Pull-ups are hard, especially if you are a beginner! You’re lifting your full body weight, which means you're relying on the strength of your back, arms, shoulders, and core. For many people, even doing one pull-up can feel impossible.
However, with consistency, you’ll gradually build up the strength to crush it.
The key is consistency, and an effective strategy.
Here's everything you should know about pull-ups as a beginner, including how to start with pull-ups, how to get good at pull-ups and how to set your pull-up goals in a healthy and effective way.
How to Start Doing Pull-ups
1. Start with Resistance Bands for Assisted Pull Ups
Resistance bands can help you get good at pull-ups because they take some of the weight off, and you don’t have to lift your full bodyweight.
To do pull ups with resistance bands as a beginner, follow these tips:
- Loop one end of the band over the bar and place your food or knee in the lower end.
- Then do 3-4 reps to get used to the motion.
- Proceed slowly, increasing your number of reps as you get used to the motion.
- The thicker the band, the more assistance it gives. As you get stronger, you can use thinner bands or reduce the assistance.
If you are consistent, you should be able to do a good number of pull-ups without the band within weeks.
2. Focus On Negative Pull-ups
When you do negative pull-ups, the focus is on lowering your bodyweight (as opposed to lifting it), which is great for building strength.
- Start by jumping up to the top of the pull-up
- Then slowly lower yourself down over 3-5 seconds.
- You can step down and begin over again
Negative pull-ups help strengthen the muscles in the lats and biceps, which you can later use to do actual pull-ups.
3. Begin with Lat Pulldowns or Rows
You can start by using a power tower or a set of dumbbells to do lat pull downs or rows. Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 reps for lat pulldowns or dumbbell/barbell rows.
Here’s why lat pulldowns help you become good at doing pull ups:
- These machines and exercises mimic the pulling motion of a pull-up, strengthening your back and arms.
- As you get stronger, you'll be better prepared for unassisted pull-ups.
How to Get Really Good at Pull-Ups
To get good at pull-ups, start by focusing on proper form, then gradually get rid of the resistance bands, add some variety to your pull-ups and make sure you get enough rest. Follow these tips:
1. Focus on Form
- Keep your body straight, avoid swinging and make sure your chin goes over the pull-up bar each time.
- Engaging your core while doing pull-ups keeps your body stable.
2. Gradually Reduce Resistance
For a beginner, assistance from resistance bands is absolutely necessary. However, as you get stronger:
- use the resistance bands less frequently, or use a lighter band.
- Over time, this will help you build up to doing pull-ups with your body weight.
3. Add Variety
- To get good at pull-ups, try different grips to target different parts of your back and shoulders. You can try a wide grip, close grip or a neutral grip.
- You can also incorporate exercises like dumbbell rows, reverse flyes, or face pulls to target your upper back and shoulders, which are all involved in pull-ups.
4. Have Enough Rest
- Aim for 2-3 pull-up sessions per week.
- Giving yourself a break allows your muscles enough time to recover between sessions, making each session better than the last.
- On rest days, focus on other kinds of exercises that target your back, shoulders, and core.
These tips will help you get good at pull ups, increase your reps and build your upper body muscles in no time!
Should You Do Pull-ups Every Day?
Short answer: No. You should do pull-ups regularly, but not every day. Your muscles need time to recover and grow, and training pull-ups every day can lead to overtraining or injury.
- Aim for 2-3 times a week, with at least a day of rest between sessions.
- As a beginner, practice pull-ups 2-3 times a week, and focus on doing 3-4 sets of assisted pull-ups or negatives.
- On other days, do other kinds of exercises to strengthen your back and arms. Try rows, lat pulldowns, or dumbbell exercises.
- On rest days, allow your muscles time to recover so you can get stronger with each session.
How Many Pull-ups Is Good For You?
The number of pull-ups you should be able to do depends on your fitness level and body type.
- If you are of an average level of fitness, any number of push-ups between 3-5 is good.
- The average man is able to do around 1-5 pull-ups, while men with a solid training background can hit 5-10 or more.
- The average woman can do 1-3 once they've built up strength. Most women, especially beginners, may struggle to do a single unassisted pull-up.
- With consistent training, both men and women can aim for 10-15+ pull-ups in a row as they progress.
Setting Pull-up Targets: How to Set Realistic Goals
The most important factor when setting up your pull-up target is your personal fitness level. Set small, achievable milestones as you progress.
- As a beginner, start by setting a pull-up target of about 1-3 unassisted pulls. As you progress, you can increase your target.
- If you are an intermediate level of fitness, work towards 5-10 unassisted pull-ups.
- If your level of fitness is advanced, aim for 10-15+ pull-ups with proper form.
- If you’re an athlete or experienced, push yourself to do 20+ pull-ups.
Use a Pull-Up Station
A pull-up and dip station is specially designed to help you get better at pull-ups. It provides a consistent pull-up setup, it offers various grip options to target different muscle groups in your shoulders, back and arms.
Here is how a pull up and dip station can help you as a beginner:
- It comes with resistance bands for assisted pull-ups, which are especially important for a beginner.
- Using a pull-up station helps you maintain proper form and prevent swinging.
- With a pull-up station, it is easier to create a regular routine and be consistent.
Get the Best Pull Up Station For Your Home
This pull up station from Zelus Fitness does everything a power tower does, and more. It is basically four different gym equipment merged into one.
Like most power towers, it comes with specific features designed to help you get good at pull-ups, but what sets the Zelus model apart is the number of additional features that enable you to perform a variety of exercises to target other muscle groups.
Here are the four gym equipment incorporated into this all-in-one pull up station:
- A pull and dip bar at the top.
- A captain's chair in the middle
- A workout bench at the lower End
- Push-up bars at the bottom
It is space efficient and you can easily set it up at home, safe and sturdy to use, the grips and pads are comfortable and firm. It is also really affordable.
More From Zelus
Zelus provides a variety of workout equipment for your home gym, including vibration plates, weighted vests, balance balls and more.
Our equipment is made of top quality reliable materials, and our products are trusted by millions of athletes, experts and everyday sports enthusiasts around the world.
You can find Zelus guides on how to use your power tower, and other important tips on how to buy your workout equipment.
Common FAQs About Pull Ups!
1. Pull-ups vs. Chin-ups: Which One’s Harder?
To most people, chin-ups are harder than pull-ups. Chin ups are done with palms facing you, while pull-ups are done with palms facing away from you. Chin-ups are easier than pull-ups for most people because:
- The supinated (underhand) grip helps you pull yourself up more easily, especially if you have stronger biceps.
- Pull-ups are more challenging because they primarily engage your back muscles (lats, traps) and require greater back strength.
- They also tend to be harder because you don't get as much help from your biceps.
Can You Get Good at Pull-ups Using Weighted Vests?
Once you can do 8-10 pull-ups, using a weighted vest is a great way to add more challenge and push your strength even further. Adding weight helps you increase both power and endurance.
Here are 2 Weighted Vests from Zelus to level up your pull ups