Pull Up

Muscles Pull Up Works

Main muscleFrom a hanging position, pull your elbows down toward your sides and bring your chest toward the bar. The main muscle driving this movement is your lats. Your lats pull your elbows down and slightly back to lift your body.

Supporting musclesYour biceps help bend your elbows. Your lower traps keep your shoulders from shrugging up toward your ears. Your abs help keep your body from swinging so you can move in one solid line.

How it should feelAt the start of the pull, you should feel the area under your armpits and along the outside of your back tighten first. As you rise, your shoulder blades should come together. On the way down, your lats should lengthen under control.

Signs you're offIf only the front of your arms burn or your shoulders climb toward your ears, you are using your arms and neck more than your lats. If your body swings a lot, you are using momentum instead of controlling the pull with your back.

Remember thisThink about pulling your elbows down to your sides and lifting your chest toward the bar, not just pulling with your arms.

Muscles used

• Latslarge side-back muscles running from the armpits toward the waist
• Bicepsfront of the upper arms
• Lower trapslower area between the shoulder blades
• Rectus abdoministhe front abs, commonly called the six-pack
• Mid trapsupper-middle area between the shoulder blades
• Rear deltsback of the shoulders, used to pull the arms behind you

Setting Up for Pull Up

Setup orderPlace a stable step directly under the pull-up bar if needed

• Step or box

  Set it like thisIf you cannot reach the bar without jumping, place a stable step or box directly under the pull-up bar.

  How to checkStanding on the step, make sure you can grab the bar with both hands without jumping.

Watch out forAvoid starting with the step too far forward or backward, or with a step that wobbles.

Stance for Pull Up

Foot widthGrip the bar a little wider than shoulder-width, with your palms facing forward.

Where your weight goesHold the bar evenly with both hands, and keep your body under the bar.

Upper body positionHang with your body directly under the bar.

Why it mattersIf your body drifts away from under the bar, your arms and shoulders may take over instead of your back.

How to Grip for Pull Up

Grip typeHold the pull-up bar with your palms facing forward.

Grip widthPlace your hands slightly wider than shoulder width, about half a palm wider on each side.

How hard to gripWrap your thumbs around the bar, and keep the backs of your hands in line with your forearms.

The Key Point for Pull Up

Lower your shoulders away from your ears, then pull your elbows down while raising your body.

Think of it like thisThe feeling of pressing the floor with your elbows

Before the fixOnly my arms and shoulders are tired, and my body is shaking.

After the fixThe sides of my back tighten, and I go up without my body shaking.