Pull Up

Use an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width and hang from the bar. Pull your shoulders away from your ears and brace your core so your body does not swing side to side.

Pull your body up by driving your elbows down toward your sides. Rather than forcing your chin over the bar, think about bringing your chest toward it so your lats can contribute strongly.

When your chest reaches bar height, squeeze your back briefly and lower without momentum. Keep a small amount of shoulder tension at the bottom instead of dropping completely; this makes the next rep much more stable.

Focus on the area behind your sides shortening as your elbows travel down. If you only feel yourself hanging from your hands, loosen your grip slightly and send your elbows farther back.

Kicking your legs or swinging your body may increase your rep count, but it removes most of the work from your back. Dropping your shoulders completely at the bottom can strain the front of your shoulders, so keep your torso engaged when you reach the bottom.

Exhale as you pull your body up and inhale as you lower. Do not stop breathing; it helps you keep core tension and a consistent tempo.

If the first pull is difficult, practice pulling your shoulders down while hanging. Learning the feeling of engaging your lats first can quickly improve your pull-up. Bands or negative reps can help, but always keep the standard of a body that does not swing.