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Direction-of-travel diagram for the vertical pull pattern. Photography for the Pull-Up is not shot yet.
CalisthenicsIn review

Pull-Up

A vertical bodyweight pull using an overhand grip on a fixed bar.

This page is a working draft. A coach has not reviewed it, so read it as a starting point, not as checked instruction.

Pattern
Vertical pull
Modality
Calisthenics
Difficulty
Intermediate
Mechanic
Unknown
Force
Unknown
Laterality
Bilateral
Impact
Low
Trains where
Gym
At home
No

How to do it

Set up

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and straight arms.

Do the rep

  1. Pull your elbows down and bring your chin above the bar.
  2. Lower to straight arms with a controlled descent.

What counts as a rep

A rep counts when the chin clears the bar and the arms return to a straight hang.

One rep starts in a straight-arm hang, reaches the top when the chin clears the bar, and ends in a controlled straight-arm hang.

Breathing

Exhale as you pull above the bar; inhale during the descent.

Cues

  • Start from a quiet hang
  • Drive elbows down
  • Control the descent

Common mistakes

  • Kicking for momentum

    What you seeThe legs swing before the body rises.

    FixKeep the legs quiet and reduce the rep target if needed.

    Quiet legs keep momentum from replacing the vertical pull.

  • Chin stays below the bar

    What you seeThe pull reverses before the chin clears the bar.

    FixReduce the rep target or add assistance so every rep clears the bar.

    Chin clearance and a straight-arm return define the full range.

Stop the set if

  • Stop if you feel sharp pain.
  • Stop if your grip slips or you cannot return to a controlled hang.
  • End the set when you cannot meet the stated range under control.

General educational content, not individual coaching or medical advice.

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