5 Exercises To Help Beginners And Intermediates Excel At Pull-Ups -

Are you someone who is looking to perform your first pull-up ever? Or can you already perform one or several reps but want to be able to do more, and while improving your form? Or are you a coach who works with “experienced” beginner to intermediate level clients? If so, this feature will really help.

**I am using the term “experienced” beginner as I’m referring to people who have some training experience.

This week I’m sharing 5 exercises that will help “experienced” beginners to intermediates excel at performing pull-ups. These exercises will help address many of the key components of pull-ups, including pull-up specific technique, lumbo-pelvic stability (many of you might better understand “core stability”), shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, grip strength, and upper body strength.

#1) Eccentric Pull-Ups

This pull-up specific exercise improves pull-up specific technique, eccentric strength/ability to perform lowering component of pull-up, grip strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and ability to maintain proper body positioning.

Coaching Tips:

Stand on a bench or box so your chin is already at (or close to) the height of the bar, or if you are already able to, jump from the floor and pull yourself up the rest of the way.
Place your hands so they are facing away from you (pronated), and adopt your preferred hand width.
As you are jumping to the top position where you will hold (or from a standing position on a bench), adopt a hollow body position, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), squeeze your glutes, straighten your knees, contract your quads, and dorsiflex your feet (you can cross one foot over the other). This will help stabilize your pelvis, spine, and legs, and will help prevent you from swinging.
Use the muscles in your mid and upper back and draw your shoulder blades together and down (bring each shoulder blade in towards the spine and down towards the opposite hip). Do not initiate the movement with your arms.
In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare. They should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso, similar to the bottom position of an overhead press.
Now perform the eccentric movement and slowly lower yourself down to the bottom position in 3-5 seconds. This should be a single fluid movement.
During the lowering/eccentric component, do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move, and should perform the reverse movements as they did during the ascending/concentric component.
As you are lowering yourself, steadily exhale through your mouth. Do not let all of your air out at once.
In the bottom position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate. Maintain the pull-up specific body positioning I described above.

#2) Tall Kneeling Overhead Kettlebell/Dumbbell Presses + Isometric Wall Press⁣⁣⁣

This exercise, which I got from Tony Gentilcore, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, lumbo-pelvic stability, and upper body strength.⁣⁣

Coaching Tips:

⁣⁣⁣Get into a tall kneeling stance. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣Grab onto a kettlebell or dumbbell.
⁣⁣⁣Make a fist and put your hand on a wall, and so it is around the height of your armpit. Push your body away from the wall and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine). Maintain this pressure against the wall and scapular position for the duration of the exercise. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣Now press the kettlebell overhead. Do not move the weight overhead by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, excessively shrugging your shoulder, or leaning to the side. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Lower the weight back to the starting position with complete control.
⁣⁣For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.⁣⁣⁣
In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Push-Up Program for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.

LEARN MORE

#3) Dead Bug + Wall Press

This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on the floor, and so your head is relatively close to a wall. Figure out what distance works and feels best for you. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
Keep your elbows relatively bent, and press your hands backwards into the wall. Maintain this pressure for the duration of the set.
Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, and point your feet towards you (dorsiflex). If you cannot fully extend your knees, or if you feel like you are compensating or feel your anterior core muscles less than when your knees are bent, keep your knees bent at 90 degrees.
Keep your chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine). Now steadily exhale through your mouth, contract your anterior core muscles, slowly lower your leg towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Return your leg to the starting position. Reset and repeat using the opposite leg.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or pelvis to move. Your torso and hips should remain square to the ceiling.
No matter what knee angle you choose to adopt, make sure that your knee remains in a fixed position and that the movement occurs from your hip.

#4) 4 Elbow Health Exercises

Many people are plagued by cranky elbows, and for different reasons. This can impact your ability to perform pull-ups and many other movements. This is a huge reason why I added exercises for elbow and shoulder health into the 40 page bonus section in The Ultimate Pull-Up Program.

Here are 4 really easy and effective exercises you can do to improve how your elbows feel. You may also use these exercises as maintenance. You can use any type of dowel, bar, dumbbell, or other object. Start out VERY conservatively, as you do not need much weight to make these effective.

Coaching Tips For All 4 Exercises:

Get into a standing or seated position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
Grab onto the end of the object, and extend your elbow.
In the starting position, your palm should be in a neutral position.
For the duration of the exercise, be mindful of your breathing and bracing.

Start out with the first two exercises.

Lateral Elbow Exercise: Eccentric Only

Take 3-5 seconds and rotate your forearm, wrist, and hand so the top of your hand is facing the ceiling (or you use a greater ROM). Everything should move as a single unit.
Once you hit your end range, use the other hand to assist the movement as you return to the starting position.
Keep your grip relatively loose.

Medial Elbow Exercise: Eccentric Only

Take 3-5 seconds and rotate your forearm, wrist, and hand so your palm is facing the ceiling (or you use a greater ROM). Everything should move as a single unit.
Once you hit your end range, use the other hand to assist the movement as you return to the starting position.
Keep your grip relatively loose.

Lateral Elbow Exercise: Eccentric + Concentric

Take 3-5 seconds and rotate your forearm, wrist, and hand so the top of your hand is facing the ceiling (or you can use a greater ROM). Everything should move as a single unit.
Once you hit your end range, perform the concentric component and return to the starting position.
Keep your grip relatively loose.

Medial Elbow Exercise: Eccentric + Concentric

Take 3-5 seconds and rotate your forearm, wrist, and hand so your palm is facing the ceiling (or you can use a greater ROM). Everything should move as a single unit.
Once you hit your end range, perform the concentric component and return to the starting position.
Keep your grip relatively loose.

#5) Multidirectional Taps For Scapula From Plank Position (plus regression)

This exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side), and lumbo-pelvic stability. I included a regression for people who are not yet ready to perform the exercise from a plank position. You may also regress the exercise by elevating your hands on a box, bench, or other surface. This is slightly more advanced than the regression I included.

Coaching Tips: (For plank position. Same key points apply)

Place a resistance band around your wrists. There should be tension in the band for 100% of the movement.
Set your body so it is in a straight line from your head to heels. Aim to keep your feet hip to shoulder width apart.
Your shoulders should be directly above your hands. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning them to the floor.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
Now reach out with one hand and tap the floor.
Perform the taps in multiple directions. Do your chosen number of reps, and repeat with the other arm.
Make sure that you perform all of the movements with complete control.
Aside from the arm that is performing the tap, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the set.
Pay attention to your non-working/supporting side. Push away from the floor and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from the spine and around the ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, weight to shift from foot to foot, or hips to pike or collapse.
In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.