12d • Training 💪
🔥 How to Get Your First Pull-Up
Thank you for the video idea :)
Let’s go over how to get your first pull-up.
I’m using another creator’s tutorial as the example, and first, I want to be clear there is nothing wrong with their tutorial. They are helping people, and that is awesome. I just want to explain a few things I would organize a little differently based on what I’ve seen work best coaching hundreds of athletes.
💡 The Main Idea
To get your first pull-up, you need:
• A main pulling exercise that actually builds strength
• A few supplementary exercises that help weak points
That difference matters.
Your main exercise should be the thing doing the heavy lifting for your progress. The extra stuff should support it, not replace it.
🧗 Start With Pulling, Not Just Hanging
Yes, dead hangs matter.
If you cannot hang from a bar yet, that is something to work on.
But I would not make dead hangs the main exercise, because hanging is not the same as pulling.
If your goal is your first pull-up, I would rather start with:
• Horizontal rows
• Harder horizontal rows
• Jackknife pull-ups
• Assisted pull-ups or negatives
• Full pull-ups
That way you are actually training the pulling motion from the start.
🔥 Dead Hangs and Scap Pull-Ups Still Help
Dead hangs, scap pull-ups, and top holds are all useful.
I just see them as supplementary work.
That means:
• Good for warm-ups
• Good at the end of a workout
• Good for weak points
• Not usually the main strength builder
Your main work should still be rows, jackknife pull-ups, assisted pull-ups, or negatives.
✅ Jackknife Pull-Ups Are Amazing
Jackknife pull-ups are one of the most underrated progressions.
They bridge the gap really well between rows and full pull-ups.
If they are too hard, use more leg support. If they are too easy, reduce support.
This is one of the best examples of why calisthenics often needs small in-between progressions.
🟡 Bands Are Fine, But Not Perfect
Band pull-ups can help a lot.
Just know they usually help the most at the bottom and less at the top.
So they are useful, but they do not always train the whole range evenly.
That is why I still like combining them with:
• Negatives
• Top holds
• Other pull-up progressions
⏸️ Negatives Matter More Than People Think
If you can get yourself to the top of the bar, then negatives are one of the best things you can do.
So instead of only doing top holds, I would usually do:
• Main work: negatives or assisted pull-ups
• Extra work: top holds, hangs, or scap pull-ups
That usually makes more sense and gets better results.
📈 Stop Treating 8 to 12 Like a Rule
A lot of people hear “8 to 12 reps” and think they failed if they do less.
It is not a rule. It is a guide.
Let’s say you can only do 4 good reps.
That does not mean the set is over.
You can do this:
• Hit 4 reps
• Rest a few seconds
• Get 1 or 2 more
• Rest again
• Get 1 or 2 more
Now you have turned 4 reps into a full productive set.
If you can only do 1 or 2 reps of a harder progression, do that first, then switch to an easier one to finish the set.
That is one of the easiest ways to progress faster.
🏋️ What I Would Actually Do
If I were helping someone get their first pull-up, I would usually set it up like this:
Main pulling work
• Horizontal rows, jackknife pull-ups, assisted pull-ups, or negatives
Supplementary work
• Dead hangs
• Scap pull-ups
• Top holds
• Easier regressions after the main sets
That way the workout stays simple and clear.
🚀 Final Thought
If you want your first pull-up, focus on real pulling strength first.
Do not build your whole plan around hangs and tiny partial pieces.
Use those as support.
Build strength through full progressions, push your reps intelligently, and let the harder variation slowly grow over time.
That is usually what gets people there the fastest.
📘 Want the Full Guide?
If you want the full pull-up progressions, workout examples, and skill breakdowns, that is all inside the community in the Master Book.
If you want personal help figuring out your exact progression, you can also book a free clarity call here:
This is not a sales call. It is just to help you get clear on where to start.
Stay awesome 💪
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🔥 How to Get Your First Pull-Up
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