Let’s be honest. Pull ups are kind of a nightmare when you’re starting from zero. You jump up, grab the bar, squeeze until your knuckles turn white, and… nothing. You don't move an inch. It feels like your arms are made of lead and the bar is judging you.
Most people think the secret to how to train to do pull ups is just "trying harder" every Monday. They go to the gym, struggle through three sets of hanging there like a wet noodle, and then give up because their elbows hurt. That’s a recipe for tendonitis, not progress. If you want to actually get your chin over that bar, you have to stop treating it like a bicep exercise and start treating it like a full-body coordination puzzle.
The reality is that a pull up is a "closed kinetic chain" movement. Your hands are fixed, and your body moves through space. This is fundamentally different from a lat pulldown where you sit still and move a weight. Because of this, your nervous system has to learn how to recruit your lats, your core, and even your glutes all at once.
Why Your Lat Pulldowns Aren't Working
I see it every day. Someone spends six months doing heavy lat pulldowns and still can’t do a single pull up. Why? Because the pulldown machine stabilizes you. You’re strapped in under those foam pads. Your core can go to sleep. When you transition to the bar, your body has no idea how to stop swinging, so it leaks energy everywhere.
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To truly master how to train to do pull ups, you have to bridge the gap between "pulling weight" and "moving your body."
This starts with the "hollow body" position. If you watch an Olympic gymnast, they aren't arched like a banana when they pull. They are slightly curved forward, ribs tucked down, legs squeezed together. This tension turns your body into a single, solid lever. Without that tension, you’re trying to pull a limp rope. It’s significantly harder.
The Scapular Pull: The Missing Link
Before you ever try to bend your elbows, you need to master the scapular pull.
Most beginners have "sleepy" serratus and lower trap muscles. They try to pull with their neck and their biceps. Hang from the bar with straight arms. Now, without bending your elbows, try to pull your shoulder blades down and back. Your body should rise just a couple of inches. That’s it.
If you can't do 10 of these with control, you have no business trying a full rep yet. You’re just begging for an impingement. Dr. Kelly Starrett, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, often talks about "setting the shore" before you move. The scapular pull is how you set the shore for your shoulders.
The Best Ways to Scale the Movement
Stop using the assisted pull up machine with the big platform. Seriously. It’s better than nothing, but it’s a crutch that teaches you to be lazy. It does all the stabilizing for you.
Instead, grab some heavy-duty resistance bands. Loop one over the bar and put your foot (or knee) in it. This is superior because the band provides the most help at the bottom—the hardest part—and less help at the top. It forces you to actually finish the movement yourself.
Negatives are your best friend. Jump or use a box to get your chin over the bar. Hold it for a second. Now, lower yourself as slowly as humanly possible. I’m talking a 5 to 10-second descent. This "eccentric" loading builds strength much faster than the "concentric" (upward) phase. Research in the Journal of Applied Physiology has shown that eccentric training can trigger more hypertrophy and neural adaptation because you can handle more load than you can actually lift.
- Phase One: Scapular hangs and dead hangs (aim for 30 seconds).
- Phase Two: Slow negatives (3 sets of 5 reps).
- Phase Three: Banded pull ups with the thinnest band possible.
- Phase Four: The first real rep.
Don't rush it. Your tendons take way longer to adapt than your muscles do. If your elbows start feeling "crunchy," back off for a week.
The Role of Grip Strength and Body Composition
We need to address the elephant in the room: gravity.
Pull ups are a strength-to-weight ratio exercise. If you gain 10 pounds of fat, your pull up strength just "decreased," even if your muscles stayed the same. This doesn't mean you have to be paper-thin, but it does mean that weight management plays a massive role in how to train to do pull ups.
Also, your brain won't let you pull if it thinks your hands are going to fail. If your grip is weak, your nervous system will literally inhibit your back muscles from firing at 100%. It’s a safety mechanism. Spend time hanging from the bar. Buy a fat grip or just wrap a towel around the bar to make it thicker. Strengthening your forearms will magically make the bar feel lighter.
Common Mistakes That Kill Progress
Kipping is fine for CrossFit, but it’s not a pull up. If you're swinging your legs like a fish out of water to get your chin up, you aren't building the raw strength you need. You're using momentum to bypass the difficult parts of the lift. Keep your legs still. Cross your ankles or keep them straight, but don't kick.
Another big one? Not going all the way down. Half-reps are ego-lifters' favorites. If your arms aren't fully extended at the bottom, you’re missing out on the most beneficial part of the stretch for your lats.
Building a Routine That Actually Works
You don't need to train pull ups every day. In fact, that’s a great way to get "golfer's elbow." Two or three times a week is plenty.
Frequency beats intensity here. It’s better to do 5 perfect negatives three times a week than to do 50 terrible ones on a Saturday and be too sore to move until Wednesday. This is known as "Greasing the Groove," a concept popularized by strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline. The idea is to perform the movement frequently but never to total failure. You’re training your brain to move your body efficiently.
Incorporate rows. Inverted rows (using a low bar or TRX straps) are the best horizontal pulling exercise to complement your vertical pulling. They target the rhomboids and mid-traps, which help stabilize the scapula during the pull up. Think of it as building the foundation for the house.
Tactical Next Steps for Your First Rep
To move from "zero" to "one," follow this specific protocol for the next four weeks:
- Monday: 3 sets of Scapular Pulls (10 reps) followed by 5 sets of 3-second Negatives.
- Wednesday: Inverted Rows (3 sets of 8-12 reps) and 30-second Dead Hangs.
- Friday: Banded Pull ups (3 sets of as many as possible) and 5 sets of 5-second Negatives.
Focus on "driving your elbows into your back pockets." This cue helps engage the lats rather than relying on the biceps. If you feel the burn in the sides of your back, you're doing it right. If you only feel it in your arms, you're still "rowing" the bar instead of pulling your body to it.
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Once you hit that first rep, don't stop. The jump from 1 to 5 happens much faster than the jump from 0 to 1. Keep the volume high and the form strict. Your back will thank you, and honestly, there is no better feeling in the gym than finally conquering the bar.
Actionable Checklist:
- Test your dead hang: If you can’t hang for 30 seconds, start there.
- Buy a set of resistance bands: Use them for high-volume practice without burnout.
- Film yourself: You probably think you're straight, but you're likely "banana-ing." Tuck those ribs.
- Consistency over ego: Do the negatives even if they feel "easy." They are building the neural pathways you need.