💪 How to Get Your First Pull-Up

From your first row to your first full pull-up

Getting your first pull-up can feel miles away when you can't do one yet.

But you don't need to magically become strong enough to do a pull-up overnight.

You need to build the strength gradually, practise the movement and progress through variations that meet you where you're currently at.

Here's how I'd approach it.

TRX Rows If you're starting from zero, TRX rows are a great place to build your pulling strength.

The more upright you are, the easier the movement.

As you get stronger, walk your feet further forward and make your body more horizontal.

Aim for: 3 sets × 8–12 reps

Focus on:

Pulling your chest towards your hands Keeping your body controlled Avoiding shrugging your shoulders Controlling the lowering phase

Too easy?

Make your body more horizontal. Too difficult?

Stand more upright.

Progression: Make the same exercise harder before immediately moving onto a completely different exercise.

2. Progress to Inverted Pull-Ups

Once rows are becoming comfortable, start introducing more demanding pulling variations.

Inverted pull-ups allow you to practise a movement that's more similar to a pull-up while still controlling the difficulty.