A pull-up is the one lift people apologise for not being able to do. Nobody should: most adults have never trained the movement, and the ones who try usually try by jumping on the bar and hoping. This is how it is built, the way I coach it in the gym.
Section
Why it is hard
You are lifting your whole bodyweight with two of the smaller muscle groups in the body, and the first few inches from a dead hang are the weakest part of the range. So two things move the timeline more than anything else: getting stronger at the bottom of the pull, and, if there is weight to lose, losing some of it. Every kilo off is a kilo less to lift.
The three exercises
- Rows. Strap rows, dumbbell rows, barbell rows. Three sets of eight to twelve, twice a week, weight going up. This is where most of the strength comes from. Strap rows are the beginner version.
- Negatives. Step or jump to the top of the bar, chin over, and lower yourself as slowly as you can. Three to five reps, aiming for a five-second lower. The single most useful pull-up exercise there is.
- Dead hangs. Just hang. Twenty to forty seconds, a few times a session. Grip, shoulders and the bottom position all get stronger, and it is the bit people skip.
The progression
- Weeks one to four: rows and hangs, twice a week. Negatives once you can hang for thirty seconds.
- Weeks five to eight: rows heavier, negatives slower, and the first band-assisted pull-ups: a thick band under the feet takes a chunk of your weight. Three sets of five.
- Weeks nine to sixteen: thinner bands, then the first unassisted rep. Most people get it somewhere in this window; some earlier, some later. Nobody gets it by doing lat pulldowns alone.
How long it takes
An adult starting from zero, training the movement twice a week and eating enough protein: eight to sixteen weeks for the first clean rep. Longer if there is a lot of weight to lose first, and that is fine; the fat loss and the pull-up are the same plan. Chin-ups, palms facing you, usually come a few weeks before pull-ups. Take the chin-up; it counts.
In the gym
The rig has bars at three heights and a full set of bands. The Sanctuary Strength class covers the rows every week, and if a pull-up is your goal I write the negatives and hangs into your one-to-one programme or your 8-Week Package plan. Tell me at the consult and the first rep goes on the wall when it happens.