How to Get Your Body Ready for Pullups

Pullups can be highly challenging, particularly if you don't have a lot of upper-body strength. Proper preparation, however, can decrease your risk of injury as you master the pullup and make it much easier to build up the strength necessary to do a complete pullup. Depending upon your strength and physical fitness, it can take several weeks or even months to build up to a pullup.

Things You'll Need

• Grip strengthener
• Chair or stool

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Stretch your arms, shoulders and chest before you attempt a pullup. Bend your elbows and then push your shoulder blades together while moving your elbows toward your back. Then, stand in the center of a doorway and put one hand on the doorway's edge. Turn your body away from your arm until you feel a stretch, then repeat with the other arm.

• 2

  Strengthen your grip by squeezing a grip strengthener. If you don't have strong-enough hands and arms to grasp a pullup bar, you won't be able to do pullups. Do 10 to 15 squeezes three to five times a day for a week or two until you're able to easily grasp the pullup bar and hang.

• 3

  Perform arm- and shoulder-strengthening exercises. Do pushups, which help to build strength in the shoulders and arms, then try regular bicep curls. Hold a weight in one hand as you sit or stand, then curl the weight up toward your shoulder. Build up to 10 to 15 reps.

• 4

  Hang from the pullup bar, with your arms straight and your legs bent. This is the proper starting position for a pullup and can help you gain the strength necessary for the exercise.

• 5

  Try jumping up to the bar or standing on a chair to get into the upward pullup position, with your chin just above the bar. Hold yourself in this position for five to 10 seconds. As you gain strength, begin holding yourself in this position and then slowly lowering yourself back to the ground.

• 6

  Perform a pullup with the assistance of a spotter. Begin in the hanging position and have the spotter grip your thighs to give you a slight boost as you pull yourself up over the bar. Repeat this exercise several times each day until you are relying less on the spotter and more on your own strength. Finally, begin doing pullups without the spotter.