How to learn to do clean pull-ups. Pull-ups: how to learn to do pull-ups from scratch and tips for doing pull-ups

Pull-ups are a very effective and accessible exercise included in. You can perform it at any time and in any place where there is a horizontal bar, including at home, while achieving remarkable results. The main problem that beginners face with this is that they do not know how to perform it correctly. Let's look at how to learn how to do pull-ups, what you need for this, and where to start.

Those who are interested in how to learn how to do a lot of pull-ups on the horizontal bar know about the benefits of this simple exercise. It strengthens muscles, helps increase muscle mass, perfectly trains the arms, back, abs, strengthens ligaments, helps get rid of excess weight and improve your figure.

The horizontal bar also helps maintain the health of the spine, which has a positive effect on the condition of all organs of the body. Regular pull-ups help shape a beautiful torso, working your arms, shoulder girdle, and back muscles. In order to achieve maximum results, you need to do pull-ups with the correct technique. In the future, it is recommended to alternate different pull-up techniques.

The first stage is addiction

When starting to work on how to learn how to do a lot of pull-ups, take care of additional equipment. These will be special gloves that protect your hands from injuries and calluses, and also prevent your palms from slipping on the surface. If at first you cannot pull yourself up even a centimeter, for several days it is recommended to go to the horizontal bar every day and just hang on it.

Don't relax your muscles. They must be constantly tense - this develops and strengthens them.

The grip does not play a role at the initial stage. It can be both direct and reverse - choose the one that is more convenient for you.
You need to grasp the pipe tightly with your hands, fixing your palms so that they do not slip during training.
Pull your body to maximum height and hang. At the same time, the muscles of the forearms, shoulder and back should tense.
It is recommended to first stretch your joints, paying special attention to your wrists - this will help reduce the risk of sprains.
Your feet should be kept above the ground so that they hang in the air and do not come into contact with the surface. While hanging, you can periodically raise and lower them, developing your abdominal muscles.

In the first weeks you need to refrain from intense exercise. They need to be increased gradually so that the body does not experience severe stress. Many people do pull-ups with rocking movements at the beginning of classes. This makes the task easier, but you cannot get used to this method, because otherwise it will be difficult to lift your body later, without helping yourself in this way, but by working only with your muscles.

Stage two – negative pull-ups

This method of how to quickly learn to do pull-ups involves availability withTula or other support. If there is a low horizontal bar (as, for example, on a playground), you can do without it. The purpose of this stage is to show the body which muscle groups should work at the highest point. Negative pull-ups are considered the best option for this.

Push off the ground and chair and pull yourself up so your chin is higher than the bar. Stay in this position for a few seconds.
Exhaling, gently lower yourself down, putting stress on your arms, back and abs. You can’t fall down sharply, as pull-ups won’t have any effect.
To begin, repeat the exercise about five times. Do 3-4 sets with breaks of a few minutes to allow your muscles to rest.

If the exercise was done correctly, you will feel a pleasant pain in your hands. It is important to give your body a rest. Two days will be enough for this, since a longer break will reset your achievements.

The third stage - help from a friend

If possible, you can ask a friend or coach to help you. He will insure you and help you master the correct pull-up technique.

Hang on the horizontal bar, firmly grasp the bar. Your arms and abs should be tense.
Your partner should come up from behind, grab your legs and push you up.
At the same time, it is important not to shift all responsibility to the assistant, otherwise only he will train. Try to do full pull-ups.
The push your partner gives you must be used correctly. Try to do everything to reach your chin to the desired point and fix your body at the peak until a slight trembling appears in your hands.
It is important not to fall, but to lower smoothly, feeling the work of your biceps, triceps, back and abs.

It is not necessary for your partner to hold your legs. He can be on the side and place his hands under your feet or knees, thereby providing support.

Stage four – half amplitude

Without the help of a friend, a stable chair or bench located under the horizontal bar can help you. Your head should be at the level of the crossbar or slightly lower. Jump and pull yourself up so that your elbows are bent at a right angle. From this position, try to lift your body so that your chin is higher than the bar. If you can’t move, you can stay in the position with half-bent arms for half a minute or longer.

Fifth stage - insurance

In the gym, learning how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar can be helped by special exercise machines that support the human body, due to which its weight decreases and it becomes easier to do pull-ups.

For those who exercise outdoors or at home, an alternative is an elastic, wide elastic band that will not tear during training. You can also use a long expander. The support is attached to the crossbar and forms a large loop. You need to climb into it and thread the elastic band under your feet or buttocks, if the length of the equipment allows it. An elastic belay will push you up, making it easier to pull yourself up.

Low horizontal bar exercises

It happens that neither the help of a partner, nor negative repetitions, nor an expander produce results, since the muscles are very weak and cannot lift the body weight even in this way. In this case, you can resort to training on a low horizontal bar.

The crossbar should be located at a level of 70-90 centimeters from the floor, depending on your height. The horizontal bar should reach the waist. Recommended to use heel supports, which will prevent your legs from slipping when pulling up.

To begin with, you can use a wide straight grip, in which the backs of your palms are turned towards your face.
Your shoulders should be parallel to the bar or slightly forward.
Keep your legs and back straight, tighten your abs. Your heels should rest firmly on the floor.
Pull yourself up as you exhale, slowly rise to the bar and lower yourself without making sudden jerks.
The body should remain straight and not squirm with every movement.
Do the exercise at least three times in several approaches.

Many beginners find it easier to do pull-ups with a reverse grip, in which the wrists are turned towards the face. Pull yourself up the way that's easiest for you.

Beginners who are just learning to pull themselves up try to reach the desired point with their chin, and at the same time pull their face or protrude their lower jaw. But this is the wrong approach, since we should train our arms and back, not our neck.

Beginners who want to learn how to learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar need to approach this issue consistently. If you can do 3-5 pull-ups correctly, that’s already a success. At this stage, there is a great temptation to quickly start increasing the load, but this cannot be done. The best option is to increase the number of pull-ups by several times every week. This way, in a few months you will be able to do as many pull-ups as you want.

To achieve maximum results, follow these rules:

When pulling yourself up, do not swing, using the inertia of your body. You should stretch only by working your muscles.
Rise and fall smoothly and slowly.
At the peak point, the chin should rise above the bar.
Breathe correctly: on the ascent you should exhale, on the descent you should inhale.
Your grip should be strong enough.
The body must be in a vertical position.

At the same time, each exercise has a number of its own requirements. So, with a narrow grip, try to touch the horizontal bar with your chest, looking at your hands. With a wide grip, you cannot arch your back. As you pull yourself up with a reverse grip, pull your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Beginners don't need to push themselves too hard. Master the technique first. Don't chase quantity. It needs to be increased gradually, and then soon you will be able to cope with such a task as learning to do 30 pull-ups on a horizontal bar.

Many people are interested in how to quickly learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar. But remember that speed in this matter is not as important as quality. It takes time and consistency to master the correct form of an exercise and achieve the number of repetitions you want, so be prepared for it.

Pull-ups are a great exercise for those who want to have a beautiful and strong body. Learning to do it correctly is not that difficult. The main thing is to spend a little time on this and bring the technique to perfection.

Everyone wants to learn how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar many times... But not everyone succeeds. Why? How to learn to do a lot of pull-ups?

Nowadays it is not difficult to find a training method that will promise a boy, youth or mature man to become a virtuoso on the horizontal bar in a few weeks or a month. Yes, such a technique exists. A virtuoso is not a virtuoso, but it is quite possible for those practicing to do 25-30 pull-ups in two months.

It is possible if you follow the training rules:

You need to show will. If you start practicing, then decide for yourself that there is no going back, only forward - to results.

Discipline. Being your own coach is not easy. And even more so with a demanding and harsh coach. You need to not only force yourself to do this or that exercise, but also figure out why something might not work out.

Regularity. The main secret of how to do a lot of pull-ups is regular exercise.

Know how. You can train using the method of countless attempts, or you can act on the recommendations of those who already know how to do more pull-ups, who no longer consider 40 pull-ups per set to be unrealistic.

Pull-ups from scratch

Of course, those who have been training on the horizontal bar for several years have a very big head start over a beginner. It is especially difficult to start from scratch.

Often they cannot overcome the fear of the horizontal bar precisely because of zero experience.

Fortunately, the “zero barrier” can be overcome at home. This will require a little care and imagination.

Use your attentiveness when you watch an experienced person doing confident pull-ups. Try not only to remember the movements, grip, body position, but also to somehow feel the sensations that arise during the exercises - alternating changes in tension in muscle groups, body weight, breathing.

The next stage is gaining experience through imagination:

Stand on a chair or stool.

Raise your hands up and grip as if you were grasping an imaginary bar: tension in your hands and forearms, a feeling of stretching of the body under the influence of the weight.

Slowly (like in a slow motion movie) perform the pull-up movement several times. Try to perform each movement as close to ideal as possible.

If you do everything correctly, then you should feel physically tired from the exercises, as if you had actually been on the horizontal bar. Moreover, the real education of the muscle groups necessary for tightening begins to occur - in the imagination, antagonist muscle groups are included as a load, which is a kind of simulator.

By practicing this exercise for a week, you will gain enough confidence and potential to attempt a pull-up on a real bar.

First approach

The first step is important. It sets the future direction of training. Chasing quantity in your first attempts is of no use. You need to be aware of your potential - physical fitness, age, well-being, natural data.

The first approach is precisely what is needed in order to understand the difference between what you imagine about yourself and what actually is.

Sometimes it happens that a beginner clearly underestimates himself - he expects to do 3 or 5 pull-ups, but only does 10 or even 12 pull-ups. This result is certainly inspiring. Even in this case, it is important not to increase the number of pull-ups without measure, but to at least maintain the result, make it independent of external factors - mood, well-being, unfamiliarity with another horizontal bar.

More often it happens that reality turns out to be harsher than what we imagine about ourselves: instead of the planned 4 times, it turns out to be 2 times.

If you understand that the first approach is needed only to “weigh” yourself and your capabilities, then it is quite possible that the result will be 15 or 20 times real already in the third or fourth week. The body will learn to obey your will, because you were first able to teach yourself to understand its sensations.

Training and control

Before doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar many times, you will have to do pull-ups many times, but little by little, that is, in several approaches.

Oddly enough, the fact that exercises on the horizontal bar can be abandoned is no longer due to laziness, but because the practitioner has overdone it.

“Breaking down” due to muscle strain, strained tendons or dislocations is much easier than it seems to beginners. If you want to know how to learn how to do multiple pull-ups, first of all, learn how not to hurt yourself.

But you shouldn’t delay time between classes either. Exercising on the horizontal bar should become a pleasant and useful habit, and this is only possible with regular exercise.

The control area also includes food. To grow the necessary muscles, you will need building material - proteins, the content of which is sufficient in meat, fish, cottage cheese, and eggs. Energy for physical activity is best obtained from fresh vegetables and fruits. But you should limit yourself in baked goods and sweets - these carbohydrates will not have time to be consumed, which will lead to weight gain that is undesirable for training on the bar.

As for your attitude to exercises, it is best to train yourself to get quality, not quantity, of pull-ups from the very first approaches. Quality is not only the beauty of movements, but also technique, which will reveal the secret of how to do pull-ups many times.

General rules for pull-up techniques

There are several rules that not only characterize the quality of the exercises, but also create the prerequisites for how to do more pull-ups on the horizontal bar:

Avoid body swaying. You can, of course, achieve a larger number of pull-ups by training at first, but such “hack work” does not bring real strength, since the necessary muscle groups do not receive proper training.

Movements should be smooth and uniform, without jerking. This type of exercise helps you gain muscle mass as quickly as possible.

At the apogee of the pull-up, the chin should be fixed above the bar - this is the main sign of the “purity” of the exercise.

How much you can do pull-ups on the horizontal bar is facilitated by the correct breathing rhythm: upward movement - exhale, downward movement - inhale.

The grip on the bar should be quite secure.
You should try to keep your body upright.

If you strictly adhere to these rules, then dreams of learning how to do 30 pull-ups will very soon turn into reality.

Grip options

Why is it important to study the types of grips before learning to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar many times? Different grips train different muscle groups. Using different grips for different approaches, you can additionally train specific muscle groups, achieving generally harmonious development of the muscle frame.

Regular grip. Form of execution: hands intercept the crossbar at shoulder width. Effect: uniform load on muscle groups.

Execution form: brushes are located close to each other. Effect: the main load falls on the muscles of the forearms and biceps.

Form of execution: the hands on the bar are located at a distance wider than the shoulders, the thumbs do not participate in the grip and are set aside. Effect: the main load on the back muscles.

Execution form: the hands with the back outward intercept the crossbar at an arbitrary width (regular, narrow, wide reverse grip). Effect: in addition to the biceps, the load includes the latissimus muscle group.

Mixed grip. Form of execution: one hand on the bar in a reverse grip, and the other in a regular grip. Effect: triceps are connected to the load.

A general rule for grips: the wider the grip, the more load is placed on the back muscles; The narrower the grip, the more load is shifted to the muscles of the arms and chest.

Exercises for beginners

If you are thinking about how to learn how to do a lot of pull-ups, you need to “make friends” with the horizontal bar and get used to the crossbar. The exercises described below will be a good start to more complex exercises on the horizontal bar.

Hanging on the horizontal bar. Timed exercise. You need to hang on the bar; the type of grip does not matter. This exercise strengthens your hands. Stretches the spine, prepares the muscles for subsequent loads. The hanging time should be gradually extended.

Negative phase. Preparatory exercise for beginners. Starting position on the horizontal bar: arms bent at the elbows, chin over the bar, body vertical, legs straight, feet pressed together. You can take the starting position with the help of a chair or a partner. The essence of the execution is a slow (high-quality!) transition to the hanging position. Perform 3 sets of 5-7 times.

Exercise with a partner. A full amplitude pull-up is performed, but with the help of a partner who helps with the positive phase.

Half-range pull-up. From the stand, jump onto the horizontal bar to the starting position, with your elbows bent at approximately 90 degrees. The practitioner enters the positive phase from this position and returns to it when lowering. This exercise is easier to perform than full range pull-ups, but on your own, without the help of a partner.

Training program for the horizontal bar

You need to understand that the program becomes full-fledged if it is developed individually for the student. Everyone has their own abilities, capabilities and desires. But you can offer an approximate algorithm for creating a program “for yourself”.

First, about the goal. Before you think about how to learn to do 100 pull-ups, but you can only do 1 pull-up at most, you need to set a simpler task: “how to learn to do 10 pull-ups.” And after the result is achieved, the next goal is “how to learn to do 20 pull-ups,” etc. Real goals are realized, but unrealistic ones are not! We set a real goal, achieve it, and then the next one, which seemed unrealistic, becomes quite real.

Secondly, the program must include warm-up exercises. A good warm-up would be a jog - the body will “wake up”, the heart will prepare for an intense regime, and the blood will accelerate throughout the body. In addition, it is recommended to perform a joint warm-up: exercises for the arms, legs and spine.

Thirdly, we always remember the safety precautions “do no harm”. Exercising “for wear and tear” is a health risk and will bring neither benefit nor results. This is especially true for beginners. The completed activities should bring pleasure for the work done, and not excessive fatigue.

The fourth rule of the program. After exercising on the horizontal bar, be sure to do stretching exercises. When stretching, the muscles recover much faster, and the unpleasant sensations from physical overexertion go away.

Fifth. Classes are held every other day for five approaches.

Sixth. The secret to learning how to do more pull-ups. You can use the “25 pull-ups” or “50 pull-ups” program schemes. Or you can use a simple algorithm: “do 4 approaches half-heartedly, with a break of about a minute or two. But you need to get the most out of the fifth approach!” Example: at the end of a week of classes, you worked three times per set, but on the fifth approach you took 8, the next week you work four sets of 4 times, and on the fifth - until failure. If you manage to squeeze 10 times, then the next week will begin with four sets of 5 times.

Keeping fit

If you already know how to do pull-ups more than 30 times, and don’t set a goal to learn how to do 100 pull-ups, then the horizontal bar ceases to be a means of achieving personal records, but turns into an excellent universal exercise machine that allows you not only to keep fit, but also to continue to develop.

As exercises, you can use several approaches to the maximum with different grips. Combine exercises on other sports equipment with exercises on the horizontal bar.

How to quickly learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar from scratch at home or in the gym? 3 simple steps to effectively develop your back and biceps muscles.

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar are rightfully considered an indicator of strength, as they load large muscle groups. Many people try to follow the easy path, but this will not lead to results that you would be proud of later. And some athletes do not include the horizontal bar in their training program at all, and then are surprised at the lack of progress. If you have a similar story (or are a beginner who wants to learn how to do pull-ups), you'll have to start with the basics.

Why don't many people know how to do pull-ups?

Most of those who do not know how to do pull-ups make a big mistake by using a gravitron machine to simulate pull-ups. This can only help to understand the biomechanics of movement, but has absolutely nothing to do with proper pull-ups with your own weight. Therefore, you are unlikely to find many people who have learned how to do pull-ups correctly using this simulator.

Step #1: Learn to work your latissimus dorsi muscles

Correct pull-ups are impossible without engaging the back muscles in each repetition. You should not start lifting up using your shoulders.

To load the latissimus dorsi muscles, you need to lower your shoulders down.

If this is not done, the lifting will be carried out due to the work of the biceps, and instead of the back you will. As a result, the benefit to the back muscles will be minimal.

By squeezing your shoulder blades together, you tighten your lower trapezius and are already ¼ of a pull-up. First you should work on the lower phase of the amplitude. Once you feel the effect, begin to practice the upper part of the movement.

Step #2: Use isometric elements

Isometrics is remarkable because we can learn to control the muscles during their peak contraction. By doing isometric holds at the top (or almost) point of the amplitude, you master the top phase of the movement, which is the weak point of many athletes.

Try placing a bench under the bar and use it to lift yourself to the top point.

Stay in this position for 15–30 seconds.

If it’s still difficult for you to do this because of your own weight, replace pull-ups with delayed pull-downs of a vertical block to your chest. This way you will hone your technique in literally a week.

Step #3: Use a slow tempo for your pull-ups.

Imagine you want to perform a set of bench presses using a weight equal to 80% of your maximum. It would be a good idea to ask your partner to back you up. After that, you do 10-11 reps and reach failure. But how do you know it's a failure? Most people say they can't lift the barbell off their chest, so spotters have to rack it up. This is an honest answer, but it is only one side of the coin.

What you experience at this point is called "positive" or concentric failure. Chances are, after that 11th rep, you could do another one after resting for 10 seconds, or you could lower the barbell slowly and under control to your chest one more time.

During this exercise you use your strongest muscle fibers. Almost everyone can lower a heavier barbell than they can lift. In turn, this style of work can make you stronger in any other movement.

Try performing the negative phase of the pull-up movement longer—10 seconds at a time.

This will help you concentrate better on each rep. Just remember to keep your shoulders down.

Continue lowering until your arms are completely straight. Not extending your arms at the bottom is the biggest mistake you can make. Hang for a second and do another rep. Try to do 6-8 slow negatives per set - this tactic will greatly increase your strength.

Conclusion

So, here is a formula that will allow you to learn how to do pull-ups at home. Even a girl can use it. If you follow these three steps, you will easily learn how to do this, but the main thing here is not to rush things.

Learning to do pull-ups from scratch is more than a serious achievement, and it needs to be practiced regularly.

Set a goal for yourself: perform 30 technically perfect pull-ups in 2 sets with a 30-second rest between sets. And then you will not only increase your performance in pull-ups, but also develop the ideal technique.

A lot has already been said about how to increase the number of pull-ups on the horizontal bar. There are a number of techniques to achieve this goal. Today we will look at several of the most effective of them.

Quality vs Quantity

Of course, you can increase the number of pull-ups at the cost of losing quality. For example, using rocking or jerking. But, in terms of the development of physical qualities, this is not progress at all, but degradation. Because you do more repetitions not due to the fact that your muscles have become stronger or more resilient, but due to the help of physical laws. In most cases, such repetitions are not counted for the pull-up. The exception is CrossFitter competitions, where the athlete needs to complete as many repetitions as possible in any way possible. This is how kipping and butterfly pull-ups appeared.

To do more pull-ups for the benefit of your own body, and not for the sake of a record, you should perform the exercise using pure technique.

There are a few points to note here:

When performing the movement, you do not sway.
Pull-ups are carried out smoothly without jerking.
The chin is above the bar not due to neck stretching or other manipulations, but due to the work of the latissimus dorsi muscles and biceps.

These are the three main postulates that define technology.

Learn to do pull-ups correctly. If you do 50 pull-ups, but at random, what's the point? Yes, some exercises on the bar are done in jerks specifically to pump up the explosive power of certain muscles. But they are not suitable for training pull-ups.

Speed of achieving results

So, we have dealt with the technical side of the issue. But there is one more point that is very important for any business - willpower and patience.

Increasing the number of pull-ups is not a quick process. You need to constantly overcome yourself, force yourself to go to the crossbar.

No technique will help you quickly increase the number of pull-ups. Strength is not a parameter that can be pumped up in a short time.

Therefore, take the process seriously and do not rush to panic if your results do not improve after a week. Muscle development occurs gradually; it is important not to quit halfway.

Training methods

So, the following techniques will help you increase the number of pull-ups.

Ladder

An increase in the number of pull-ups on the horizontal bar can be achieved by performing the exercise with a ladder.

In this case we will talk about the reverse staircase:

First, you warm up and perform the first set as many times as possible.
Then you rest for 30 seconds and pull yourself up again to the maximum.
Then you rest for the same amount of time and repeat the approaches until you can’t do any more pull-ups.

This method is designed to fatigue the muscles. With each workout, your fatigue limit will increase slightly. As a result, in a couple of weeks you will be able to gain some additional pull-ups.

Straight stairs require a longer rest. And it starts with a small number of times - for example, with 5:

Do 5 pull-ups, rest until you feel ready for the next set.
Add 1 or 2 reps per set until you reach your limit.
Rest well and do your final set to the max.

Practice this training every other day, not more often.

The program for increasing pull-ups should be recorded on a piece of paper. Practice has shown that this way the brain perceives information better, and it will be more convenient for you to control your progress. I have never harmed anyone before.

Don't forget about proper breathing when doing pull-ups. If you inhale and exhale air haphazardly, you will not succeed in a harmonious training system. Experienced athletes understand this well, but beginners should pay attention to this point.

So, once again about how to breathe correctly when doing pull-ups:

We do not hold the air - breathe continuously throughout the entire exercise.
As you exhale, we tense our muscles and lift ourselves up.
As we inhale, we lower ourselves back down.

If you try to breathe in reverse, breathing will not help you lift your body to the bar. On the contrary, this method of breathing interferes with the proper coordinated functioning of the lungs and muscles.

Train yourself to exhale as hard as possible to help yourself. Then everything will become a little easier. With proper pull-up breathing, as you pull your elbows toward your body, your body contracts as you exhale. And when lowering the body down, it becomes wider again due to inhalation. There is no need to interfere with the natural process and torment your respiratory system.

Weight training

You can also achieve an increase in pull-ups on the horizontal bar through weight training. The easiest option is to take a comfortable backpack and put a dumbbell plate or any other weighty object in it.

Now you can forget about the number of repetitions for a while and focus on the working weight. It is likely that in a month you will find that without weight you can do one and a half times more pull-ups than before.

In this technique, it is also very important to create a program to increase the number of pull-ups and record it in your diary. It’s better to immediately schedule your working weights for a month in advance.

After each workout, the plan will need to be edited. For example, you inadequately assessed your strength and a month later you wrote yourself pull-ups with a weight of 45 kg. Of course, in a month you will be doing 5-6 pull-ups with only 10 kg (possibly).

First you need to do a trial workout:

Put 5 kg in your backpack and pull yourself up to the max using clean technique.
Now you know how much you can do with this weight.
Based on this, gradually increase the working weights.

I warn you that the process of increasing your strength indicators will take a long time.

Doing maximum pull-ups will give you a general idea of what you can do. Do not feel sorry for yourself, squeeze out of your body everything it is capable of.

When you work with weights, warming up before doing pull-ups will become doubly necessary. To avoid damaging anything on the crossbar, you need to warm up well. You can warm up by running, doing joint exercises and other exercises. You shouldn't do maximum pull-ups as a warm-up - you'll get tired.

Here is an approximate training scheme for quantity with additional weight:

We start with pull-ups with a medium grip for 5 reps. You can take a weight of 5 kg for testing. Slowly move up and down. If you cannot pull yourself up normally, reduce the weight and rest as much as you need. Forget about stereotypes about 60 seconds and other nonsense.
We do 3-4 such trips. Then we finish the session by pulling up without weight to the maximum until the strength of the back and biceps is completely exhausted in 2-3 approaches.
After a couple of workouts, try combining the ladder with weights - the first 5 times, do pull-ups with 5 kg. The next ones are also with 5. And for the last approach, add as many as you see fit to complete 5 repetitions. If you couldn’t do it, don’t despair, try the same thing in your next workout.

Add a little to each workout. If you have small quarter kg pancakes, they will be very useful. Because for many, a 1 kg step in pull-ups is too big.

Increasing pull-ups through weights is a resource-intensive process. You need to rest well between workouts - at least 2-3 days. There is no need to exercise every other day - this will not give you any improvement in results. You'll become overworked and your rep max won't start to increase.

The main problem with pull-ups

Sometimes people who exercise for a long time reach a plateau. Something is preventing them from improving their results. To increase their pull-ups, they train every day, but in vain.

It is important to understand the following point. Pull-up training targets multiple muscle groups. These are the biceps and back. You may have strong biceps but a weak back, or vice versa. In general, one of the muscle groups may simply lag behind in development. And now, when you get to a certain number of repetitions, this difference can become critical.

Perhaps all the time up to this point you have been pulling yourself up using arm strength. In this case, you need to increase the volume of back training. You can find a lot of information on our website about how to train your back and what exercises will help you develop your latissimus muscles.

And the opposite situation. If your back is strong but your arms are weak, how can you increase the number of pull-ups? That's right, you need to focus on your hands.

The key to increasing the number of pull-ups in this case is to train your biceps. It’s quite simple to do them on the horizontal bar - in an incomplete amplitude. You can also additionally perform exercises with dumbbells or a barbell.

It is very good when you feel all the target muscles during any exercise. Then you can easily understand what works and what doesn’t, and direct the situation in the right direction.

Genetics and persistence

You shouldn't be equal to others. All people are different, especially in terms of physiology. Someone went from 2 pull-ups to 15 in a month. Someone from 10 to 12. And someone never learned how to do pull-ups (the regimen was built incorrectly or they simply didn’t have the patience).

Any personal record you have is a celebration, an achievement. If a friend does 15 pull-ups, and you only do 5 so far, you have no problem. You just need to work a little more and the result will definitely appear. Ideally, you should not care how much your neighbor on the horizontal bar does. Compare yourself only with yourself yesterday, as they say.

Even at school, many people do pull-ups with jerks and swings, often stretching their necks so that they get a repetition. It makes no sense to raise your head above the bar - you are underloading the latissimus muscles. And no matter how quickly you progress in terms of repetitions, the result in terms of muscle development will be zero if these repetitions are not clean.

Regarding pure repetitions and the rate of progress in their number: the limit of endurance greatly depends on the genetic characteristics of your body. You may have noticed that with the same load, someone recovers much faster and reaches new physical records faster.

But in fairness, it should be said that diligence and patience play a significant role in this difference, but physiology also decides a lot. Respect the results of others. Perhaps those 15 pull-ups your friend did cost him a lot of effort. It's easy to judge without knowing the details.

Look at the record holders, they perform 60 pull-ups per minute, thousands of pull-ups per set. It has to do with the peculiarities of their physiology. Their muscles become fatigued less quickly than others. But the training system also plays an important role. That is, the characteristics of the body are complemented by hard training, which ultimately results in fantastic results.

Therefore, even if by nature you are not the most resilient person, genetic characteristics can be compensated for by perseverance and competent training. In particular, in the section on working with weights, it is proposed to finish off the muscles with the maximum number of “light” pull-ups. This allows you to develop endurance and experience that incredible feeling when you can’t do it anymore, but still do it. Go for it!

16.04.2018 10.04.2019

Pull-ups are one of the key bodyweight exercises that are important to perform for developing upper body muscles. Being able to do a pull-up is a good assessment of your fitness and strength.

In this article, we will look at an important issue: how to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch on a horizontal bar for men and women, and we will also look at the technique of doing pull-ups and useful tips on how to learn how to do pull-ups.

Why do you need to learn how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar?

Anyone can learn to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar, regardless of whether they have had successful pull-up experience in the past. This exercise helps to simultaneously work all the muscles of the arms and torso: pectoral muscles, back and shoulder muscles, biceps and triceps. At the same time, to perform pull-ups, you only need a horizontal bar, which can be easily installed at home or found on the sports field. Pull-ups count most effective exercise with your own body weight to develop the muscles of the arms and back.

Benefits of pull-ups:

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar develop the muscles of the upper body and form a beautiful relief of the muscles of the arms, shoulders, chest and back.
Regular pull-ups help strengthen joints and ligaments.
Pull-ups can be done at home or outdoors; all you need is a horizontal bar or bar.
Pull-ups strengthen the muscle corset and help maintain a healthy and functional spine.
The ability to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar is a good demonstration of your physical strength and endurance.
If you learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar, it will be easier for you to master exercises such as handstands, as well as exercises on parallel bars and rings.

Many people wonder how quickly you can learn to do pull-ups from scratch? It completely depends on your physical fitness and training experience. If you previously knew how to do pull-ups, then it will be much easier for your body to “remember” the load than to learn a new skill from scratch. Usually 3-5 weeks are enough to start doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar at least several times. If you have never done a pull-up before, you can learn how to do this exercise well in 6-9 weeks.

What can prevent you from performing pull-ups:

Excess weight and large body mass
Poorly developed upper body muscles
Lack of pull-up practice in the past
Unproven technology
Trying pull-ups without prep work
Weak functional training
Ignorance of exercises leading up to pull-ups

To learn how to do a pull-up from scratch, you must prepare not only your major muscle groups, but also your stabilizing muscles, joints, and ligaments. Even if you are strong enough to perform barbell rows or heavy dumbbell lifts, it is not at all certain that you will be able to do a pull-up. That is why it is not enough to simply pump up the main muscle groups that are involved in pull-ups (arms and latissimus dorsi). You will need fully prepare your body to pull-ups using lead-up exercises - they will be discussed below.

Contraindications for performing pull-ups:

Scoliosis
Herniated discs
Osteochondrosis
Spinal protrusion
Arthrosis

In some cases, regular pull-ups or even just hanging on a horizontal bar help get rid of spinal diseases. But if you already If you have back problems, be sure to consult your doctor before you start doing pull-ups. Exercises on the horizontal bar can aggravate existing spinal diseases.

There are several types of pull-ups depending on your hand grip:

Straight grip. In this case, your palms face in the opposite direction from you. This grip is considered the most preferable; when performing, the main load is placed on the latissimus dorsi muscles and shoulders.
Reverse grip . In this case, the palms and wrists are facing you. It is easier to pull up with this grip, since most of the load is taken by the biceps, which help pull the body towards the horizontal bar.
Mixed grip . In this case, one hand holds the horizontal bar with a direct grip, and the other with a reverse grip. These pull-ups can be performed when you have already mastered both grips and want to diversify the load on your muscles. Be sure to alternate hands when performing these pull-ups.
Neutral grip . In this case, the palms of the hands face each other. Pull-ups with a neutral grip place an accentuated load on the lower region of the latissimus muscles.

At first, you can only do pull-ups with a reverse grip if it is easier for you. But gradually try to master pull-ups with both direct and reverse grip to work the maximum muscle group.

Depending on the position of the hands, pull-ups are:

With a narrow grip: maximum load falls on the hands (the easiest version of pull-ups).
Wide grip : maximum load falls on the latissimus dorsi muscles (heaviest version of pull-ups). It is not recommended to combine a wide and reverse grip at the same time, as this can damage the ligaments.
With a classic grip (shoulder-width apart): The load is distributed proportionally, so this is the most preferred type of pull-up.

Different types of grip and hand positioning allow you to work all muscle groups of the upper body using essentially one exercise with your own body weight - pull-ups. By learning how to do pull-ups, you can improve your body even without using free weights and machines. At the same time, you can always complicate this exercise: just do pull-ups with one arm or use weights (backpack, belt).

How to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar correctly

Before moving on to a detailed diagram of how to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch for men and women, let’s focus on correct technique for performing pull-ups .

So, for classic pull-ups, place your hands on the horizontal bar at shoulder width or slightly wider than shoulder width. The shoulder blades are brought together, the body is fully straightened, the stomach is tucked, the shoulders are lowered, the neck is not pressed into the shoulders, the fingers are firmly grasping the bar. As you inhale, slowly pull your body up, your chin should be higher than the bar. Hold for a split second and, as you exhale, lower your body to the starting position.

The pull-up is performed slowly at each stage of the movement: both on the ascent and on the descent. You should feel maximum tension in the muscles of your arms and back; you should not make unnecessary movements, trying to simplify the task for yourself. In terms of muscle efficiency, it is better to perform one technical pull-up than five non-technical ones. You can try pull-ups with any type of grip; first, choose the easiest option for you.

Be sure to ensure proper breathing during pull-ups, otherwise your muscles will not receive enough oxygen, which means their strength and endurance will decrease. Breathe deeply through your nose (when lifting the body to the bar) and exhale through your mouth while relaxing (when relaxing your arms and lowering your torso).

What to do it is forbidden while performing a pull-up:

Rock and twist your body
Make jerks and sudden movements
Bend your lower back or arch your back
Hold breath
Press your head into your shoulders and strain your neck

Step-by-step instructions on how to learn to do pull-ups from scratch

In order to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch, you need to perform a series of lead-up exercises , which will prepare your body for the load. By regularly practicing these exercises, you will be able to master pull-ups on the bar, even if you have never done them before and even if you don't believe in your strength. These exercises are suitable for both men and women, the degree of load is regulated independently. Strengthening exercises will help you strengthen not only your muscles, but also your ligaments and joints.

Thanks to YouTube channels for the gifs: OfficialBarstarzz, Abnormal_Beings, Colin DeWaay, Xenios Charalambous, Matt Cama 2.

1. Exercises with additional weight for muscles

Exercises with additional weight will help you strengthen the latissimus dorsi and biceps muscles, which are involved in pull-ups. You can use dumbbells instead of a barbell. Perform each exercise in 3-4 sets, 8-10 repetitions. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets. Choose a weight such that the last exercises in the set are performed at maximum effort.

If you do not have access to machines and free weights, then to prepare for pull-ups, you can immediately begin the exercises on the horizontal bar, which are presented below.

The Australian Pull-Up is the perfect exercise to help you learn how to do a Pull-Up from scratch. To perform it you will need a low crossbar, approximately at waist level (in the gym you can use the bar on a Smith machine). Please note that during the Australian pull-up, your body should remain straight from your heels to your shoulders. You cannot bend down or bend up; the whole body is tense and taut.

The most important advantage of the Australian pull-up is that it will absolutely everyone can do, since its complexity is determined by the angle of inclination. The more vertical your body is, the easier it is to perform the exercise. Conversely, the more horizontal the body is, the more difficult it will be to perform the Australian pull-up. The load also depends on the height of the crossbar - the lower it is, the more difficult it is to pull yourself up.

When performing Australian pull-ups, we recommend changing your grips: wide grip, shoulder-width grip, narrow grip. This will allow you to effectively work all muscle groups from different angles and adapt to pull-ups. You can perform 15-20 repetitions with different types of grips.

3. Pull-ups with loops

If you do not have a bar for performing Australian pull-ups or you want to better prepare for classic pull-ups on the horizontal bar, then you can do pull-ups with loops. The gym usually always has such devices, but at home there is a good alternative - TRX hinges. This is a very popular exercise machine for exercising with your own body weight and developing all muscle groups. With TRX you can learn to do pull-ups even faster.

4. Leg-supported pull-ups

Another lead-up exercise is pull-ups on a low bar with your feet resting on the floor. To practice this exercise, it is not necessary to have a low bar; you can place a box or chair under a regular horizontal bar and rest your feet completely on it. This is much simpler than regular pull-ups, but is ideal for muscle training.

5. Chair pull-ups

A slightly more complex version of the previous exercise is a pull-up with one leg resting on a chair. At first, you can completely rest one leg on the chair, but gradually try to support your weight with the muscles of your arms and back, leaning less and less on the chair.

Another simple but very effective exercise that will help you learn how to do pull-ups from scratch is hanging from a horizontal bar. If you cannot hang on the horizontal bar for at least 2-3 minutes, then it will be difficult for you to pull yourself up. Hanging on a horizontal bar is useful for strengthening your wrists, developing your back muscles, and straightening your spine. This exercise will also help your ligaments get used to the weight of your body.

Please note that when hanging on the horizontal bar, your shoulders should be down, your neck should be extended and not pressed into your shoulders. The body should remain free, the spine elongated, the stomach tucked. You can perform the exercise in several approaches for 1-2 minutes.

If you calmly hang on the horizontal bar for several minutes, then you can move on to the next stage - pull-ups with an expander. One end of the rubber band is attached to the crossbar, and the other secures the leg. The expander will take on some of your weight and pull your body up. Rubber loops can be purchased on Aliexpress; details with links to the product are in the second part of the article. By the way, this type of expander is suitable not only for pull-ups, but also for many strength exercises.

8. Jumping pull-ups

Another basic exercise that will help you learn how to do pull-ups from scratch is the jumping pull-up. If you've never done a pull-up before, you may not be able to do it, so it's best to start by practicing the exercises presented above. If your muscle strength allows you to perform a jumping pull-up, then this exercise will perfectly prepare you for regular pull-ups.

Its essence is as follows: you jump as high as possible to the horizontal bar, hold yourself for a few seconds and slowly lower down. This is one of the options negative pull-up.

9. Negative pull-ups

Any exercise has two phases: positive (when the muscles tense) and negative (when the muscles relax). If you can't handle both pull-up phases yet (that is, pull yourself up on the horizontal bar and lower yourself down), then perform only the second phase of the exercise or the so-called negative pull-up.

For a negative pull-up, you need to hold the position with your arms bent over the bar (as if you had already done a pull-up), using a chair or the help of a partner. Your task is to stay at the top as long as possible and then very slowly lower down, tensing the muscles of your arms and back as much as possible. The negative pull-up is another great exercise to help you learn how to do a pull-up from scratch.

Number of repetitions per last three exercises depends on your capabilities. At first, you will probably do only 3-5 repetitions in 2 sets. But with each lesson you need to increase your results. Aim for the following numbers: 10-15 repetitions, 3-4 sets. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

Pull-up training diagram for beginners

We offer you a ready-made diagram of how to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch for men and women. The scheme is universal and suitable for all beginners, but you can adapt it to your capabilities by slightly lengthening or shortening the plan. Train 2-3 times a week. Before doing pull-ups, be sure to warm up and at the end, stretch the muscles of your back, arms, and chest:

Ideally, start your workout with back exercises. (barbell row, vertical and horizontal rows), but if this is not possible, you can only train on the horizontal bar. If you are faced with the task of learning how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar from scratch in a short time, then you can practice 5 times a week. But not more often, otherwise the muscles will not have time to recover and there will be no progress.

The plan below is designed for beginners. If you are already a fairly experienced practitioner, then feel free to start with 3-4 weeks. The diagram indicates only the approximate number of repetitions; it is always better to focus on your physical capabilities. Be sure to record how many reps and sets you did to track your progress. You can rest for 2-3 minutes between sets or dilute the pull-ups with other exercises.

First week:

5-8 reps 3-4 sets

Second week:

Leg-supported pull-ups: 10-15 reps 3-4 sets

30-60 seconds in 2 sets

Third week:

5-8 reps 3-4 sets

45-90 seconds in 3 sets

Fourth week:

10-15 reps 3-4 sets

90-120 seconds in 3 sets

Fifth week:

3-5 reps in 2-3 sets

10-15 reps 3-4 sets

90-120 seconds in 3 sets

Sixth week:

3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
Pull-ups with a chair (leaning on one leg): 5-7 reps in 2-3 sets

Seventh week:

Pull-ups with rubber loops: 5-7 reps in 2-3 sets
Pull-ups with a chair (leaning on one leg): 5-7 reps in 2-3 sets

Eighth week:

Negative pull-ups: 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
Pull-ups with rubber loops:

Ninth week

Jump Pull-Up: 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets
Pull-ups with rubber loops: 7-10 reps in 2-3 sets

Tenth week

Classic pull-up: 2-3 reps in 2-3 sets
Jump Pull-Up: 3-5 reps in 2-3 sets

You can speed up your training plan if you are experiencing more progress than what is indicated in the plan. Or vice versa, slow down the pace of increasing the number of repetitions if you are not yet able to achieve the desired result. Don't worry, sooner or later you will be able to achieve your goal!

1. Do not make jerks or sudden movements while doing pull-ups. Exercises should be performed only using muscle strength; do not make it easier for yourself by swaying and inertia.

2. Don’t force your training on the horizontal bar, especially if you’re trying to learn how to do pull-ups from scratch. Hasty, fast movements and excessive stress can damage joints and ligaments. Always strive to improve the quality of your exercises, not to increase the quantity.

3. The lower your initial weight, the easier it is for you to learn how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar from scratch. Therefore, work on pull-ups should go in parallel with the process of getting rid of excess fat.

4. Do not hold your breath while doing exercises, otherwise this will lead to rapid fatigue.

5. Whatever lead-up exercise you do on the horizontal bar or bar, try to gradually increase the number of repetitions and approaches. For example, if at first you can only perform 3-4 Australian pull-ups, then gradually increase their number to 15-20 repetitions and increase the difficulty of the inclination angle.

6. In order to progress in the quantity and quality of pull-ups, you should perform not only lead-up exercises, but also train the whole body. Work with dumbbells, barbells, machines and push-ups for better results.