Your first pull-up is one of the most satisfying strength goals there is, and one of the most common. It's also one where many people get stuck, because a pull-up is all or nothing: if you can't lift yourself to the bar yet, "practising pull-ups" just means hanging there.

The way through is a progression: a handful of easier exercises that build the same strength step by step, until the real thing becomes possible. This guide gives you those steps, a twice-a-week plan and simple rules for when to move on.

Why pull-ups are hard (and worth it)

The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week that works all the major muscle groups, including the back, shoulders and arms, and exercises that use your body weight count.1 The pull-up trains a lot of muscle at once. In a study that recorded muscle activity during pull-ups and chin-ups, the latissimus dorsi (the broad "wing" muscles of the back) worked hardest, followed by the biceps, with the rotator cuff, lower trapezius, chest and even the trunk muscles all contributing.2

The hard part is that you lift your whole body weight, so what counts is strength relative to your size. In a University of Dayton study, college-age women followed a strength and aerobic training program. The women who could do a pull-up at the end were the ones with greater strength and a higher strength-to-body-mass ratio.3 The goal is the same for everyone: get your back and arms stronger relative to your body weight.

Pull-up or chin-up?

A pull-up uses an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), a chin-up an underhand grip (palms facing you). Both work the lats hard. In the muscle-activity study, the chin-up used more biceps and chest, while the pull-up used more of the lower trapezius in the upper back.2 Train whichever you prefer, or alternate them: the steps below build both.

The progression, step by step

Work through these in order. You don't have to master one step before starting the next, so most sessions combine two or three of them. Use a sturdy bar, and if it's a doorway bar, check that it's fitted the way the manufacturer says before you hang your full weight on it.

Step 1: Hang from the bar

Grip the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart and hang with straight arms, feet off the floor. Build up to 20–30 seconds. Grip is a common limit for beginners. In an 8-week study of inactive young men who all followed the same twice-weekly pull-up routine, the group that added forearm and grip work (wrist curls and farmer's walks) improved their pull-up reps the most.4

Step 2: Scapular pull-ups

From a hang, pull your shoulder blades down and slightly back without bending your elbows, so your body rises a few centimetres. Pause, then lower slowly. This rehearses the very start of the movement: in the muscle-activity study, pull-ups and chin-ups were started by the lower trapezius and chest and finished by the biceps and lats.2 Do 2 sets of 6–10.

Step 3: Inverted rows

Set a bar in a rack at about waist height (a Smith machine works too). Hang underneath it with your heels on the floor and your body straight from head to heels, then pull your chest to the bar while squeezing your shoulder blades together. The more upright your body, the easier it is. Aim for 3 sets of 8–12, the rep range the CDC suggests for strength work.1 See the inverted row demo.

Step 4: Negatives (slow lowering)

Use a box or step to get your chin above the bar, then lower yourself as slowly as you can, aiming for 3–5 seconds, until your arms are straight. Step back up and repeat. Do 3 sets of 3–5.

Negatives work because you can control more load on the way down than you can lift. A review of 20 randomised trials found that eccentric (lowering) training done at higher intensities increased strength more than concentric (lifting) training, and linked that advantage to the higher loads.5 The same review found the gains were fairly specific to the type of muscle action trained.5 That's why this plan pairs negatives with assisted reps, which train the pulling-up part too.

Step 5: Assisted pull-ups

Loop a resistance band around the bar and put one knee in it, or use an assisted pull-up machine. Pull until your chin clears the bar, then lower under control. Do 3 sets of 5–8, and switch to a lighter band (or less machine assistance) as you get stronger. Watch the band-assisted pull-up demo.

The 8-week study mentioned above used exactly these tools: assisted pull-ups, inverted rows, chin-ups and negatives, twice a week. Every group's maximum number of pull-ups improved.4

Step 6: Your first full rep

Test it every week or two at the start of a session, when you're fresh. Start from a full hang, pull until your chin clears the bar and lower under control, with no swinging or kicking. Once you get one, collect a few single reps in each session before chasing more. Compare your form with the pull-up demo.

Your twice-a-week plan

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends training 2–3 days a week as a beginner, and making an exercise harder once you can do one or two reps more than your target.6 Plan two sessions, two or three days apart, such as Monday and Thursday. Each one takes about 15–20 minutes, on its own or at the start of an upper-body workout:

  1. Hang: 3 × 20–30 seconds
  2. Scapular pull-ups: 2 × 6–10
  3. Inverted rows: 3 × 8–12
  4. Negatives: 3 × 3–5, lowering for 3–5 seconds
  5. Assisted pull-ups: 3 × 5–8

Rest 1–2 minutes between sets. If that's too much at first, start with the hang, rows and negatives, and add the other two after a couple of weeks.

When to move on:

  • Inverted rows: when you can do 3 sets of 12 with good form, lower the bar or walk your feet further forward.
  • Negatives: when every rep takes a full 5 seconds, add a rep, or pause for a second halfway down.
  • Assisted pull-ups: when you can do 3 sets of 8, use a lighter band.

How hard should each set be?

Hard, but clean. The CDC's advice for strength work is to keep going until it's hard to do another rep without help.1 You don't need to grind out ugly reps, though. In an 8-week pull-up training study of strength-trained men, those who ended each set once their reps had slowed by about a quarter improved more than those who kept going until their reps had slowed by half.7 A good rule: end the set when your reps slow down a lot or your form starts to break, such as kicking, swinging or stopping short of the bar.

How long will it take? That depends on where you start and on how strong you are relative to your body weight,3 so don't judge your progress by the calendar. Judge it by your numbers instead: longer hangs, more rows, slower negatives and lighter bands all mean you're getting closer.

Stay safe

  • If you have a chronic condition or safety concerns, talk to a healthcare professional before you start strength training.8
  • Warm up first with a few minutes of brisk walking or another light activity,8 then do a set of easy rows.
  • Rest at least one full day between sessions that train the same muscles.8
  • If an exercise causes pain, stop. Try an easier version, or come back to it in a few days.8 Shoulder or elbow pain that keeps coming back is worth getting checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.

How to start this week

  1. Find a bar: at a gym, in a park, or a doorway bar that's securely fitted.
  2. Schedule two sessions two or three days apart, and note your numbers in the first one: hang time, rows and negatives.
  3. Beat one number in the second session.
  4. Make it part of a full program. The 3-Day Full Body program has pull-ups in its Full Body B session. Until you can do full reps, use that slot for the progression, and repeat it on one of the other two days. Follow the program in the TrainSmart app, with an animated demo for every exercise.

Two short sessions a week, one step at a time, will keep you moving toward that first rep.