How to do the Pull-Up
- Grasp the bar with palms facing away, hands a bit wider than your shoulders.
- Hang with straight arms, feeling your shoulder blades pull down.
- Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar, bending your elbows.
- Slowly lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Take an overhand grip on the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Hang from the bar with elbows straight and legs still beneath you.
- Set your shoulders down away from your ears before starting the pull.
- Drive your elbows down and pull your chest upward toward the bar.
- Continue until your chin clearly passes the bar without craning your neck.
- Lower under control until your elbows fully straighten and shoulders fully open.
- Reset in a full hang before beginning the next repetition.
Common mistakes
- Kipping or swinging through reps
- Stopping short of full hang
- Reaching chin with neck
- Shrugging shoulders during the pull
- Half reps above midpoint
Form cues
- Start from full hang
- Drive elbows down
- Chest toward the bar
- Keep legs quiet
Compared with similar variants
| Pull-Up | Chin-Up | Assisted Pull-Up | Assisted Chin-Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate | Intermediate | Beginner | Beginner |
| Technique to learn | moderate | moderate | easy | easy |
| How tiring | moderate | moderate | moderate | moderate |
| Shoulder | moderate | moderate | low | low |
| Elbow | moderate | moderate | low | moderate |
| Equipment | Pull-up bar | Pull-up bar | Assisted pull-up machine | Assisted pull-up machine |
An estimate from our exercise ratings, not medical advice. How we rate exercises
Substitutes by equipment
Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.
Machine
- Lat Pulldown (Wide Grip) Easier
- Assisted Pull-Up Easier
Resistance bands
Cable machine
Suspension trainer
- Suspension Trainer Chin-Up Harder
Where to start and where to go next
Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.
- Easier Lat Pulldown
- Easier Bench Assisted Pull-Up
- This exercise Pull-Up
- Harder Commando Pull-Up
Too hard for now? Start with the Bench Assisted Pull-Up.
In ready-made workouts
- Upper-body push-pull workout45 min · Gym
Quick answers
What muscles does the Pull-Up work?
Primary: Lats 10/10. Also works: Biceps 7/10, Upper back 6/10, Rear delts 3/10.
Which joints does the Pull-Up load?
Shoulder: moderate, Elbow: moderate, Wrist: low. Shoulder — lighter options: Chin-Up, Assisted Pull-Up, Assisted Chin-Up.
When should I do the Pull-Up in a workout?
Second big lift. Goes after the main lift, while there is still energy for heavy work. ≈ 9 min with rest.
How many sets and reps of the Pull-Up?
Strength: 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps, rest 2 min, 1–2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 8–15 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 12–20 reps, rest 1 min, 4 reps in reserve.
What can I do instead of the Pull-Up?
Machine: Lat Pulldown (Wide Grip), Assisted Pull-Up. Resistance bands: Resistance Band Lat Pulldown, Prone Resistance Band Superman Lat Pulldown. Cable machine: Single Arm Half Kneeling Cable Lat Pulldown, Dual Cable Lat Pulldown. Suspension trainer: Suspension Trainer Chin-Up.
What is an easier version of the Pull-Up?
Bench Assisted Pull-Up (40% of bodyweight), Lat Pulldown (Beginner).
What is a harder version of the Pull-Up?
Commando Pull-Up (105% of bodyweight).
