This blog post describes the top 8 pull-up mistakes and how to avoid them. Read this post to significantly increase the effectiveness of your pull-ups.
The pull-up is an extremely important exercise for the biceps, the back, and the entire stabilization musculature. Strictly speaking, it is a foundational exercise for many workouts. Therefore, it should not be missing from any training plan, whether training at home or in the gym, doing bodyweight exercises, full-body workouts, or calisthenics.
A video description of the mistakes (partly listed and named differently), on which this blog post is closely based, can also be found in the video by Sascha Huber embedded further below.
These are the 8 biggest mistakes during pull-ups
1. Thumbs do not completely wrap around the pull-up bar
Many people grip the pull-up bar without completely wrapping their thumbs around it. Such a grip reduces grip strength and tension in the forearms. Consequently, the entire arm musculature is less activated and stimulated.
To avoid this mistake, place the heel of the hand on top of the pull-up bar, close the grip, and wrap both thumbs completely around the bar. Crucially, the thumbs must wrap around the bar completely, rather than just resting on top or on the side of it. With this correct grip, it is often possible to immediately perform 1-2 additional pull-ups.
2. Throwing the head back into the neck when pulling up
When the pull-up becomes difficult, many people throw their head back to just barely get their chin over the bar. This should be avoided. Over time, pull-ups with an unnatural neck position are detrimental to the upper spinal column. Simply keep the head in a neutral position when pulling up, or raise the chin only slightly, even if the pull-up becomes strenuous.
3. Hollow back posture when pulling up
If the clearance between the floor and the pull-up bar is insufficient, many people bend their legs backward and/or cross them. This immediately leads to a hollow back posture while hanging and an unnatural movement when pulling up. As a result, the chest and abdominal muscles are stimulated less, and any existing hollow back posture is exacerbated.
This mistake can be avoided by not bending the legs backward, but instead extending them straight down so that the body forms a straight line. Alternatively, the knees can be slightly bent and the legs slightly crossed in front.
In order to extend the legs straight down, the pull-up bar must be mounted at the correct height. This requires a proper pull-up bar and sufficient room height; for more information, see here.
Pull-ups performed with raised knees make the execution more difficult, but ensure better stimulation of the abdominal muscles and a straighter upward pull.
4. Swinging and jerking when pulling up
When executing pull-ups becomes tough, many begin to jerk and swing to manage the upward pull or to use momentum from the body to make the pull easier. This increases the risk of injury and decreases the muscular stimulus of the pull-ups.
Therefore, any jerking or swinging during the pull-up must be avoided. Pull the body upward slowly in a straight line and subsequently lower the body slowly and with control. This immensely increases the effectiveness of the pull-ups while simultaneously lowering the risk of injury.
5. Working only with the biceps
Many beginners execute the pull-up largely using only the biceps. The back musculature, and especially the latissimus dorsi (the large back muscle located on the sides of the back, left and right below the shoulders), is not actively utilized. Because of this, less overall strength is applied and the latissimus is not trained.
To avoid this mistake, the pull-up must be executed in two stages. First, tense the latissimus and actively pull the shoulder blades back and down. As soon as the shoulder blades are down, pull from the biceps so that the two movements transition seamlessly into one another. Thus, the work is initiated by the latissimus and the entire back musculature, and then completed by the biceps. If this sequence is performed correctly, it should immediately be possible to manage 1-2 additional pull-ups.
6. Utilizing only half the range of motion
The classic mistake during pull-ups is utilizing only half the range of motion. This error occurs because the arms are not fully extended at the bottom, thereby requiring less strength for the upward pull. This looks like a half pull-up. While this mistake artificially inflates the number of pull-ups performed, it drastically reduces their effectiveness.
This mistake can be avoided by executing the pull-up with control over the entire range of motion and fully extending the arms. For the pull-up, go all the way down into a dead hang until the arms are completely straight. Then, pull upward, first from the latissimus and then from the biceps, until the chin is slightly over the pull-up bar.
7. Incorrect elbow position
Frequently, the elbows are positioned too far forward and at the wrong angle to the pull-up bar during execution. With this posture, the entire back musculature does not engage. To avoid this mistake, consciously pull the elbows diagonally downwards and into the back, as if trying to put them in the back pockets. During pull-ups on parallel grips, keep them pointing downwards at a 90° angle to the pull-up bar. This engages the maximum amount of back musculature and stimulates it more strongly, which significantly increases the effectiveness of the pull-ups.
8. Cannot do a pull-up, so doing it "somehow"
If a classic pull-up cannot be performed, it should not be attempted with terrible form. Classic pull-ups are not achieved by repeatedly doing bad pull-ups. The best way to achieve the first genuine pull-up is through training with negative pull-ups. To do this, simply get into the top hang position so that the chin is over the pull-up bar. Then, lower the body with control; the slower, the better. Do this 10 - 15 times in 2 - 3 sets, every 2-3 days. After just a few weeks, the first unassisted pull-up will be achieved.
The starting position for negative pull-ups (= chin slightly over the pull-up bar) can be reached with the assistance of a power band, a resistance band, or a step stool.
Addition
A video description of the mistakes can be found in the video embedded below. Please note, another common mistake during pull-up training is taking too few or too short rest periods between sets. To avoid this mistake, simply ensure sufficiently long rest periods, which should last between 60-240 seconds between pull-up sets. The rest periods can also be longer or shorter depending on the specific training goals.
Most of the pull-up mistakes described here are very easy to avoid. By avoiding mistakes such as pulling only with the biceps or using an incorrect grip, it will ideally be possible to immediately perform 1-2 additional pull-ups.
Image source: Youtube, NeONBRAND
