The Healf guide to Pull-Ups: Strength, Technique, And Longevity

Pull-ups get a lot of attention for being the most strengthening upper-body exercises. There is also a lot of attraction around pull-ups and the link to longevity — let's investigate.

With minimal equipment, it comes as no surprise that these exercises are so popular in the fitness community. You can do them almost anywhere, and the benefits exceed muscularity; they can also change your physiology. The catch? They are notoriously challenging. Significant upper body power and mental focus is required to perform pull ups successfully. So, whether you’re seasoned in pull-ups or just starting out — perhaps you are simply curious — this guide is full of comprehensive insights to master the perfect pull-up technique. 

Primarily, pull-ups target the latissimus dorsi (lats). These are the large muscles in your back responsible for the distinctive "V" shape. But it doesn’t stop there. Pull-ups target a variety of muscles:

• Biceps : Located at the front of the upper arm, the biceps assist in pulling your body up.

• Trapezius : These muscles extend across your upper back and neck, they help in shoulder movement and stability.

• Rhomboids : You can find these muscles between your shoulder blades. Rhomboids work to retract the scapulae, contributing to great posture and upper-back strength.

• Deltoids : The rear deltoids are activated during pull-ups, they are key in supporting shoulder and upper-arm movement.

• Forearms : Essential for grip strength, the forearm muscles work hard to keep you holding onto the bar.

• Core : While not the primary focus, your core muscles stabilise your body throughout the movement. This muscle group helps to maintain a rigid, straight posture.

People may get into pull-ups for many reasons and at various stages of their lives.

Incorporating pull-ups into your fitness routine offers numerous benefits.

1. Longevity: Recent research indicates that resistance training practices — including pull-ups — provide constant improvement in a number of physical performance indicators, such as in handgrip strength and muscle mass. The practice is also associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality, improved cognitive function, and lower prevalence of frailty and sarcopenia in older adults.

1. Increased upper-body strength: Pull-ups are unique exercises, in that they exercise the muscles of the back, arms, and shoulders simultaneously.

1. Improved posture and stability of the core: Even though pull-ups are not technically a core workout, they still get your abs involved to help build a stronger core. The strengthening of the back and shoulders through pull-ups will also help to correct the problem of prolonged sitting, benefiting your posture.

1. Health of the shoulder joint: Pull-ups can help with shoulder mobility and lower your chances of getting injured by using the stabilising muscles around your shoulder joint.

For the best pull-up advice tailored to your specific needs — our experts advise on how to avoid common mistakes and personalise this exercise based on factors such as diet and gender.

The lowdown from our experts

• Morphology matters: longer arms and torsos make pull-ups more challenging due to greater movement distance.

• Start with isometric holds: for 30-60 seconds to build foundational strength.

• Progress to negative pull-ups: focusing on a controlled descent for 15-20 seconds, aiming for 6-8 reps.

• Use an assisted dip/chip machine: or band to help reduce body weight load while you build strength.

• Gradually reduce assistance: as your strength improves to rely more on your own power.

• Ensure proper form: with an overhand grip, full arm extension, and core engagement.

• Aim for 6-8 pull-ups where reps 8-10 should be challenging, requiring 80-100% effort.

Tej Maju, a Nutritional Therapist and Personal Trainer at The Mito Movement , highlights the versatility of pull-ups and emphasises the importance of proper nutrition:

"Whether you're a beginner or an elite athlete, starting with banded pull-ups, negatives, or using an assisted dip/chip machine can help you build up to a full pull-up. Ensuring proper form and fuelling yourself with a balanced meal containing protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs 90-120 minutes before training are essential to achieving your goals."

Recent studies show that upper body strength, like being able to do pull-ups, is linked to longevity. For instance, a 2018 study found that people who could do more than 10 pull-ups had a significantly lower risk of mortality over the next decade. Research from the European Society of Cardiology in 2019 also showed that muscle strength is a better predictor of life expectancy than BMI.

Jade Millner told us - "For women, maintaining upper body strength is especially beneficial as it helps with bone density, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and supports overall functional fitness as we age."

Achieving a perfect pull-up takes time and dedication, especially for women who may face additional challenges. Monica Palumbo, a personal trainer, offers her advice:

"Women generally find pull-ups more challenging due to lower testosterone levels, higher body fat, and physically smaller upper bodies. Focus on strengthening your back muscles, especially the lats, with exercises like lat pulldowns. Start with isometric holds at the top of the pull-up position, then progress to negative pull-ups, and use a band if needed for assistance. This journey can take weeks or months, but it is incredibly empowering for so many women"

If you're just starting with pull-ups or finding them challenging, be assured that there are various modifications and progressions available to help you build strength and gradually work your way up to a complete pull-up.

‘Assisted Pull-Ups’ :

Use resistance bands or an assisted pull-up machine to lessen the burden of your body weight as you lift. This approach enables you to concentrate on form while steadily increasing your strength.

‘Negative Pull-Ups’ :

Start in the top position of a pull-up and lower yourself down. This movement is the perfect way to strengthen the muscles required for execution of a pull-up.

‘Inverted Rows’: 

Commonly referred to as ‘Australian pull-ups’, they can be performed on a lower bar while your feet remain on the ground, facilitating a more manageable pull of your body towards the bar.

‘Lat Pulldowns’ :

Using a lat pulldown machine mimics the pull-up motion and can help build back and arm strength.

Expert advice by Elements Gym Marbella and Tej Maju at The Mito Movement .

We have covered a lot of ground regarding pull-ups but here are some pertinent points to be mindful of:

Number one: consistency with practice is important. Next you can try adding variations of pull-ups or progressions into your workouts a few times each week for a strength boost. Also remember that working on your core is also going to help significantly. Doing core exercises like planks or leg raises will keep your body steady during a pull-up.

Last but not least, develop a good mind-muscle connection. Pay attention to making the lats and other involved muscles work during the movement. Visualisation techniques may be quite effective for developing this connection, which means better activation of muscles and generally performing an exercise.