Buzz
If conquering a single pull-up (or more) is one of your ambitions, you're in luck. Follow this game plan, even if at the moment all you can do is hang there like a sack of potatoes.
Though it's true that pull-ups require upper body strength, they actually engage your entire body. To prevent swaying and cheating your way through, you need to maintain tension in your abs and legs as well. This pull-up program by Jennifer Blake and Jen Sinkler outlines actionable steps you can take starting today, with improvements visible in as little as two weeks. We’ve discussed training for pull-ups before, but this program is simple and introduces exercises we haven’t covered yet.
The program targets common weaknesses that many face when beginning their pull-up journey: mastering the activation of the right muscles, building full-body tension to prevent excessive swinging, perfecting the pull-up motion, and boosting upper body strength. While you may not go from zero to pull-up champion in just two weeks, Blake and Sinkler emphasize the importance of establishing a baseline, stating:
Start by grabbing a timer and heading to the bar. Can you hang with an overhand grip? Great, you’ve nailed a dead hang. Now, can you do it with your shoulder blades pulled down and your abs engaged? Excellent, you're doing a hollow-body hang! How about holding on with your chin above the bar, elbows bent, and abs engaged? Nice, you're flexed-arm hanging.
The goal is to evaluate where you are now so you can track your progress and see how far you’ve come.
Complete the recommended exercises two to three times a week, and re-assess your progress after two weeks. Don’t get discouraged if you're not able to complete a full pull-up by then—it takes time, and every bit of progress is worth celebrating!
If you're aiming to do even more pull-ups like I am, focusing on improving vertical pulling and upper body strength remains key. In fact, Mytour’s own push-up expert Beth Skwarecki is diving into this program herself as she strives to go from one pull-up to two (or even more). If you’d like to join her, follow the link below for more details.
