Exercise Library
Pull-up
The pull-up is a simple and effective upper body pulling strength exercise that can also help with shoulder mobility and health.
Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands pronated (palms facing forward) and just outside shoulder width, allowing your shoulder to open completely. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar, keeping the upper back extended and squeezing the shoulder blades back and down. Try to keep your head as level as possible and minimize reaching with the chin.
Lower under control until the elbows are completely extended and shoulders are fully open again.
Notes
The natural tendency is to round the back as you near the bar, but it’s important to keep it extended instead to fully engage all of the back musculature. It’s equally important to ensure each rep starts from a genuinely open shoulder position—this will ensure proper shoulder mobility and health.
Purpose
The pull-up strengthens the back and arms in opposition to vertical pressing motions common in weightlifting training and helps keep the shoulders and upper back balanced and healthy. It has the added benefit of grip strength and stamina development.
Programming
Sets of 8-15 reps are usually appropriate, and often a good way to prescribe pull-ups is with a total number of reps to be completed as possible (i.e. as many reps per set as can be done until reaching the total). Resistance can be reduced for those unable to perform pull-ups with their full body weight by using rubber bands to partially unload weight as necessary, or by keeping the feet on a box or bench to allow the legs to assist only as much as needed. Weighted pull-ups can also be used to push strength with sets of 1-5 reps using a belt to hang weight plates between the legs.
Variations
The pull-up can be done with wider or narrower grips, although usually the same grip width used for the jerk and press should be the default. The hands can be supinated (palms facing toward you), in which case the exercise would then be called a chin-up, or done with a neutral grip using various handles, including rope or towel.
Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands pronated (palms facing forward) and just outside shoulder width, allowing your shoulder to open completely. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar, keeping the upper back extended and squeezing the shoulder blades back and down. Try to keep your head as level as possible and minimize reaching with the chin.
Lower under control until the elbows are completely extended and shoulders are fully open again.
Notes
The natural tendency is to round the back as you near the bar, but it’s important to keep it extended instead to fully engage all of the back musculature. It’s equally important to ensure each rep starts from a genuinely open shoulder position—this will ensure proper shoulder mobility and health.
Purpose
The pull-up strengthens the back and arms in opposition to vertical pressing motions common in weightlifting training and helps keep the shoulders and upper back balanced and healthy. It has the added benefit of grip strength and stamina development.
Programming
Sets of 8-15 reps are usually appropriate, and often a good way to prescribe pull-ups is with a total number of reps to be completed as possible (i.e. as many reps per set as can be done until reaching the total). Resistance can be reduced for those unable to perform pull-ups with their full body weight by using rubber bands to partially unload weight as necessary, or by keeping the feet on a box or bench to allow the legs to assist only as much as needed. Weighted pull-ups can also be used to push strength with sets of 1-5 reps using a belt to hang weight plates between the legs.
Variations
The pull-up can be done with wider or narrower grips, although usually the same grip width used for the jerk and press should be the default. The hands can be supinated (palms facing toward you), in which case the exercise would then be called a chin-up, or done with a neutral grip using various handles, including rope or towel.
