Pull-Up

STRENGTHINTERMEDIATEBodyweightForce: PullType: Compound

Preparation: setup of the pull-up

1
Grip a pull-up bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2
Hang with your arms fully extended, shoulders engaged, and feet off the ground.
3
Pull your body upward by driving your elbows down and back until your chin clears the bar.
4
Squeeze your lats at the top of the movement and hold briefly.
5
Lower yourself slowly back to the dead-hang starting position with full arm extension.
6
Avoid kipping, swinging, or using momentum to complete the rep.

Level	Sets & Reps	Goal Focus
Beginner	3 sets of 3-5 reps or assisted	Form mastery, neural adaptation
Intermediate	4 sets of 6-10 reps	Hypertrophy, moderate loading
Advanced	4 sets of 10-15 reps or weighted	Strength, high intensity/volume

Lats

Middle backBicepsForearms

The gold standard bodyweight exercise for building lat width and upper-back strength
Develops grip strength, forearm endurance, and core stability simultaneously
Highly functional movement that translates to real-world pulling tasks

Not achieving full range of motion by stopping before the chin clears the bar or not fully extending at the bottom
Using excessive kipping or body swing to cheat reps, reducing muscle engagement
Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears instead of keeping them depressed and packed

Start each rep from a dead hang with shoulders actively engaged (not passively hanging)
If you cannot do a full pull-up, use band-assisted or negative pull-ups to build strength
Add weight with a dip belt once you can complete 12 or more strict reps