ProgreviaPull-ups
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How to do it
Pronated shoulder-width grip for the lats (a supinated grip works the biceps more). Pull the elbows down and back until your chin clears the bar, with no kipping or swinging.
Muscles worked
Mainly espalda. Train it inside a balanced routine to progress safely.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Vertical pull
- Minimum level
- Intermediate
- Technical demand
- Needs coaching
- Fatigue it generates
- High (1.5 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Low
- Peak tension in the stretched position
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As a compound lift, it fits in 3–5 sets of 5–12 reps leaving 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR). Prioritize it at the start of the session, when you're fresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pulling with the arms instead of starting the movement by retracting the shoulder blades and driving the elbows back.
- Using too much weight at the cost of technique and full range of motion.
- Doing reps too fast, without controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase.
How Pull-ups compares with other back exercises
The catalogue has 18 exercises with back as the main muscle group. Ranked from least to most fatiguing with the same values the generator uses, Pull-ups is number 14.
With that fatigue it is best placed early in the session, while you are fresh, without stacking equally demanding exercises for the same group after it.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 2 alternatives, such as Lat pulldown and Neutral-grip lat pulldown.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | cable | Moderate (0.9 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Neutral-grip lat pulldown | cable | Moderate (0.9 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Pull-ups | bodyweight | High (1.5 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Weighted pull-ups | bodyweight | Very high (1.7 out of 2.2) | Advanced |
Tension with the muscle stretched. Pull-ups loads the muscle when it is longest. In the review by Kassiano et al. (2023), across eleven studies, full range of motion and partials performed in the initial part of the movement — with the muscle long — produced more growth than partials performed at the end.
Bodyweight. In the trial by Kotarsky et al. (2018), four weeks of progressively harder push-ups significantly improved bench press 1RM, just like training the bench press itself. It is a strength result, not a hypertrophy one, and the condition is the word progressive: the exercise has to keep getting harder.
- Kassiano W, Costa B, Nunes JP, Ribeiro AS, Schoenfeld BJ, Cyrino ES. Which ROMs lead to Rome? A systematic review of the effects of range of motion on muscle hypertrophy. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2023;37(5):1135-1144.
- Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of progressive calisthenic push-up training on muscle strength and thickness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2018;32(3):651-659.
Alternative exercises
More Vertical pull exercises
Add it to your routine
Progrevia can generate a personalized routine that includes Pull-ups based on your level, goal and available days.
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Generate a full routine with the emphasis on Back and Pull-ups among your preferred exercises. Free, no sign-up.
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Pull-ups work?
Pull-ups mainly works the espalda muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Pull-ups should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for espalda to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Is Pull-ups good for building muscle?
Yes. Combined with progressive overload, good technique and enough rest, it's an effective tool to grow espalda.
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