Wherever you’re starting from, you can achieve pull-ups! Building strength is rarely particularly fun or glamorous, and this is no exception. But if you show up regularly, and are willing to grind, you will see results.

We’ve put together this simple program to get you to your pull-up. You should be able to start this regardless of how strong you are currently. Obviously the stronger you are, the less time it should take you to reach a pull-up.

The basic idea is that you will complete 10 minutes of pull-up (and accessory pushing) strength work, a minimum of 3, and ideally 5 times per week. To keep things slightly more interesting, you’ll alternate between two different 10-minute sessions.

The Program

Session 1

Video Demo / Instructions

10 Minutes for Quality:

• 2 Tempo Pull-Ups (3-5s hold at top, 3-5s eccentric, 1s hang)
• 2 Tempo Push-Ups (3-5s plank hold, 3-5s eccentric, worm up)

Session 2

Video Demo / Instructions

10 Minutes for Quality:

• 2 Hanging Box Hollows (3-5s hold in hollow)
• 2 Tempo Box Handstand Push-Ups (3-5s handstand hold, 3-5s eccentric, 1s concentric)

Points of Performance

Pull-Up

• Hold shoulders down all the way to the very bottom
• Make sure to spend 1s in a relaxed hang before you drop

Push-Up

• Full arm extension at the top
• Chest and thighs touch down at the same time at the bottom
• Perfect hollow held throughout

Points of Performance

Hollow

• Initiate with scap pull-up
• Push down into the bar
• Tuck abs into hollow, squeeze butt, squeeze legs together

HSPU

• Complete with knees or toes on the box; move to toes if knees get too easy (if you start on your toes and you run out of reps, you can move to knees halfway through!)
• If you want to use an abmat to cushion your head, place two 25 lb bumpers on either side of the abmat for your hands so you’re still training full range of motion.
• Push the ground away in the hold, active shoulders
• Reach tripod position at the bottom (you should be able to see your hands) with neutral neck (look at the box not down at the ground.)
• Reach nose back to box on ascent (push vertically not horizontally: don’t let it turn into a regular push-up.)

Scaling Options

Pull-Up

• If you’re falling through any part of your eccentric, you should scale.
• The goal is to scale in a way that is still very challenging but allows you to complete the movement with full control.
• Set up a bar in the rig, such that you can just reach the bar over your head with a full grip when you’re sitting on the ground underneath it.
• Extend your legs out in front of you, and proceed to complete the tempo pull-up with a little help from your feet.
• If you’re still falling through any part of your eccentric, bend your knees when you’re sitting on the ground so that your feet are closer to the bar and can provide more support.

Push-Up

• If you’re falling through any part of your eccentric, you should scale.
• The goal is to scale in a way that is still very challenging but allows you to complete the movement with full control.
• Set up a bar in the rig, and complete your push-up with your hands on the bar. You can also use a box or bench to elevate your hands, but the bar height is more adjustable so that you can get just the right challenge.

Scaling Options

Box Hollows

• If you’re not able to pull your shoulder blades down and hold them there (keep your neck long) while you’re hanging from the pull-up bar, you should scale these.
• It doesn’t matter how far behind the pull-up bar you’re getting as long as you’re keeping your long neck, pushing down hard into the bar, and squeezing yourself into a hollow shape.
• If you can’t maintain your shoulder position, scale to 5 scap pull-ups with a toe or toes on the box (take off just enough weight to make it challenging), holding 3-5s in the top and bottom positions.

HSPU

• If you’re falling through any part of your eccentric, or can’t hold a handstand, you should scale these.
• Scale to downward dog HSPU or seated double dumbbell shoulder presses: sit on the ground with your spine neutral, legs extended (slight bend is ok to maintain neutral spine), and holding the dumbbells at your shoulders, press overhead to full lockout with the same tempo as the HSPU (3-5s up, 3-5s hold overhead, 3-5s down).