30-Day Pull-Up Progression Plan

A pull-up is an upper body strength training exercise, that for some reason, many think is performed with just your arms. Well, surprise…pull-ups require a combination of muscle groups, including your back and shoulder muscles, your core, your grip, and your arms. So if doing a pull-up is on your bucket list, here are a few training suggestions.

MAKE YOUR “PULL” EXERCISES A PRIORITY
To achieve a pull-up, your back muscles need to be strengthened. So strength-training the Latissimus dorsi (largest upper back muscle that runs from the mid-back to under the armpit and shoulder blade, the Trapezius (located from your neck out to both shoulders), the Thoracic erector spinae (the three muscles that run along your thoracic spine), and the Infraspinatus (assists with shoulder extension and is located on the shoulder blade) with a series of levels. And if you want to do a pull-up in 30 days, exercises need to be done 3 days per week.

  • LEVEL 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

  • Start with a manageable weight. As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell. Once you can lift a 25-pound dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

  • LEVEL 2: Inverted Bodyweight Rows
    Body weight rows on the Smith Machine are great. Start with the bar at a position where it is difficult but not too hard to do 3 sets of 8 reps (with two minutes of rest between sets). After this is mastered, set the bar height lower to make the exercise more difficult. As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows easily where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to Level 3.

  • LEVEL 3: Assisted Pull-ups
    Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy. Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms. Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle –if you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger. As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on to Level 4.

  • LEVEL 4: Top Holds and Bar Hangs
    A Top Hold is exactly what it sounds like – hold the top position of the pull-up for 5-10 seconds. You’ll likely want to start out doing this with assistance. You’ll then work to transfer more weight – bit by bit over several workouts – off your feet and onto your arms until you’re holding yourself unassisted at the top. To strengthen your grip, Bar Hangs are recommended. When you’re able to perform the Top Holds and Bar Hangs unassisted, then it’s time to move to the next level!

  • LEVEL 5: Negative Pull-ups
    Grab onto the bar with an overhand grip. Jump so your chest is touching. Slowly lower yourself under control until you’re at the bottom of the movement. Once you’re doing all of the negative repetitions in each exercise…you’re ready to do a pull-up.

  • LEVEL 6: Doing Your First Pull-up
    Grab the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your hands facing away from you. Start from a dead hang. Engage your shoulders, pull them down and back towards each other (like you are pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades!). Flex your stomach, pull your body until your chest touches the bar. Slight pause, yell out “I’m a champion!” Lower yourself all the way back down to a dead hang. The goal? Just one! Do one every other day for a week, after which, try to do two. The more you practice, the more you’ll be able to do.

    STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE
    This is the “hidden level.”     If you haven’t already felt it during the previous pull-up workouts – your middle needs to be involved, too! During a pull-up, if we squeeze through the midsection and glutes, the nearby muscles are able to contract stronger through a phenomenon known as muscle irradiation. This cool “trick” can help engaged nearby muscles in the midsection, including those big back muscles that pull us up! So throw in some planks, sit-ups, or whatever your favorite midsection stabilization exercise is.

Follow the path that works for your schedule, your experience, and your level of comfort with this movement – there’s no shame in going slowly and progressing safely. And is you need help with any level or any exercise, the personal trainers at Success Studio are here to help. We can guide you through the levels, modify them for each individual, show you how to do the exercises safely, and overall, be your cheerleaders, because we know you can do it. For as complimentary assessment, click the button below. And if you can already do a pull-up, how many can you do? Let us know in the comments below.


Allison MussComment