Strength Training- Mastering Pull-Ups
If you have ever wanted to learn or struggled to do pull-ups (let alone one pull-up), understanding how to best go about mastering one can lead you down a rabbit hole with conflicting advice and opinions.
The reality is that most people don’t just learn to do a pull-up overnight unless they have an extensive background in athletic endeavors and/or lots of calisthenic-type and resistance-type training. Even so, the smooth and well controlled pull-up can still take a while to master.
Back when I used to coach CrossFit, I watched many people go right for learning and practicing what are known as “kipping pull-ups” before ever mastering strict controlled ones. This was also an area where I tended to also then see the most complaints around angry shoulders. Granted it was not the fault of the kipping pull-up itself (as they can be great depending on your background and goals). More so, this was an indicator that the requisite strength, body control, and in some circumstances strength-to-weight ratio not being present. Fast forward to today, and I still see a lot of impatience and also misguided ideas about how best to develop pull-ups. Case in point is the over-prescription of banded pull-ups in the absence of other exercises aimed at shoring up strength and endurance in the muscles required to do a clean pull-up. There is not a more sure fire way toward pull-up frustration than giving someone a slow progression of banded pull-ups to do in a vacuum with the expectation that one day they will just get a pull-up. It’s not that it won’t work, but there are many other better options and exercises that can be done instead and concurrently to reach that same goal of pull-up mastery.
This video blog, though short, emphasizes the use of a banded pull-up but will other more controlled variants like a feet supported ring or TRX pull-up. Having more control rather than flailing on a bar to worm your way up also allows you to really connect with some big pulling muscles like the latissimus dorsi. Even better is incorporating other pulling exercises to better still isolate those same muscles and others that assist. Body control is still unique in a pull-up and requires far more than just lats, but using machines like a Lat Pulldown along with various forms of rows with weights or calisthenic variants is a sure ire way to get your pull-up(s) and master them.
Give the short video a watch to see the different types of TRX and ring pull-up set-ups as well as Lat Pulldown use and form with another favorite being the dumbbell bench row. Arguably, many and any other vertical and horizontal pulling exercises could be used if they help you, A) get stronger and more coordinated, and B) mimic what you’ll need to do a pull-up. If you are a heavier human with less strength than you can use to move your bodyweight this will be a factor as well, but this is another hurdle that can be overcome with getting stronger and/or changing body composition a bit.
If you missed our last fun exercise video on strong supple shoulders, check it out here.
Do You Want to Learn Pull-Ups?
Aside from the tips mentioned above, another key factor here is consistency and patience. Again, unless you have the background, pull-ups don’t tend to happen in a month. It also takes enough practice weekly. This tends to look like at least 1-2 minimum sessions that really work at strength development around key pulling muscles and others that work in concert. Asking your body to pull almost the entirety of your weight above a bar is not a light move.
While we can’t every guarantee that getting strong is all that it takes, there is next to no reason why getting very strong (and at least commensurately for your bodyweight) will not help you pull yourself up on a bar or set of rings. Devising a plan that fits in with your schedule and exercise routine to make sure you are getting a minimal effective dose to progress along is also key. This is different for different individuals.
In this video, we focus on only a few ways we work with clients to get stronger pulling and pull-ups. Check it out and let us know if you have any questions.
Quick Breakdown:
In Order-
Smooth pull-ups are the goal, not ones where you flail up the bar or rings
Banded Pull-ups can help- but they are not the primary solution and have limitations when used alone to get stronger due in part to the inability to sometimes connect with the prime muscles needed to develop
Other versions with feet stable on floor can help and sometimes better- these can provide more stability at the beginning and ability to also load portions of your bodyweight to progress
Use machines and other pulling exercises - better target and develop key muscles and control for the pull-up and can be done concurrently with pull-up specific calisthenic exercises
Be Patient! They will come…
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More workouts to come. Catch you next week…