What to Do If You Can't Do a Single Pull Up

The Real Reason You Can't Do a Pull Up (It's Not Just Strength)

If you're wondering what to do if you can't do a single pull up, the answer is to stop trying and instead build the required strength with three specific exercises: negative pull-ups, inverted rows, and dead hangs. It’s a frustrating feeling, standing under the bar, knowing what you want to do but your body just won't respond. You pull with everything you have, and nothing happens. It makes you feel weak, and it’s easy to think you’re just not built for it. That’s wrong. A pull-up is not a starting exercise; it’s a final exam. It requires you to lift 100% of your bodyweight, a feat that demands significant strength across your entire upper body. Think about it: you wouldn't walk into a gym for the first time and try to bench press 200 pounds. You'd start with 95 pounds and work your way up. A pull-up is the same concept, but the starting weight is your own body. The issue isn't a simple lack of 'strength.' It's a deficit in the specific muscles required for the movement: your latissimus dorsi (lats), biceps, rear deltoids, and the forearm muscles that control your grip. You don't get a pull-up by failing at pull-ups. You earn it by mastering the exercises that build the foundation for it.

Why Just "Trying" Guarantees You'll Fail

The biggest mistake people make is treating the pull-up as a practice drill. They jump up, flail for a second, and drop. They do this a few times and call it a workout. This achieves nothing. To build muscle and strength, you need to create muscular tension for a specific duration, known as 'time under tension,' within a specific rep range-usually 5 to 12 reps for muscle growth. If you can't do one rep, your time under tension is zero. Your training volume is zero. You cannot build strength with zero volume. It's like trying to learn a song by only playing the first note incorrectly over and over. You're not learning; you're just reinforcing failure. Many people turn to the assisted pull-up machine, thinking it's the solution. It's not. The machine provides the most help at the bottom of the movement-the hardest part-and the least help at the top. This teaches your body a faulty movement pattern and builds a false sense of progress. Going from 100 pounds of assistance to 90 pounds of assistance does not mean you are 10% closer to a real pull-up. It means you're just getting better at using the machine. The goal isn't to do an assisted pull-up; it's to build the raw, unassisted strength to conquer the bar on your own. You have to train the movement with 100% of your bodyweight, but in a way you can actually control. That's where the real work begins.

So you know the problem: you can't get effective training volume if you can't do a single rep. You need exercises that let you work the same muscles with less than 100% of your bodyweight, or control 100% of it in one direction. But how do you track your progress on those exercises to know you're actually getting closer to that first pull-up? How can you be certain the work you're doing today will pay off in 8 weeks?

Finally get your first pull-up.

Track your progression exercises. See your strength grow week by week.

The 3-Exercise Protocol to Your First Pull-Up

This isn't about hope. It's a clear, measurable plan. You will perform these three exercises twice a week on non-consecutive days (e.g., Monday and Thursday). Your only job is to track your numbers and beat them in the next session. This is how you build undeniable strength.

Step 1: Master the Negative Pull-Up

The most important exercise for getting your first pull-up is the negative. This focuses on the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement, where you are strongest. This is how you train with 100% of your bodyweight, even if you can't lift it yet.

• How to do it: Place a box or bench under the pull-up bar. Use it to jump to the top position of the pull-up, with your chin cleared over the bar. Hold that top position for one full second.
• The Work: From the top, begin lowering your body as slowly and controlled as possible. Fight gravity the entire way down until your arms are fully extended. The goal is a 5 to 8-second descent.
• The Progression: Start with a goal of 3 sets of 3-5 negative reps. Your first few attempts might only last 2-3 seconds. That's fine. Your goal next session is 3 seconds. Then 4. Once you can successfully complete 3 sets of 8 reps, each with a controlled 5-second descent, you are likely strong enough to attempt your first full pull-up.

Step 2: Build Horizontal Pulling Strength with Inverted Rows

While negatives build vertical pulling strength, inverted rows build the muscles in your mid-back and arms from a different angle, creating a more well-rounded foundation. This is your primary volume-building exercise.

• How to do it: Set a barbell in a squat rack at about waist height. Lie on the floor underneath it. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than your shoulders. Keeping your body in a straight line from heels to head, pull your chest up to the bar.
• The Work: Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top. Lower yourself back down with control. Do not let your hips sag.
• The Progression: The difficulty is determined by the angle of your body. To make it easier, set the bar higher so your body is more upright. To make it harder, lower the bar so your body is more parallel to the floor. Start at an angle where you can complete 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Once you can do 3 sets of 12 reps at a given height, lower the bar one notch for the next session.

Step 3: Increase Grip Endurance with Dead Hangs

Your lats and biceps might be strong enough, but if your grip gives out halfway through the rep, you fail. Grip is the essential link in the chain, and it's often the first to break.

• How to do it: Simply grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip and hang. Engage your shoulders-don't just be a dead weight. Pull your shoulder blades down slightly, as if you're trying to protect your ears with your shoulders.
• The Work: Hang on for as long as you can maintain good form. This is a test of endurance.
• The Progression: Perform 3 sets of max-effort holds at the end of your workout. Your first holds might be 15-20 seconds. That's your baseline. Next time, aim for 22 seconds. Your target is to build up to 3 sets of 60-second holds. A 60-second hang proves you have the grip endurance to handle multiple pull-ups, let alone one.

Your 12-Week Timeline: What to Expect (And When to Test)

Progress isn't magic; it's a predictable outcome of consistent, measurable effort. Here is a realistic timeline for what you should experience if you stick to the 3-exercise protocol twice a week.

• Weeks 1-4: The Foundation Phase. This phase is about learning the movements and establishing a baseline. Your negative pull-ups will feel fast and uncontrolled, maybe lasting only 2-3 seconds. Your inverted rows will likely be at a high, near 45-degree angle. Your dead hangs might feel impossible after 20 seconds. Do not get discouraged. This is normal. Your only job is to show up, do the work, and write down your numbers. Consistency is the only goal.
• Weeks 5-8: The Strength Phase. You will notice a significant change here. Your negative reps will feel more controlled, slowing down to the 5-second target. You will have lowered the bar on your inverted rows at least once or twice. Your dead hangs will be pushing past the 30 or 40-second mark. You are getting objectively stronger. At the end of Week 8, after your workout, rest for 5 minutes and attempt one real pull-up. If you get it, congratulations. If you get halfway, that's a huge win. If you barely move, you still have valuable data. You just need more time.
• Weeks 9-12: The Peak Phase. Continue the progression. If you got your first pull-up, your new goal is to do 1 pull-up, then finish the set with 4-5 negative reps. You'll build on that. If you didn't get it at week 8, these next four weeks are often where it finally clicks. The accumulated strength from the past two months pays off. By the end of week 12, the vast majority of people who follow this plan consistently will achieve their first clean, unassisted pull-up. It will feel earned, because it was.

That's the plan. Three exercises, twice a week. Track your negative time, your row reps, and your hang duration. Every session, you need to know exactly what you did last time so you can beat it. Trying to remember if you did 10 rows or 11 last Thursday is a recipe for staying stuck. This plan works, but only if you track the numbers.

Your first pull-up. Tracked.

Every exercise logged. Proof you're getting stronger and closer to your goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pull-Ups vs. Chin-Ups

A chin-up uses an underhand grip (palms facing you), which recruits more bicep and is generally easier for beginners. It's an excellent first goal. The same 3-exercise progression works perfectly for building chin-up strength. Master the chin-up first, and the pull-up will be much closer.

The Role of Body Weight

Losing excess body fat makes pull-ups significantly easier. Every pound of fat lost is one less pound you have to lift. If you weigh 200 pounds, losing 10 pounds is a 5% reduction in the weight you need to pull. Combine this strength plan with a sensible 300-500 calorie deficit for the fastest results.

Using Resistance Bands

Bands can be a tool, but they have a major flaw: they provide the most assistance at the bottom of the pull-up (the hardest part) and the least at the top. This is the opposite of what you need to build strength where you are weakest. Negative pull-ups are superior because they force you to control 100% of your bodyweight through the entire range of motion.

What If I'm Still Stuck After 12 Weeks?

First, be honest about your consistency and intensity. Were you truly fighting for every second on your negatives? Did you progress your rows? If you did everything right, you are much stronger. Now, add one more exercise: the Lat Pulldown. Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps with a heavy weight, focusing on pulling the bar to your chest.

Training Frequency

Perform this routine 2 times per week on non-consecutive days, such as Monday and Thursday, or Tuesday and Friday. Your muscles grow during recovery, not during the workout. Training more often than this will likely hinder your progress by not allowing for adequate recovery and adaptation.