Let's train! How does a pull-up go?

The title already tells you what we want to show you today. A short explanation of how to correctly perform a pull-up. But if you want to learn much more about pull-ups, we can recommend our NEOLYMP pull-up bar e-book. There you're guaranteed to find answers to all your unanswered questions.

Today we're talking about the upper body all-rounder par excellence. It ensures a strong back, trained arms, defined shoulders and also an efficient interaction of those body regions.

Have you ever tried to pull yourself up on a bar? There are many possibilities, but not all of them are good for you and your body. We also have a little trick for you that might make it work even better the first time.

A pull-up must be performed slowly and in a controlled manner. To be able to grip the bar, you can also make a small jump upwards. Once you have a firm grip on the bar, be sure to control every move you make. Especially in the beginning it is absolutely not important to bring your chin over the bar. Always keep your shoulders back and avoid pulling them forward during the execution. This way you have the load in your back, exactly where it should be.

If you keep all this in mind, nothing will stand in the way of your first pull-up. Little by little, you'll get higher and higher, making the most of your full range of motion.

The most important thing is definitely body tension. Grasp the bar in an overhand grip with your palms facing you, thumbs on the outside, and tense your entire body.
Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and lift your body. Now slowly guide your upper body up past the bar as far as possible. 

If this is still too difficult, our NEOLYMP Pull-up-Bänder will help you. You can thread them through the ring positioned in the middle and place one leg inside. Now hold the bar in an overhand grip with one leg bent in the band and the other on the floor. If you now perform a pull-up, you will notice that it is much easier for you. And you are absolutely right, because our bands support your pull-up and reduce the effort. But you can decide for yourself how strong the band should be. The stronger the band, the easier the exercise. Keep training and try again and again. You'll be able to do your pull-up without any bands very soon - we promise! The best thing we can give you to take with you is this: Never lose motivation.

Finally, we'll explain the 4 possible grip positions. Try them all and find out which one suits you best.

• Shoulder wide overhand grip: In this variation you grip the bar shoulder wide from above, i.e. the backs of your hands point towards you. The broad back muscle does most of the work here. The shoulders are also trained, but less strongly.
• Shoulder wide underhand grip: Here you grip the bar from below with the palms facing you. The underhand grip activates the biceps more. The broad back muscle (latissimus) is also involved in the movement.
• Wide overhand grip: In the wide overhand grip, you hold the bar wider than shoulder-width, with the backs of your hands facing you. The shoulders are strongly activated here, as well as the latissimus.
• Hammer grip: To do the hammer grip you need two parallel bars. The palms of your hands should face each other. If you grip very tightly, the biceps are especially active. The further apart the two bars are, the more effectively your latissimus is trained.

Tip: I myself am very small and actually always put a stool under the bar so that I can grip the bar well right at the start.