Pull Ups

How to do it

1. Reach up and grip a fixed pull-up bar with palms facing forward, hands slightly wider than shoulders.
2. Hang from the bar with arms fully extended, then engage the lats by pulling the shoulder blades down.
3. Brace your core, squeeze the glutes, and cross the ankles to keep the body in a tight line.
4. Pull yourself up by driving the elbows down toward the ribs until your chin clears the bar.
5. Pause briefly at the top with the chin over the bar, squeezing the lats and upper back.
6. Lower yourself slowly over 2 to 3 seconds back to a full dead hang before the next rep.

Common mistakes

• Kipping the legs to swing up instead of pulling cleanly with the back and arms.
• Cutting the bottom range short and never reaching a full dead hang, which trains a fraction of the lift.
• Leading with the chin instead of the chest, which puts strain on the neck.
• Dropping fast at the top and skipping the slow descent, where most pull-up strength is built.