6 Step Pull Up Progression

Pull-ups are a commonly used body weight exercise that strengthen your back, shoulders, arms and core. However, mastering the pull-up can be challenging when starting out. Master Coach Rebecca Rouse has a 6 step progression plan to help you master your pull-up!

1. Bar hang. First get a baseline for your max hang time. Incorporate bar hangs in your program at least 1-2x/week and try to add 10-15 seconds each week
- beginner: 15-30 seconds
-intermediate 30-60 seconds
- advanced: 1-2 minutes

2. Scapular pull-ups
- Hang from a bar. Without bending the elbows, elevate and depress the scapula (shoulder blades) by pulling the shoulders up toward the ears and then down toward the floor.

3.Self-assisted pull-ups
- Begin seated on the floor with hands gripping a barbell racked in a squat rack or a Smith machine. Extend legs out in front of the body, either bent (easier) or straight (more difficult). Making the legs as weightless as possible, pull the torso up until chin clears the bar. Use the minimum amount of lower body assistance as needed.

4. Banded pull-ups
- Tie a band around the pull-up bar. Put one foot in and extend the leg straight. Extend the free leg straight to meet the banded leg. Using assistance from the band, pull up until the chin clears the bar.
- The stronger you get, the lighter the band/less assistance you will need.

5. Jumping pull-ups
- Place a box beneath the pull-up bar, high enough so that your hands are on the bar while feet are on the box. Use a boost from the legs while simultaneously pulling with the back and arms to get the chin over the bar, then control the descent.
- Use the minimum amount of lower body boost necessary. The stronger you get, the less lower body assistance you'll need.

6. Eccentric (negative) pull-ups
- With hands on the pull-up bar and feet on a box, jump up until chin clears the bar, pause for one second to stabilize the torso, and then lower the body down as slowly as possible until the elbows are fully extended. Put feet back on the box, reset, and start again from the top.
- The stronger you get, the longer it should take you to go from top to bottom.

Stay tuned for more ways to #BuildYourBody!


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[RichS.yroldbodybuilder]

Excellent way to teach about pull-ups. I have assisted pull up machine at my gym It really helps. I like all these other ways though you’ve shown especially the smith machine one. Thanks Rich.

[shantanusapru]

Excellent video! I just wish it had included a few progressions as well for the intermediate/more advanced -- currently it mostly focuses on regressions/progressions towards the 1st (or few) pull ups, mostly aimed at beginners.
Things to progressively overload once you achieve the first few pull ups would have been nice (like weighted pull ups, or band *resisted* as opposed to band *assisted* pull ups, or some programming clues, etc)...
But, great cues from Coach Rouse! Hope to see more from her...

[ChristiRin]

How many days a week do you recommend doing these progressions?

[mockingbirdnightingale]

I can do all these with ease and can hold an eccentric pullup for well over 30 seconds yet I still need a little hop to get me started, and can't lock out my elbows before the next rep. It's frustrating because I feel like I am stuck. I've been training pullups for months. I'm 135 lbs at 5'7" so I don't think it's my weight (maybe though). I will keep trying. I just can't get the bottom 15% of the movement.

[grenzzgernascoticlas]

Hangs on not hangouts the first flexible contraction for scapular resistant benefit injuries do you make minimum size in the girl.

[Gary]

I can do one or two but I am 113kg, so I think losing weight should be tip number 7

[troy]

incredible quads! (but I am working on my pull-ups)

[michaelandrew]

I can do a negative for 36 seconds counting slow with thousands but can still barley do one pull up. Hahah

[Joel-Black]

Didnt she win the Swimming competition lately?