Exercise guide · Back
Pull-ups
Pull-ups train your back, biceps, and grip by pulling your body up to a bar with an overhand grip. They are a fundamental upper-body strength move you can scale with bands or an assisted machine while you build strength.
- Targets: Lats
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Type: Compound
Step by step
How to do the Pull-ups
- Grip a pull-up bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, palms facing away from you.
- Hang with arms fully extended, shoulders engaged—not shrugged up to your ears. Cross ankles or keep legs straight with a braced core.
- Pull yourself up by driving elbows down and back until your chin clears the bar or upper chest reaches bar height.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower under control to a full hang before the next rep.
- Use an assistance band or assisted pull-up machine if you cannot yet complete full-range reps with control.
Form cues
- Drive elbows toward your back pockets
- Chest up, shoulders down at the start
- Pull the bar toward your upper chest
- Control the descent—no dropping
Common mistakes
- Kipping or swinging legs to generate momentum
- Stopping halfway instead of reaching full extension at the bottom
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears at the hang
- Flaring elbows straight out to the sides
Muscles worked
Primary
Lats
Secondary
Biceps, Mid back and Forearms
Safety: Step up to the bar or use a box to avoid jumping down from height. Build up with assisted reps rather than forcing partial reps with poor shoulder position.
Alternatives
