Exercises / Pull-Up

Pull-Up

Also known as: Pullup, Overhand pull-up, Pronated chin-to-bar

An overhand hang on a bar. The chest is pulled up until the chin clears the bar, then lowered to a straight-arm hang.

Primary muscles
Back (latissimus dorsi)
Secondary muscles
Biceps (biceps brachii), Forearms
Equipment
Bodyweight (pull-up bar)
Pattern
Vertical Pull
Difficulty
Intermediate
Line diagram of a Pull-Up.
Diagram: Fytniz. License: original-placeholder (Fytniz).

Stills

Rear view of an overhand pull-up at the top.
Pull up (4506464).jpg by Spc. Josselyn Fuentes, U.S. Army. Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons. License: Public domain. Source.

Cues

  1. Hang from a bar with a pronated grip about shoulder-width or slightly wider.
  2. Set the shoulders down away from the ears before you pull.
  3. Pull the chest toward the bar until the chin clears it.
  4. Lower to a straight-arm hang under control; do not drop through the shoulders at the bottom.
  5. Keep the legs quiet; kicking or kipping is a different lift.

Common mistakes

  • Starting the pull with a shrug and bent elbows instead of a set scapula.
  • Stopping well short of the chin clearing the bar.
  • Dropping into a dead hang so the shoulders dump at the bottom.

Safety

  • Do not dump the shoulders into a dead hang if you cannot control the bottom.
  • Stop if you feel sharp pain in the front of the shoulder or elbow.