You’re Only 7 Exercises Away From the Perfect Pull-Up

It’s hard not to admire the people who can do a pull-up. After all, it’s an impressive feat of upper-body strength. That may be why so many people feel as if only a handful of athletes can accomplish them. Nothing could be further from the truth. By carrying out a few specific exercises, anyone can work their way up to a perfect pull-up in no time.

7 Exercises That Get You to a Pull-Up

1. Renegade Rows

Before you set up in a plank position, come onto all fours and place a dumbbell on either side of you, next to your shoulders.
In the tabletop position, grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Then push up into a plank position or a modified plank position on your knees.
With your back straight and core engaged, keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor as you drive your left elbow up toward the ceiling. Lower back to the starting position.
Alternate arms, performing 10 repetitions on each side.

2. Dumbbell Holds

Grab a pair of dumbbells that feel a little heavy to hold in your hands for more than 10 seconds.
Hold the dumbbells for 30 seconds, and then work up to holding them for a minute. Do this three times per workout, resting in between each set. Make sure to have a firm hold on the dumbbells.

3. Inverted Rows

Stand up tall and grab onto a bar or TRX bands with both hands.
Straighten your arms and lean backward until your bodyweight is supported by the bar or bands.
Then, keeping your legs straight, slowly walk your feet forward until you are at an angle. The closer you are to parallel, the harder the exercise will be.
From here, pull your elbows to your ribcage, lifting your chest toward the bar or bands. Slowly lower back down.
Repeat 10 of these in a row.

4. Modified Inverted Rows

If you aren’t able to do inverted rows, you can modify them by bending your knees and keeping your feet flat on the floor. This supports some of your bodyweight, making it easier to pull your body up toward the handles or bar while you build upper-body strength.

5. Lateral Pull Down

Use your upper back and lats to pull the bar down.
Make sure to keep the tops of your shoulders down, as they can often rise toward your ears, which is improper form.
Do 10 repetitions of this exercise.

6. Hollow Hold

Lie on the ground and extend the legs out in front of you, hovering a couple of inches off the ground.
Reach your arms behind you a couple of inches off the ground. Be sure to pull your navel in toward your spine, and keep your back gently pressing into the ground.

7. Dead Hang

Jump up and grab hold of pull bars or place a chair lightly in front of the bars, grab them with both hands, and then step off the chair into a hanging position.
Keep your shoulders slightly active (don’t let them shrug into your ears), pull your ribs down, and gently engage your core. Avoid swinging.
Start with 10 seconds and work your way up.

Different Pull-Up Variations You Can Enjoy

Once you’ve built up your strength by doing the previous list of exercises for three to four times per week for four weeks, you can start trying pull-ups. Of course, you’re not expected to jump straight into the ones you might see in the gym. The experts recommend doing beginner pull-up exercises before moving on to the advanced ones. Here is a guide that you may follow after consulting with your doctor.

1. Chair-assisted Pull-up

Place a chair or bench under the pull-up bar; make sure it is a height that allows you to keep your feet on the surface for the full range of motion of the move.
With both feet resting lightly on the chair, pull yourself up as far as you can.
When you can’t lift any higher, press through the feet to help you lift the rest of the way until your chin is over the bar.

2. Assisted Pull-Up With Bands or Bar

Loop one end of a resistance band around the pull-up bar so that it is hanging from the bar.
Step into the other end of the band with one or both feet (or your knees) before grabbing the bar with both hands. Or use an assisted pull-up machine, where a weighted bar works in the same way as a band.
This will support some of your bodyweight, making it easier to pull yourself up over the bar.
Over time, lower the weight on the machine so that you are lifting more of your own bodyweight.

3. A Regular Pull-Up

You can either jump up to grab hold of the bars or place a bench or chair in front of them, grab hold of the bars, and then bend your knees and cross your ankles so that you are in a hanging position.
Engaging the core, use your arms and back to pull your body up toward the bar and lift your chin up and over it. Think about pulling your elbows down and into your ribcage.
Slowly lower yourself back down to hanging and repeat.

4. An Advanced Pull-Up

If you’ve been successfully doing pull-ups for some time, you can still challenge yourself by adding weights or doing them one-handed.

The Health Benefits of Doing Pull-Ups

Apart from looking good, there are multiple health benefits in store for those who can do pull-ups. Doing them regularly can strengthen your back, arm, and shoulder muscles. The increased strength can make it easier to carry out daily activities that require heavy lifting. Pull-ups also give your grip strength a good workout. This can come in handy for fine motor skills and everyday tasks like opening jars.

As you might expect, pull-ups can do wonders for your overall fitness. Pulling your entire body up is a form of strength and resistance training that can boost your athletic skills. That means an improvement in your strength and endurance when doing physical activities. They can also improve your posture.

Furthermore, pull-ups can improve your physical health. Studies show that strength training can lead to stronger bones and a healthier heart. It can lower your blood pressure while also reducing the pain that’s associated with chronic illnesses like arthritis and fibromyalgia. Adding pull-ups to your exercise routine may also help to burn visceral fat, which can be an integral part of managing type 2 diabetes.

Finally, while more research is needed, a 2010 study strongly suggested a link between strength training exercises and positive mental health. You may experience a reduction in your anxiety symptoms, improved cognitive function, less fatigue, improved self-esteem, and fewer episodes of depression.

Although pull-ups can seem daunting, they’re surprisingly manageable if you start slowly with a plan in mind. As you build your strength, you can try different variations of pull-up exercises to challenge yourself further. While pull-ups are usually considered safe, you should consult your doctor if you have any physical limitations that concern you. You should also listen to your body as you exercise so you don’t hurt yourself.

By Karen Heslop | Published October 15, 2025