Aim to hold this position for a total of 60 seconds, either in one go or by breaking it down into sets if needed.

Chin Over Bar Hold: 30-60 seconds

• Next, work on holding yourself in the top position of the pull-up, with your chin above the bar. Begin with an underhand supinated grip (palms facing you) and progress towards an overhand pronated grip (palms facing away).
• Aim to hold this position for a total of 30-60 seconds, either in one go or by breaking it down into sets if needed like the active hang.

Eccentric Pull-Up: 5 repetitions

• Eccentric pull-ups focus on the lowering phase of the exercise, which helps build strength and control. Jump or use a box / bench to get your chin above the bar, then slowly lower yourself down, taking around 4-6 seconds for each repetition.
• Aim to perform 5 eccentric pull-ups with good form.

Loaded Eccentric Pull-Up: 5 repetitions (add 5-15% bodyweight)

• Once you've mastered the eccentric pull-up, it's time to increase the challenge. Attach additional weight to your body using a weight belt or hold a dumbbell between your knees (weighted belt is preferable).
• Aim to perform 5 loaded eccentric pull-ups, gradually increasing the weight by 5-15% of your bodyweight as you progress.

Assisted Pull-Up: 5-6 repetitions

• Utilise assistance to make the pull-up movement more achievable. Use resistance bands or an assisted pull-up machine to decrease the amount of body weight you're lifting.
• Aim to perform 5-6 assisted pull-ups, gradually reducing the assistance level over time.

Jumping Pull-Up: 3-5 repetitions

• Jumping pull-ups are an excellent exercise to develop explosive strength and mimic the pull-up motion. Begin with your feet on the ground and jump explosively, using the momentum to pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
• Aim to perform 3-5 jumping pull-ups with control.

Tips:

• There is no perfect formula here, use this framework as a guide and make it work for you based on your starting point, equipment and time available
• Aim to do these exercises at the beginning of your session when you are fresh
• My suggestion is to include 2-3 of these exercises within your training week on separate days
• Test for the first pull-up regularly, especially as you demonstrate great control in weighted eccentrics
• Add in additional accessory work like lat pull downs, rows and bicep curls to build strength in the muscle involved in the pull up

Conclusion:

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all formula for achieving your first pull-up. This is a framework to help guide and give you standards to work towards. Adapt it to suit your abilities and preferences.

It's also worth mentioning that achieving your first pull up can take weeks, months or even years depending on your starting point.

Ultimately the most important ingredients for success is hard work and consistency. Stay focused, be patient, and celebrate each milestone along the way. With time and dedication, you'll soon be conquering your first pull-up with pride!