Pull up form guide

The 3 most common mistakes

• 01

  Stopping the bottom rep at bent arms.

  Never reaching a full hang means you skip the hardest part of the rep. Hang fully, then pull.

• 02

  Kipping or swinging without meaning to.

  Body weight swung up isn't pulled up. Strict pull ups grow the muscles; kipping is a different exercise.

• 03

  Shoulders rolling forward at the top.

  If you finish hunched with shoulders rounded, you've shortened the lift and stressed the joint.

The 3 cues that fix most of them

• 01

  Pull your elbows down to your back pockets.

  Don't think about pulling your chin up. Think about driving your elbows down. The bar will do the rest.

• 02

  Pack your shoulders before you move.

  From the hang, pull your shoulder blades down and back first. This is the start of the rep.

• 03

  Drive your chest toward the bar.

  Pull your upper chest to the bar, not your chin. Keeps the shoulders in a strong position at the top.

Step by step setup

1. 01Step or jump to reach the bar. Use a box or low rack if needed.
2. 02Grip just outside shoulder-width with palms facing forward (overhand grip).
3. 03Hang fully — arms straight, but with shoulder blades engaged, not loose.
4. 04Take a big breath and brace your core.
5. 05Pull your shoulder blades down and back to start the rep.
6. 06Drive elbows down and back, pulling your chest toward the bar.
7. 07Top out with chin clear of the bar (or upper chest touching). Lower with control to a full hang.

Muscles worked

Primary

Lats, Biceps

Secondary

Rear delts, Mid-traps, Rhomboids, Forearms, Core

Beginner tips

• Build to your first pull up with lat pulldowns and slow negatives (jump to the top, lower for 3–5 seconds).
• Banded pull ups are fine — loop a resistance band around the bar and your foot or knee.
• Train them often. Frequency matters more than max load for getting better at a skill-based lift.