One of the questions we get frequently at SGPT is about how to do better at pull-ups.
I am just like you—I need to work on my pull-ups and improve. Even though I try to keep my body still in the dead hang—I have a slight kip when I get tired.
I know and am working to improve that.
TIP #1: TEST YOUR CURRENT LEVEL
Get on the pull-up bar and test to see how many pull-ups you can do.
If you can’t do a pull-up, then do Australian pull-ups or ring rows.
Print out this page and put your pull-up number here______X_______
The goal is to improve our pull-ups over the next few wee
Check out the video below of my baseline test for pull-ups to see how I did.
Train like a Navy SEAL and learn to improve YOUR pull-ups
TIP #2: USE A VARIETY OF PULL-UPS
Don’t limit yourself to regular pull-ups.
Use chin-ups, Australian pull-ups, mountain climber pull-ups, narrow grip, etc.
The more you use a variety of pull-ups the more you’re going to get better at regular ones.
You have to work your muscles differently otherwise you’ll plateau and limit improvement.
TIP #3: WORK ON YOUR GRIP STRENGTH
Train your weakest link by training your grip.
How many athletes have you heard say that they could do more pull-ups but their hands gave out?
You can have a strong back and shoulders but if your grip is weak you’ll fail at pull-ups fast.
A good cardio pull-up workout we like to do is the CrossFit workout “Nicole”:
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
- Run 400 meters
- Max rep pull-ups
- Note rounds and reps in comments below
Check out the CFF Wall/Ceiling Mounted Pull-Up Bar @ Amazon.com
TIP #4: LOSE A FEW POUNDS IF NEEDED
This is a no-brainer. If you’re carrying around 20 extra (unneeded) pounds then that is like wearing a weight vest.
Drop the extra weight by increasing your cardio and eating clean fuel (paleo diet). Being lean and mean can have advantages.
Eventually you can add on weight to your pull-ups but in the beginning stay basic then work up to adding weight.
TIP #5: CREATE A WORKOUT ROUTINE YOU DO A FEW TIMES EACH WEEK TO IMPROVE
Like the suggestion above—do a variety of pull-up workouts each week.
If you want improvement you have to practice.
You won’t see improvement in your pull-ups if you only work on them once in awhile.
Another pull-up workout we like is the workout “Cindy”.
Check out Fat Gripz – The Ultimate Grip Builder @ Amazon.com
TIP #6: IF YOU CAN’T DO PULL-UPS, DO NEGATIVES
Work your way up to doing basic pull-ups by going in reverse.
Pull yourself up on to the bar with your chin over the bar.
Slowly lower yourself down.
When you first start you may drop quickly but try to create resistance by activating your upper back muscles.
Build up to where it takes you 5 long seconds or more to lower down.
TIP #7: DO ASSISTED PULL-UPS
This is a good method to work as a team and help you get your pull-ups.
Don’t use the weight machine you see at the gym. That adds too much assistance. You need to get used to working with your own bodyweight.
Start with a thicker band to learn how it works and slowly work down to a skinnier band.
TIP #8: MIX UP THE REP COUNT
This keeps you working harder and your muscles guessing. This creates improvement.
Try to do 50 pull-ups for time.
Add weight and do sets of 3 to 5 reps to build strength.
Confuse the muscles by mixing it up.
Or try a ladder or pyramid workout. Ladder is where you keep adding on one rep (1-2-3-4) each set and stop. Pyramid is a workout where you count up then back down with reps each set (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1).
Here is a workout we like to do:
21-15-9 reps
Pull-ups
burpees
TIP #9: USE A THICK BAR
This will help strengthen the hands and forearms.
This is also a great way to work out grip strength.
You can wrap a towel around a bar—or make a bar with PVC pipe (double it for strength).
You can place a thick device like the Fat Gripz
TIP #10: VARY YOUR WORKOUTS AND HOW YOU USE YOUR HANDS
Try something different like a Spartan Race where you have to climb over walls and up a rope.
If you have the ability—go climb outside on boulders or walls (Parkour) or an indoor climbing gym.
Find a way to make your fingers work more. They are a huge factor in grip strength.
This will give you variety and let you test your skills on real world actions.
See How a Navy SEAL trained to kick @ss at Pull-Ups
Test your pull-up progress monthly and see how you do.
Insert your score here________
BONUS TIP #1: READ AND WATCH VIDEOS
Check out the SGPT interview with Lee Wade Turner—one of the Bar-Barians.
BONUS TIP #2: MAKE SURE YOU’RE ALLOWING FOR RECOVERY
After a hard workout like Murph, you should take a day of rest.
Foam roll your muscles, stretch them and do some yoga. In order to be a long term athlete—if you’re rocking workouts in your 40s and 50’s–you need to take care of your body and stretch.
Pay good attention to your wrists and forearms. If you get tendonitis, use the tips below.
Check out The Original Mobility Recovery Bands | Voodoo Compression Muscle Floss Bands
Answer: You get what you pay for with weighted vest. You could spend $40 and the vest will tear after a few uses. Or you could spend $100 or so and get a great vest like a MIR weighted vest
Question: What is a good tip to improve on chin ups?
Answer: Similar to the tips above on pull-ups – use the chin up movement and do the workouts above.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brad McLeod is married with two kids and an all around average family guy. His SGPT audios have been downloaded in 27 countries around the world.
He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and despite training all the wrong ways – made it to Navy SEAL training in Coronado, California.
He flunked out of Navy SEAL BUD/S training after making it over half way through (6 months of grueling training).
After a year in the Fleet Navy on a ship he came back to graduate and serve on SEAL Team Four.
His story is simple – Don’t Ever Quit on your Dream! Put one foot in front of the other and fall forward.
Proceeds from this website go to help raise funds for the Navy SEAL Foundation on CrowdRise.
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These were great tips, I use a lot of them! A big thing that help me get to 30 reps is doing a variety of different pull ups.
One of my favorite SGPT articles.
Love these tips….I want to do a real pull up by the end of the year!!
Thank you for the tips. Today I did slow pullups where you slowly go up hold it then come down, it requires a lot of mental strength I think to stay up there holding it!
Very good information as always from Brad.
I will use these tips to get back in shape and manage doing pull ups again.I have a goal of being able to do 10 by 1st of september.
Know you guys know and can hold me accountable!LOL
Have a nice day,and greetings from Norway.
PS!I don’t have a Facebook account,but I still LIKE your article,Coach!
New to the SGPT family however, already incorporated MURPH and BENIOT to the regime, the pull-up article helps tremendously with multi-set pull-up routines.
I’ve used the massage and Epsom salt overnight soak a few times, and I can tell it’s making a difference. I found olive oil with some tea tree oil mixed in worked better for me than just plain lotion.
Then, instead of a washcloth, I wrapped the gauze with two old Ace bandages I didn’t care about getting crusty with the salt, and that kept things dry. This video was a great find, as I’ve been working on healing some major, major elbow tendonitis since Labor Day Weekend 2012!
Another thing to try is start with a comfortable number like 10 or whatever you can do relatively easy. Do that number 5 times a day 6 days a week and add 1 to that number every week always doing it 5 times a day 6 days a week.
Good ideas here ill incorporate into regiment ASAP. Worked from barely any strict to about 15 strict at a time and in Crossfit World 30-31 using a kip.
I am more of a cardio guy so strength isn’t my strong suit but I feel confident in these tips and tricks. I am at 5 at a time and I want to get that up to 25 in the next 60 days
That is a good start –
Email any time for more pull up tips and we will help you improve
Coach, I am at my wits end on pull-ups. I’m 240 and pull-ups are my definite weak spot!! It’s to the point I really don’t want to do any workouts with pull-ups. When my max is 1-3, doing 100 pullups in an Angie really slows the workout to a halt. I just can’t make any gains. 1-3 is where I’m at. I worked at hard at my pullups and was able to get up to 6 at 220 lbs over summer, but that is not good progress when 20 is the expectation; I also attribute the gain to my weight loss.
I do negatives, ring rows, use bands… What am I missing?
Good to hear from you Brett.
I would adjust diet and increase cardio and try to drop weight. This will make it substantially easier after you drop 20 to 30 lbs.
Let me know how else I can help you
I am very out of shape,I did four.I need to drop some weight , so I can improve doing my workouts. I will keep trying to do pull ups and sit ups . pat
Great to hear from you Pat
Email me and I will send you a free audio
Definitely helped me better understand pull ups
Thanks Jessie.
Great tips and articles, this was very helpful.
Great tips. Pull ups are my favorite exercise and this will help me improve on them even more
This is a great article! I have been using some of these tips to help improve my pullup skills. I can’t stress enough how important tip 4 is. No matter how strong your back is carrying around too much excess weight will always hold back your pullup progress.
Glad you like Jason
email me brad “at” sealgrinderpt.com and I will send you a free motivational audio
Hey brad I am 13 years old and I want to become a Navy SEAL officer when I’m older I wrestle and weight lift right now what else do you think I should be doing to help me prepare for BUD/S and being a SEAL
Scotty:
Wrestling and cross country running are two great sports to help you.
Stay in touch and let us know how you do.
Hey brad its Scotty again and I have a good log for log pt but nobody to do log ot with me I tried to do it with my friend who also wanted to be a Navy SEAL but quit because he didn’t want to have to leave some girl at school so what kind of workout can I do by myself on a log and is there anything I can do to stop cramps when I run because almost everytime I run I get bad cramps and I’ve tried the breathing thing and I tried drinking water water Ecspessally didn’t work it just made me cramp faster so do you no anything else that may work thanks.
Scotty:
make a sand bag and use that as your log. Check out our recent sand bag workout article from last week.
CHeck out our endurance event tips to help you with fuel/drink intake to help alleviate cramping.
post up if you can’t find the articles – but use the search tab in upper right and you will find them.
Coach Brad great stuff, those tips will be implemented
Great info. I really appreciate it and will put the tips to work.
New to SGPT as well, question I had was during the different workout routines have you ever switched grips to incorporate more biceps and inner back muscles? Possibly looking to increase strength in back all around. The information on this site is phenomenal and motivates me to take my fitness to the next level. Brad you are an awesome coach and I appreciate all your guidance.
Yes; definitely use different pull up positions like palms in, close grips, mtn climber and australian pull-ups.
Great advice Brad, love it. Mixing it up, giving so many options, to get strong and stay that way. We all are fighting against FATHER TIME. If you no one has told you today, let me be the 1st. Thank You Brad for your insight and your positive attitude, thanks for sharing
These are going to help me so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time. I am anxious to getting started
Hi Brad. I really want to do a combat job when I am eligible to join. I am female, 5ft 9in, and weight 150. However, I still can’t do a pull up and when I take the APFT I score about 200/300. I enlist in about 6 months. Is there any hope for me? Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Good to hear from you G and thanks for signing up to serve your country.
Can you do a jumping pull up? Or can you jump up on to the bar with your chin over it and slowly lower yourself down (negative pull up).
Try both of those and chart your progress. You should be able to do your first pull up soon if you start there.