How to Create a Pull Up Progression Plan at Home

Why "Trying Harder" on Pull-Ups Keeps You Weak

To create a pull up progression plan at home that actually works, you must stop trying to do pull-ups and instead master 4 specific exercises that build the required strength, starting with dead hangs for 30 seconds. If you've ever grabbed a pull-up bar, gritted your teeth, and felt that frustrating sensation of going absolutely nowhere, you know the feeling. It makes you feel weak, but this isn't a strength problem-it's a strategy problem. The reason you can't do a pull-up has nothing to do with a lack of effort. It's because a pull-up is a skill, not just a feat of brute strength. You can't just decide to do one; you have to earn the movement by building the foundation first. The people you see doing effortless pull-ups didn't get there by flailing on the bar. They built the specific muscles and neural pathways required for the movement, piece by piece. Your body is smart; it won't let you pull your full weight if it doesn't trust the stability of your shoulders, the endurance of your grip, or the engagement of your back. This plan bypasses the frustration of failure by focusing on what works: targeted, progressive exercises that guarantee you get stronger in the exact ways a pull-up demands.

The Hidden Strength You're Not Building (And Why It Matters)

A pull-up is not an arm exercise. Read that again. While your arms are involved, the primary movers are the massive muscles in your back-the latissimus dorsi. The number one mistake people make is trying to yank themselves up with their biceps. This is like trying to tow a car with a bicycle. Your biceps will fatigue in seconds, and you won't move. The secret to a powerful pull-up lies in initiating the movement by depressing and retracting your scapulae (shoulder blades). This engages your lats first, turning the movement from an arm exercise into a full-back exercise. Our progression plan is designed specifically to teach you this skill. Here’s why each phase is critical:

1. Dead Hangs: This builds your grip endurance and shoulder stability. Your hands must be able to support your entire bodyweight for the duration of a set of pull-ups. If your grip fails in 10 seconds, you can't possibly do a rep that takes 3-4 seconds. This is your non-negotiable foundation.
2. Scapular Pulls: This is the most important exercise you're not doing. It isolates the first part of the pull-up motion, teaching you to engage your lats without bending your arms. Mastering this ensures you pull with your back, not just your arms.
3. Negative Pull-ups: You are approximately 30-50% stronger in the eccentric (lowering) phase of a movement than the concentric (lifting) phase. By focusing only on lowering yourself slowly, you build specific strength through the exact range of motion needed for a pull-up, but in a way your muscles can actually handle.
4. Assisted Pull-ups: This is the final bridge. Using a band or a chair, you reduce your bodyweight just enough to perform the full movement with good form. This allows you to practice the complete motor pattern and build strength at your weakest points.

Trying to skip any of these steps is why most people stay stuck. They jump straight to Phase 4 without building the foundation, and their progress stalls indefinitely.

Go from zero to your first pull-up.

Track your progression exercises. Watch your pulling strength grow week by week.

The 4-Phase Protocol to Your First Pull-Up

This is your exact roadmap. Follow the progression criteria. Do not skip ahead, even if you feel impatient. The goal is to master each phase before moving to the next. Perform your pull-up training 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days, for example, Monday and Thursday. This gives your muscles 48-72 hours to recover and grow stronger.

Phase 0: The Test (Find Your Starting Point)

Before you begin, you need to know where you stand. Perform these three tests in order. Your result tells you which phase to start with.

• Test 1: Max Dead Hang. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Hang with straight arms. Can you hang for at least 20 seconds? If no, you start at Phase 1.
• Test 2: Scapular Pulls. From a dead hang, pull your shoulder blades down and back, lifting your body 1-2 inches without bending your arms. Can you perform 5 clean, controlled reps? If no, you start at Phase 1, focusing on these after your hangs.
• Test 3: Negative Pull-up. Get your chin over the bar, either by jumping or using a stool. Now, lower yourself as slowly as possible. Can you control the descent for at least 5 seconds? If no, and you passed the first two tests, you start at Phase 2.

Phase 1: Building the Foundation (Target: 4 Weeks)

Your focus here is pure endurance and activation. This phase is boring, but it's the most critical.

• Workout: 3 sets of Max-Second Dead Hangs. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. Follow this with 3 sets of 5-8 Scapular Pulls.
• Progression Goal: To exit this phase, you must be able to complete 3 sets of 30-second dead hangs and 3 sets of 8 perfect scapular pulls. Each session, try to add 2-3 seconds to your hangs or one rep to your scapular pulls.

Phase 2: Building Eccentric Strength (Target: 4 Weeks)

Now we build the raw strength for the pull.

• Workout: Start with a warm-up of 2 sets of 15-second hangs and 5 scapular pulls. Then, perform 4 sets of 3-5 Negative Pull-ups. Rest 90 seconds between sets.
• Progression Goal: Start with a 3-second descent. Your goal is to increase this time. Once you can successfully perform 4 sets of 5 reps, each with a controlled 5-second descent, you are strong enough to move on.

Phase 3: Bridging the Gap (Target: 4 Weeks)

Here, you practice the full movement with assistance.

• Workout: After your warm-up, perform 3-4 sets of 3-5 Assisted Pull-ups. Rest 90 seconds.
• How to Assist: The best tool is a set of resistance bands. Loop a thick band over the bar and place one foot or knee in it. The band will give you the most help at the bottom, which is the hardest part. As you get stronger, you will switch to a thinner band. A chair assist is another option, but it's harder to measure progress.
• Progression Goal: Your goal is to use less assistance over time. Start with a band that allows you to get 5 reps. When you can do 3 sets of 5, switch to the next thinner band. When you can do 3-5 reps with the thinnest band, you're ready.

Phase 4: Your First Pull-Up and Beyond

After mastering Phase 3, you are ready. At the very beginning of your next workout, when you are completely fresh, attempt one unassisted pull-up. Focus on the form you learned: scapular pull first, then drive with the back. If you get it, congratulations. If not, spend another week in Phase 3 and try again. Once you get your first rep, your new goal is to do two. You can achieve this by adding reps to your first set each week or by doing single reps throughout the day, a method called "Greasing the Groove."

Your entire pull-up plan in one place.

Every hang, negative, and assisted rep logged. Proof you're getting stronger.

What Your Pull-Up Journey Will Actually Look Like

Forget the 30-day challenges you see online. Building the strength for a true pull-up takes time and consistency. Setting realistic expectations is the key to not quitting.

• Weeks 1-2: This will feel awkward. Your forearms and hands will be sore. Your hang time might only increase by a few seconds per workout. You might feel like you're not making any progress. This is a lie. You are building the critical tendon and grip strength that prevents injury later. This small progress is the most important progress.
• Month 1 (Weeks 1-4): By the end of the first month, you should have solidly passed Phase 1. You'll be able to hang for 30 seconds without issue and perform clean scapular pulls. You will not be any closer to doing a pull-up, and that is exactly where you should be. You've successfully built the foundation. Most people quit here because they don't feel the 'big' result yet. Don't be most people.
• Months 2-3 (Weeks 5-12): This is where you'll feel the magic happen. During the negatives phase, you'll feel a new level of control. When you move to bands, you'll feel what a real pull-up is supposed to feel like. Your first unassisted pull-up will likely happen somewhere between week 8 and week 12. For some, especially those with a higher body weight, it could take 16 weeks or more. The timeline doesn't matter. The consistent effort does.
• Warning Signs: If you feel a sharp pain in your elbow or shoulder, you are progressing too quickly or using poor form. Immediately go back one phase and focus on perfect, pain-free execution. If you stall and make zero progress for 3 consecutive weeks, look at your recovery: Are you sleeping 7-8 hours per night? Are you eating enough protein (at least 0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight)? Progress doesn't happen in the workout; it happens during recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pull-Ups vs. Chin-Ups: Which Is Better?

A pull-up uses an overhand (pronated) grip and is harder because it relies more on your back. A chin-up uses an underhand (supinated) grip, involves more bicep, and is generally easier. You can use this exact progression plan for either. Many people achieve their first chin-up before their first pull-up.

Required Training Frequency

Train your pull-up progression 2 to 3 times per week. Your muscles do not grow during the workout; they grow during recovery. Training every day is a fast track to tendonitis and burnout, not faster results. Allow at least 48 hours between sessions.

The Role of Body Weight

Body weight is a significant factor. A pull-up is a measure of relative strength-how strong you are for your size. Every extra pound of body fat is dead weight you have to lift. Combining this plan with a modest calorie deficit of 250-300 calories per day will make achieving your first pull-up dramatically easier.

Alternative Exercises Without a Bar

If you do not have a pull-up bar, you cannot practice the specific skill of a pull-up. However, you can build the same muscles. The best alternative is the Inverted Row, which can be done using a sturdy table or TRX straps. Supplement this with heavy dumbbell rows to build pulling strength.

When to Expect the First Pull-Up

For a person with average body composition who trains consistently 2-3 times per week, 8 to 12 weeks is a realistic timeframe to get your first clean rep. If you are starting with a higher body weight or are less consistent, it could take 4 to 6 months. This is a marathon, not a sprint.