How to Do a Pull Up When You Can't Do One

This is an article for those who cannot do even one pull up. Here is a simple routine that anyone can do to get to your first real pull up.

Pull ups are a universal sign of strength and it can be frustrating for the many who cannot perform even one. If you need to do pull ups for a physical test or just want to do them for yourself here is a program that will get you on your way towards your first real pull up.

Many argue over the difference between pull ups and chin ups but for the sake of this article we will call a pull up hands facing away at a little wider than shoulder width and from full lock out to chin above hands. I say chin above hands instead of chin over the bar because some bars slope down at the ends or don't even have a middle part.

The first thing you will need to do is find out a way to do assisted pull ups. There are many ways to do assisted pull ups. If you go to a gym there will no doubt be a lat pull down machine, but even better would be an assist pull up/dip machine. This machine will have a pull up bar and a platform you stand or knee on with adjustable counter weights to make the lift easier.

Another great way to do assist pull ups is with a strength band. Strength bands come in many "weights" and can give help from 5 pounds all the way up to 200 pounds. If you work out at home or don't have an assist pull up machine simply purchase a couple of these bands. You will want one at a light weight and one at a medium weight so that you can combine them to start, then use the medium one and finally just use the light one before performing pull ups solo.

Once you have your assist simply follow this routine for 8 weeks. If at the end of the 8 weeks you aren't strong enough to do a full pull up yet that's okay, simply continue on until you complete your first pull up. Once you get the first one, more pull ups will come easier.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

5 sets of pull ups in 10,8,6,4,2. This means at each set raise the weight so that the number of reps is difficult but doable. The first set should be ten reps, the next set should be eight reps and so on.

5 sets of negatives. To do this, use a chair or someone lifting you up to get chin above hands, then let yourself back down to a lockout as slowly as possible.

Every week try to use less and less assistance. If that isn't possible, try to get 1 or 2 more reps on that level of assistance than you did the week before. You will find each week that you are able to progress in some way or another. You assistance will go down, your reps will go up, or your negatives will get slower. When you are able to do the 2 reps with little assistance you should be ready to do your first real pull up.