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15.

That’s the number of pull-ups I am hoping to be able to do in my first set today.

Will I do it? I don’t know. But because I’m writing this on Monday, check out my Instagram to see if I made it happen or not.

For the past 6 months (maybe longer), I have been meaning to work on my pull-ups. But like they say, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

As much as I said I wanted to work on getting better, I didn’t. Call it laziness, business or just not caring enough.

That all changed when I fell and heard the instant “crack” in my legs.

I wanted something I could focus on over the 6 weeks my leg would be healing. I needed something to put energy into and help the time pass by.

The night we were in the ER, I looked at Dan and told him “If my legs are going to get weak, I can at least focus on getting the strongest upper body possible. Push-ups and pull-ups… here I come.”

You guys already know about my close grip push-up goals. But not the specifics of the pull-up goals.

I’ve found this program and have been working on pull-ups 5 days a week. It’s working.

At the start I did 8 reps… granted that was with a 2-lb boot on my leg, but regardless it was 8 reps. I kick off week 4 today (which is actually yesterday) and I’m excited to see how it’s going.

What does this long pull-up story have to do with you?

I’m going to teach you how to do your first pull-up.

Why Pull-ups Are Hard For Women

When female marines have a hard time completing 3 pull-ups then clearly it’s a tough move.

But why?

Why do women have such a hard time mastering the pull-up compared to men?

Good question, I’m thrilled you asked!

You probably know that women naturally have less muscle than men. But did you know that a woman’s “natural” upper body is only about 50-60% as strong as a man’s?

In fact, MRI studies at Ohio State University found that women have about 40% less upper-body mass than men.

So basically, we have to work 40-60% harder to accomplish challenging upper body moves.

Mind blown?

How To Pull-up

Does this mean that pull-ups are out of the question? Hell no! It means you have to focus your training and give them an extra 50% effort.

If anything, it should fuel you more. A woman doing pull-ups is badass and a huge accomplishment. If you can already do them, give yourself a standing ovation.

If you can’t… let’s get you a standing ovation. What do you say?

Here’s a pull-up progression guide that if followed will help you get your chin over the bar.

First things first… defining the pull-up.

Pull-ups are performed hanging from a part, with hands facing away from you. Should the hands be turned, this is a chin-up. For women, typically a chin-up is easier because we have stronger arms than backs.

But let’s not settle for the easy option, if we’re going to do this let’s do this.

The 5 Step Pull-up Progression For Women

How often should you work on pull-ups? Dedicate just 3 days of training per week towards your pull-up goal. Avoid back to back days. And have patience. It’s not going to happen overnight, but stick with it. You’ll get there!

I am not going to re-state this at the end of each step, but at the end of your pull-up training each day, give 1 pull-up a try. That’s it… just a single pull-up.

For many women new to pull-ups, their grip is the weak link. If hanging from a bar is a challenge, then that’s where you want to start.

• Hang from a bar and aim for 15-seconds. Rest for 15-seconds and repeat. If this is easy, increase the hang by 5 seconds.
• Work your way up to being able to hang for 30 seconds for 5 sets.
• Above I am using Fat Gripz… an awesome grip tool but not necessary!

For more exercises on grip strength, read this post.

You can simultaneously be working on grip strength and step 2.

Step two is beginning to train the back muscles (the latissimus dorsi, teres major, infraspinatus and teres minor) to lift your body straight. While hanging from the bar will engage the muscles, it’s time to start contracting them.

Reverse rows are great for doing just that.

• Start with 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 60s rest between each.
• You may have to start with your feet closer to your body at first. As you increase strength, you’ll be able to walk the body farther and farther away.
• Once you’re able to have your feet completely out in front (on the heels) and can perform each set with 12+ reps, it’s time to move on.

Don’t have a low bar?

If you don’t have a low bar like above, you can also grab a stool and place it out in front of your pull-up bar. Place your feet on the top of the stool and complete the reps the same way. ← An important reason for grip strength!

Step 3 involves increasing the load you are lifting by changing the position of the body. With the reverse rows, the angle prevents you from lifting a large portion of your weight.

Now, we’re going to increase the load.

Band pull-ups are amazing for not only increasing the difficulty but teaching proper pull-up form. You are literally doing pull-ups, just a bit assisted. You’ll increase your confidence and learn to use your core for the move.

Bands come in all different thicknesses. My suggestion? Get a beginner one (with a good amount of assistance) and a thinner one to move to. Or a small pack like this one (affiliate link).

• The goal is to once again perform 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 60s of rest between sets.
• It’s okay if you aren’t able to complete 8 reps yet. Do as many as you can, then when you can’t do any more complete the rep as much as possible. If that means bending the arms only slightly, that is okay.

Don’t have a band?

A second option is to use the stool that you used above. Place it close enough so that when your feet are on the stool, your body is at a 90-degree angle. You should be hanging straight below the bar with a 90-degree bend at the waist.

Make it more challenging by using a shorter stool. As you get stronger, continue to choose a shorter chair or table to place your feet on making more weight come down to lift.

Step 4 already! You’re cruising on your way to a big girl pull-up!

For negatives, you will activate muscles and increase strength rapidly!

• To execute the move, jump yourself up to the top of the pull-up (or use a chair/box).
• Hold at the top for a count of 3, then lower down to full extension slowly. If you can, make the lowering down portion last 5 seconds.
• Hang at the bottom for an additional 3 seconds before repeating the entire movement.
• Complete 3-4 sets of 5-8 reps with 90s of rest between each. When you’re able to do all reps with the suggested time restrictions, it’s time to move forward.

The final step… time to execute the real deal pull-up! You’ve worked hard, you have it in you! Look at the bar, take a deep breath and go for it. There is no room for doubt.

If you can do a single rep, it’s a success! Way to go! You’ve done what 55% of US Marine Corp women can’t do.

That’s a sweet feeling! One worth giving yourself a standing ovation over!

Additional Training Is Important

While those are the critical steps to get your first true hanging pull-up, don’t forgo training other areas too.

It’s important to always work the opposite muscles for balanced training: your chest. Make sure to regularly do push-ups or bench press to have a solid training plan.

Also doing moves like bicep curls, kettlebell swings and cleans, and bent over rows can help train the pull-up muscles faster and more complete.

If you’ve ever said, “man, I wish I could do a pull-up,” this is for you. Stop being like me, always making excuses as to why not to do it and just go for it.

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