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Back · Bodyweight
Pull-Up
How to do the Pull-Up with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (upper back), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Upper back
- Secondary
- Biceps, Forearms
How to do it
- Grab the pull-up bar with a pronated (overhand) grip, positioning your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Hang freely from the bar with your arms fully extended, establishing a dead hang.
- Brace your core tightly and take a deep breath to stabilize your torso before initiating the pull.
- Begin the movement by depressing your shoulder blades down and back, then drive your elbows toward the floor.
- Pull your chest up toward the bar until your chin clears it, squeezing your lat muscles at the top.
- Lower yourself under strict control back to the starting dead hang position, exhaling on the way down.
Coaching cues
- Drive elbows to the floor
- Chest to the bar
- Start from a dead hang
Common mistakes
- Using momentum or swinging the legs (kipping)
- Not going down to a full dead hang to cheat reps
- Rounding the shoulders forward at the top of the rep
Equipment and setup
Pull-up bar
Straight overhead pull-up bar.
Also known as: Overhand Pull-Up
Track your Pull-Up in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
