The WORST Pull-Up Advice That Exists! Do This Instead!

When it comes to pull-ups what I’m about to share with you is a big pet peeve of mine, and is unfortunately something I hear a lot! This source of misinformation is holding countless very capable people back from excelling at unassisted pull-ups.

Telling people who can’t yet do a single unassisted pull-up to ‘’just keep practicing by ONLY doing unassisted pull-ups’’ is terrible advice! This advice often causes people to feel frustrated due to a lack of progress and abandon their goal, even if they are fully capable.

If learning pull-ups is a goal of yours, here is a much better strategy!

Here are 6 exercises that will help you learn how to do unassisted pull-ups. All of these exercises address different components of the pull-up, and will serve as stepping stones to helping you do pull-ups with good form. These exercises will meet you where you currently are in your pull-up journey. This is so important, yet is overlooked by countless people, including some coaches!

Here are 6 of my top exercises that will help you learn how to do pull-ups.

#1) Scapula Pull-Ups

This exercise teaches you how to use your shoulder blades properly during pull-ups. When many people perform pull-ups they overuse their arms, and do not use the muscles in their mid and upper back. Many people also keep their shoulder blades pinned, and fail to control the movement of their shoulder blades. This will negatively impact performance.

Coaching Tips:

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

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/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and move each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate). When you do your body should elevate a slight amount.

Do not allow your elbows to bend/”pull.”

Hold for a count in the top position, then lower to the starting position with control.

When you are lowering your shoulder blades should perform the opposite movements and should spread apart and move away from the spine, around the ribcage, and away from the opposite hip (protract, elevate, and upwardly rotate).

Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. Lower in a single fluid movement. The lowering shouldn’t be jerky.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to excessively elevate towards your ears (a slight shrug is ok), or roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.

#2) Inverted Rows

This exercise strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, improves shoulder and scapular stability, and lumbo-pelvic stability.

You may use rings, a TRX, bar, rope, etc. Modify the exercise by keeping your feet on the floor. You can further progress this exercise by keeping your body in a straight line from your head to feet.

Coaching Tips:

Adopt your preferred grip.

Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

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/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.

Perform a row. Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and move your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards your opposite hip, and simultaneously drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the ground.

In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out. They should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso.

Return to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements as they did during the rowing component. Think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip.

In the starting position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

#3) Eccentric Only Pull-Ups

This exercise teaches you how to perform the lowering component of the pull-up.

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, you can jump from the floor and pull yourself up the rest of the way.

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

When you are in the top position (or as you are jumping up if you are required to jump), set your body position as quickly as you can. Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

As you are jumping, 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/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Get to the top position by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and move each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate), and drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the floor.

In the top position, your elbows should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.

Now, take 3-5 seconds and lower to the starting position with control.

When you are lowering your shoulder blades should perform the opposite movements and should spread apart and move away from the spine, around the ribcage, and away from the opposite hip (protract, elevate, and upwardly rotate).

Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. Lower in a single fluid movement. The lowering shouldn’t be jerky.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to excessively elevate towards your ears, or roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 2-4 reps of a 3-5 second lowering.

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#4) Concentric Hang

This exercise teaches you how to perform the top component of the pull-up.

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, you can jump from the floor and pull yourself up the rest of the way.

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

When you are in the top position (or as you are jumping up if you are required to jump), set your body position as quickly as you can. Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

As you are jumping, 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/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Get to the top position by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and move each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate), and drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the floor.

In the top position, your elbows should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.

Hold for the target amount of time.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to elevate towards your ears, or roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-5 sets of a 5-30 second hang.

For both #3 and #4 you can start standing on a box/bench (stable surface) so you don’t have to jump up to the bar (if you have this option).

#5) Band Assisted Pull-Ups

After you’ve become proficient at the first 4 exercises, band assisted pull-ups can be a helpful exercise for building up your pull-up volume, and continuing to work on technique.

With band assisted pull-ups, your form should be identical to regular pull-ups. You want to use the least amount of assistance as possible, but enough where you are able to hit your target number of reps, and while maintaining good form for 100% of the reps.

To note, the band provides assistance when many people do not need it, and the band makes it easy to get sloppy with form and to disregard maintaining the pull-up specific body position and tension. Perform each rep mindfully, and do not become complacent!

Do 2-3 sets of 3-10 reps. Aim to do more reps when you are starting out (mid to high end of the rep range I’ve given), and with a band that provides a lot of help.

#6) Dead Bugs + Isometric Wall Press

Dead bugs have a HUGE carryover to improving pull-up performance!! As I talk about all the time, if you can keep your torso, spine, and hips stable, and can generate tension throughout your body, you’ll have a much better chance of excelling at pull-ups.

👉👉 Better tension + maintaining pull-up body position = not pulling needless deadweight, and less swinging (shorter more efficient path to bar).

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.

Lift your head and neck so they are several inches above the floor, or you may keep your head on the floor (as in this video). Keep your chin tucked, and neck in a neutral position.

Keep your elbows relatively bent, and press your hands backwards into the wall. Maintain this pressure for the duration of the exercise.

Fully extend your knees, or keep them bent at 90 degrees. For most people, I recommend starting out at 90 degrees. Keep your knees in the same angle for 100% of the exercise.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt).

Now contract your core muscles, steadily exhale through your teeth, and slowly lower your leg towards the floor.

Gain a moment of control, and return your leg to the top/starting position.

Reset and repeat using the opposite leg.

Keep your non-moving leg still and vertical.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.