Anyone Can Do a Pull-Up — With This Plan

Follow this day-by-day plan to crank out pull-ups like a pro. (Photo: Getty Images)

Who wouldn’t love to rock a pull-up?

While it does take some hard work to crank out your first rep, once you get over that bar, you’ll feel better than ever. “Every time I’ve seen clients perform their first full pull-up, they’ve had an unbelievable smile on their face. They look astounded, and so proud,” says personal trainer and health coach Neghar Fonooni (who, by the way, can bang out pull-ups like a boss).

Therein lies the beauty of having a pull-up as your goal: It boosts both your physical and mental strength. “When you accomplish things you never thought you’d be able to do before, you start wondering what else you can do,” Fonooni tells Yahoo Health. “That self-confidence carries over into every aspect of your life.”

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And as a handy side effect, it helps you reach your overall fitness goals without bogging you down with worries over your size or weight, she says. Why? Because pull-ups are an excellent marker of your overall health, strength, and fitness. “When training to perform a pull-up, you’re going to get stronger all across the board,” Fonooni says.

While pull-ups primarily work your lats (in the middle of your back) and core muscles, being able to perform your first rep requires total-body strength and stability. And since pull-ups use an overhand grip, rather than an underhand grip like with chin-ups, you don’t get as much help from your biceps, she says. The result: You need everything else to be even stronger.

Related: 7 Benefits of Strength Training That Go Way Beyond Buff Arms

This training program from Fonooni, created exclusively for Yahoo Health, will strengthen your total body, with an emphasis on your lats and core — to help you get over that pull-up bar in record time.

Although this plan lasts one month, remember: Exactly how long it takes for you to perform your first pull-up largely depends on your fitness level heading into this training program. So don’t get frustrated if you have to perform this routine more than once. The important thing is that you’re progressing!

Pull-Up Training Program

Get above the bar by adding these exercises to your current training routine.

Download a printable PDF of the training program here.

Week 1

Day 1
Inverted Rows
Find the Smith machine at your gym (a squat rack will also work in a pinch). Sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you and a secured bar above your chest. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Position your body so that your torso is hanging from the bar, and your heels are planted firmly on the floor. Your body should form a straight line. Then, pull your chest to the bar so that your elbows point behind your back. One your chest almost touches the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. (You can change the bar height and your body’s angle to add or take away resistance.) That’s one rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Watch a video tutorial of the inverted row here.

Pushups
Get in a plank position on the floor with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your body straight, bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor. Pause, then push back up to start. (If you need to make the exercise easier, perform this move at an incline, with your hands on a bench.) That’s one rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Watch a video demonstration of perfect pushup form here.

Day 2
Overhand Bar Hangs
Grab a high pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your entire body, then lift your feet to hang from the bar, arms extended, as long as you can. That’s 1 rep. Perform 3.

Underhand Bar Hangs
Grab a high pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Your chin should be just over the bar. Brace your entire body, then lift your feet to hang from the bar, arms extended, as long as you can. That’s 1 rep. Perform 3.

Learn to fine-tune the bar hang here.

Day 3
Barbell Bent-Over Rows
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip; bend your knees and bend at the waist to lower your torso until your back is almost parallel to the floor and your arms are perpendicular to the floor. Then, while bracing your torso and keeping your elbows close to your body, lift the barbell toward your chest. Once the bar almost touches your chest, pause and then slowly lower back to start. That’s 1 rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

See what the barbell bent-over row looks like here.

Hollow Body Holds
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Squeeze your abs to pull your belly button toward the floor, and then slowly raise your shoulders and legs off of the floor. Balance on your low back. Hold for as long as possible. That’s one rep. Perform 3.

Watch a quick video demonstration of the hollow body hold here.

Week 2

Day 1
Inverted Rows
Sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you and a secured bar above your chest. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Position your body so that your torso is hanging from the bar, and your heels are planted firmly on the floor. Your body should form a straight line. Then, pull your chest to the bar so that your elbows point behind your back. One your chest almost touches the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. (You can change the bar height and your body’s angle to add or take away resistance.) That’s one rep. Perform 4 sets of 10 reps.

Pushups
Get in a plank position on the floor with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your body straight, bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor. Pause, then push back up to start. (If you need to make the exercise easier, perform this move at an incline, with your hands on a bench.) That’s one rep. Perform 4 sets of 10 reps.

Day 2
Overhand Bar Hangs
Grab a high bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your entire body, then lift your feet to hang from the bar, arms extended, as long as you can. That’s 1 rep. Perform 5.

Underhand Bar Hangs
Grab a high bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Your chin should be just over the bar. Brace your entire body, then lift your feet to hang from the bar, arms extended, as long as you can. That’s 1 rep. Perform 5.

Day 3
Barbell Bent-Over Rows
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, bend your knees and bend at the waist to lower your torso until your back is almost parallel to the floor and your arms are perpendicular to the floor. Then, while bracing your torso and keeping your elbows close to your body, lift the barbell toward your chest. Once the bar almost touches your chest, pause and then slowly lower back to start. That’s 1 rep. Perform 4 sets of 10 reps.

V-Ups
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Contract your core to simultaneously lift your legs, shoulders, and arms off of the floor to touch your toes in the air. Slowly lower back to start. (You can bend your knees if necessary.) That’s 1 rep. Perform 4 sets of 5 reps.

Watch how to do the V-up, including a modification to make it easier, here.

Week 3

During weeks 3 and 4, you’ll perform assisted chin-ups with an underhand grip. Once you master underhand grip, you can move on to overhand (pull-up) grip.

Day 1
Assisted Chin-Ups
Step up to an assisted pull-up machine and grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Then, kneel or step onto the assisting platform or bar. Keeping your core braced, pull your body up so that you elbows move down along the sides of your torso. When the bar reaches your collarbones and your chin is above the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Hollow Body Holds
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Squeeze your abs to pull your belly button toward the floor, and then slowly raise your shoulders and legs off of the floor. Balance on your low back. Hold for as long as possible. That’s one rep. Perform 3.

Inverted Rows
Sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you and a secured bar above your chest. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Position your body so that your torso is hanging from the bar, and your heels are planted firmly on the floor. Your body should form a straight line. Then, pull your chest to the bar so that your elbows point behind your back. One your chest almost touches the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. (You can change the bar height and your body’s angle to add or take away resistance.) That’s one rep. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps.

Day 2
Assisted Chin-Ups
Step up to an assisted pull-up machine and grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Then, kneel or step onto the assisting platform or bar. Keeping your core braced, pull your body up so that you elbows move down along the sides of your torso. When the bar reaches your collarbones and your chin is above the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Perform 3 sets of 8 reps.

V-Ups
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Contract your core to simultaneously lift your legs, shoulders, and arms off of the floor to touch your toes in the air. Slowly lower back to start. (You can bend your knees if necessary.) That’s 1 rep. Perform 3 sets of 8 reps.

Pushups
Get in a plank position on the floor with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your body straight, bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor. Pause, then push back up to start. (If you need to make the exercise easier, perform this move at an incline, with your hands on a bench.) That’s one rep. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps.

Day 3
Assisted Chin-Ups
Step up to an assisted pull-up machine and grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Then, kneel or step onto the assisting platform or bar. Keeping your core braced, pull your body up so that you elbows move down along the sides of your torso. When the bar reaches your collarbones and your chin is above the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Perform 3 sets of 5 reps.

Hollow Body Rocks
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Squeeze your abs to pull your belly button toward the floor, and then slowly raise your shoulders and legs off of the floor. Balance on your low back. Then, rock forward and backward, making sure to maintain the hollow body position. That’s 1 rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Watch a video demonstration of hollow body rocks here.

Barbell Row
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, bend your knees and bend at the waist to lower your torso until your back is almost parallel to the floor and your arms are perpendicular to the floor. Then, while bracing your torso and keeping your elbows close to your body, lift the barbell toward your chest. Once the bar almost touches your chest, pause and then slowly lower back to start. That’s 1 rep. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps.

Week 4

Day 1
Assisted Chin-Ups
Step up to an assisted pull-up machine and grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Then, kneel or step onto the assisting platform or bar. Keeping your core braced, pull your body up so that you elbows move down along the sides of your torso. When the bar reaches your collarbones and your chin is above the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Perform 1 set of 10 reps, then 1 set of 9, 8, and 7 reps, for a total of 4 sets.

Hollow Body Holds
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Squeeze your abs to pull your belly button toward the floor, and then slowly raise your shoulders and legs off of the floor. Balance on your low back. Hold for as long as possible. That’s one rep. Perform 4.

Inverted Rows
Sit on the floor with your legs extended out in front of you and a secured bar above your chest. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Position your body so that your torso is hanging from the bar, and your heels are planted firmly on the floor. Your body should form a straight line. Then, pull your chest to the bar so that your elbows point behind your back. One your chest almost touches the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. (You can change the bar height and your body’s angle to add or take away resistance.) That’s one rep. Perform 2 sets of 15 reps.

Day 2
Assisted Chin-Ups
Step up to an assisted pull-up machine and grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Then, kneel or step onto the assisting platform or bar. Keeping your core braced, pull your body up so that you elbows move down along the sides of your torso. When the bar reaches your collarbones and your chin is above the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Perform 1 set of 8 reps, then 1 set of 7, 6, and 5 reps, for a total of 4 sets.

V-Ups
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Contract your core to simultaneously lift your legs, shoulders, and arms off of the floor to touch your toes in the air. Slowly lower back to start. (You can bend your knees if necessary.) That’s 1 rep. Perform 4 sets of 8 reps.

Pushups
Get in a plank position on the floor with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your body straight, bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor. Pause, then push back up to start. (If you need to make the exercise easier, perform this move at an incline, with your hands on a bench.) That’s one rep. Perform 2 sets of 15 reps.

Day 3
Assisted Chin-Ups
Step up to an assisted pull-up machine and grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Then, kneel or step onto the assisting platform or bar. Keeping your core braced, pull your body up so that you elbows move down along the sides of your torso. When the bar reaches your collarbones and your chin is above the bar, pause, then slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Perform 1 set of 5 reps, then 1 of 4, 3, and 2 reps, for a total of 4 sets.

Hollow Body Rocks
Lie down flat on your back with your arms and legs extended away from your body in one straight line. Squeeze your abs to pull your belly button toward the floor, and then slowly raise your shoulders and legs off of the floor. Balance on your low back. Then, rock forward and backward, making sure to maintain the hollow body position. That’s 1 rep. Perform 4 sets of 10 reps.

Barbell Rows
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, bend your knees and bend at the waist to lower your torso until your back is almost parallel to the floor and your arms are perpendicular to the floor. Then, while bracing your torso and keeping your elbows close to your body, lift the barbell toward your chest. Once the bar almost touches your chest, pause and then slowly lower back to start. That’s 1 rep. Perform 2 sets of 15 reps.

Pull-Up Day

Test your unassisted pull-up on day 3 of week 4, or rest 1 to 2 days and then test. Not there yet? Begin the following month with the same program, but increase weight and decrease assistance.

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