Struggling to progress your pull-ups? An expert says these five simple hacks will help

When it comes to the ultimate test of upper body strength, there’s no better bodyweight exercise than the pull-up. However, despite their excellence for size and strength, trying to yank your bodyweight against gravity isn’t easy and can be made even harder if you’re doing pull-ups wrong.

Alas, pull-ups aren’t impossible (even if it does feel like it), they just take time and perseverance. In a recent YouTube video, Certified Fitness Trainer Lauren Pak shares five tips that will help you master pull-ups like a pro. Whether you’re still struggling to shift your bodyweight or can’t push past a certain number of reps, Lauren says these simple hacks will help you build serious pulling strength…

5 Reasons You’re Struggling with Pull-Ups (And How to Fix It!) - YouTube

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1. Pull your elbows down

We get it, it’s a pull-up so you’re trying to pull yourself ‘up’ towards the bar. However, when we think about simply moving from A to B, we don’t always engage the correct muscles. “Instead of thinking about pulling yourself up, think about driving your elbows down towards the floor,” says Lauren. This will lead to better muscle recruitment from your lats and instantly make your pull-ups feel stronger.

2. Strengthen your vertical pull

If you’re new to pull-ups rather than making a beeline to the pull-up bar, Lauren advises spending some time “strengthening the vertical pulling muscles”, particularly your lats. These are the key muscles engaged during the pull-up, so giving them some TLC before trying a pull-up is a must. Lauren says the lat pull down is one of the best exercises for this. “Do higher reps with this exercise, because the higher reps you do, the more you’ll feel the right muscles engaging and it’s really going to help translate over into your pull-up.”

3. Slow down your reps

For those who can do a pull up, but are struggling to increase their reps, Lauren suggests slowing the movement right down. A lot of people tend to bust out as pull-ups as quickly as possible, but, by doing this, you won’t be engaging your muscles properly, which means you’ll be leaving gains on the table. Slowing down the tempo of your pull-ups will increase time under tension, which will lead to better muscle recruitment and strength development, helping you be able to do more in the future. Also, don't forget, if you can't do a bodyweight pull-up just yet, you can still do this with a resistance band.

4. Strengthen your core

‘Do pull-ups even use my core muscles?’ —yes, they really do! It’s your core muscles that help to keep you stable throughout the movement, so you have better control and aren’t swinging about everywhere. If you are, then it’s time to strengthen them. Lauren says one of the best exercises for this is the hollow hold, as it closely mimics the position you’re in during the pull-up. Hold for 15-30 seconds for three rounds.

5. Don't max out your reps

Just as you wouldn’t lift to failure every time you bench press or squat, you shouldn’t with pull-ups, but for some reason we do. “It’s really taxing on your central nervous system, it’s going to lead to a lot of fatigue and it’s going to be really hard to progress if you’re constantly going to failure,” Lauren explains. Instead, she says to leave ‘two reps in the tank’. Not only will it help with recovery, but it’ll also reduce the likelihood of injury which becomes higher with poor form.