• Proper pull-ups are tricky but so rewarding to learn to do.
• In order to work your way to the pull-up, you can do easier exercises that strengthen the same muscle groups.
• Once you've got it down, you can modify your pull-up routine to make it more challenging and intense.

Pull-ups are a functional fitness move that engage the entire upper body. Doing pull-ups regularly have two key benefits. Firstly, any other exercise that requires a strong grip or great arms and shoulder muscles becomes much easier. Secondly, being able to execute it properly gives you well-deserve bragging rights. Of course, in order to have these, you to consistently put in hard work.

As you begin your journey to mastering the pull-up, remember that it’s not all about the biceps and back. It also involves engaging your core, quads, glutes and upper body. You'll know that you're doing it right when your chest is open, your shoulders are back, your grip is firm, and your body is still.

Here are some practices and techniques to get you there.

Practice introductory moves

Dead Hang

Executing a pull-up can be difficult for neophytes. One introductory move to this bodyweight exercise is a dead hang. This is simply done by hanging on the bar for a number of time without pulling the body up. You may start with 15 seconds per rep, take a rest, and increase the time to 30 seconds. Work your way up until you're able to hang for a full minute without while keeping your form steady.

Chin up

Another introductory move is a chin-up, which is similar to a pull-up. The two major differences are the hand positioning and the pull. The chin-up makes use of a supinated grip, which means the palms are facing towards you, and an underhand pull, which means you pull the body towards the bar without the shoulder going above it.

Begin with three sets, doing as many reps as you can per set. Once you have an idea of your limit, try to add one more rep for each workout. By the time you can do five consecutive chin-ups, you will most likely be able to do one pull-up.

Build strength

Pull-ups are much easier when you have built up strength, and when you're operating at at least 80% of your maximum effort. One way to build the strength you need for pull-ups is to do ring rows. Keep your body straight. Remember your foot positioning each time you do ring rows, and try your best to parallel it to it to with the ground in each rep each time. Doing this will gradually increase the difficulty load because it requires you to lift a bigger percentage of your weight every workout.

You may also want to try building strength by doing negative pull-ups. To do this, Use a bench to get into the topmost position of the pull-up using a bench. Then  then slowly lower yourself down into dead hang position. For best results, do it as slowly as you can , and keep your movement controlled.

Aside from ring rows, rope climbing is also an excellent way to build strength since it calls for efficiency with how you utilize your legs to hook the rope and push yourself up. It also requires arm strength, since your arms will be holding you in place (and sometimes pulling you up) as you lift your legs. Allow your legs to support your body as you climb the rope so that your arms don't get sore.

Any exercise that maximizes the use of your limbs qualifies as functional fitness, and rope climbing is no exception. Strong arms make lifting easy work, while strong legs can run, kick, and climb stairs— or even mountains!

Eat right 

Being able to increase pull-up reps per set can also be attained through a balanced diet. Have lots of fiber, long-chain carbohydrates, and good fatty acids. Amino acids and proteins help your body with regeneration and muscle growth. Pair those foods with plenty of water to promote good circulation and to keep your bodily functions moving.

While strength training, you don't necessarily have to drink water. Just consume enough throughout the day so your body's water reserves can meet the demand during practice. You should drink a total of about two liters in a day – just not all during your workout.

Stay focused 

The goal is to be able to incorporate push-ups in your daily training, so do this by staying focused and consistent. Cycling your training methods help you maintain your momentum without straining the body. This is done by alternating strength building and conditioning exercises. In one training, you may focus on mastering one pull-up, and in another, you may shift to increasing reps.

Maintain a proper form

In any exercise, it is important to have a good form. When doing pull-ups, be conscious of your body position. Make sure that when you grab the bar, your hands are about shoulder-width apart. You should have a full, firm grip with your palms down. Then raise your feet off the floor by bending your knees, and hold your position with straight arms. When you're ready, pull yourself up by bending your arms. Your elbows should be moving downward and close to your body as you go to avoid getting injured.

Keep pulling yourself up until your chin passes the bar. To lower yourself down, steadily straighten your arms. Take a deep breath, then pull yourself up again.

While doing each of these steps, you may look in the mirror to make sure you have the right form.

Work on mobility 

As with any movement, pull-ups start with proper mobility. Beyond maintaining a proper form, you need to ensure that you do not have too much tension in your lats, chest, or spine. Tightness in any of these areas can put you in a compromised position, which means a lot of stress on your shoulder joints and back. Remember this when you do your dead hang, and try to keep it controlled before you move on to the actual pull-up.

If you can't get into an active hang position, the problem might be that you haven't built up enough strength yet. You can improve your grip strength by adding heavy deadlifts and farmer's carries to your workout routine. To develop more pulling strength, try doing bent over barbell and dumbbell rows. These will help you build up pulling strength and eventually have better mobility.

Adjust speed 

If you're already somewhat confident doing pull-ups, you can gain more power by adjusting the speed of movement. As a rule of thumb, the downward movement should be about three times as long as the upwards movement. You may be able to do more pull-ups if you execute the whole thing more slowly. Alternatively, you can take your time with pulling yourself up or with bringing yourself back down.

It is possible for you to increase the pull-ups you do per session by speeding up one part of the exercise. However, keep in mind that if you haven't mastered the movement yet, you run the risk of injuring yourself. In that case, slowing down is definitely a better option.

Introduce  weights

If you've progressed enough to do 12 reps, congratulations! Now you can take your pull-ups  to the next level by adding weights. The moderate level is to wear a dip-belt or weight cuffs, while the difficult level requires you to place a dumbbell between your thighs or lower legs.

There are also ways to adjust the weight. If you haven't made it to eight pull-ups in a row yet, use  a stool or bench to help you out. Some trainers also recommend using a pull-up band. When in doubt, ask a gym buddy or a trainer for some assistance.

Pull-ups are not easy. Mastering it takes effort, strength, balanced diet, proper form, focus and mobility. In other words, it a lot of work! This is why you should not be discouraged when you don’t do it right on the first few tries.

Train according to your current ability level and work your way toward your goal. As you build up strength, you'll also build up self-confidence. Getting there might be grueling, but the long-term benefits are totally worth it.

Like you would with any exercise, listen to your body and take it at a pace that works best for you. Make progress, but don't over-train, and take the time to celebrate the smaller milestones along the way, too.