Compound — back

Pull-Up / Chin-Up

Pull-up bar

The pull-up is the king of bodyweight back exercises and a reliable indicator of relative strength. Chin-ups (underhand grip) recruit more biceps; pull-ups build more back width.

The pull-up is the clearest strength-to-bodyweight test in the gym, which is what makes it both motivating and frustrating: getting stronger and getting lighter both improve it. If you cannot do one yet, that is a normal starting point and entirely trainable — the route is assisted work and slow negatives, not waiting until you feel ready.

Technique

1. 1Use an overhand grip (pull-up) just outside shoulder width
2. 2Start from a full hang with active shoulders — do not hang passively
3. 3Drive your elbows down and in — look toward the bar
4. 4Ideally your chest touches the bar at the top
5. 5Lower all the way between reps for a full range of motion

Common mistakes

• Kipping and swinging to get the chin over

  Fix: Unless you are training CrossFit specifically, keep it strict. Momentum reps build far less back.

• Stopping halfway down to make the next rep easier

  Fix: Return to a full hang each time. The bottom stretch is a large part of the growth stimulus.

• Starting each rep from a completely passive hang

  Fix: Depress the shoulder blades first — pull them down before you pull yourself up. It protects the shoulder and starts the lats correctly.

• Only ever training pull-ups at bodyweight

  Fix: Once you can do 12 clean reps, add weight. Sets of 30 build endurance, not size or strength.

Sets and reps

How to progress

If you cannot do one: use band assistance and slow negatives — jump to the top and take five seconds to lower, three to five reps. Progress to unassisted singles, then sets. Once you can hit 3×12, add weight in 2.5 kg steps and return to sets of 5–8. Frequency helps more than intensity early on: greasing the groove with a few daily reps works well.

Variations

• Chin-up

  Underhand grip, more biceps involvement, and usually a few reps stronger than the pull-up.

• Neutral-grip pull-up

  Palms facing each other — typically the most shoulder-friendly grip.

• Weighted pull-up

  Belt or vest. The correct progression once bodyweight sets become easy.

Frequently asked questions