Start Strong: How to Get Really REALLY Good at Pull-Ups with Demi Bagby

The elusive pull-up: It looks so easy, but can be so **** hard to get your first one, and even harder to train consistently. But what better time to chase a goal than the start of a new year?

If you're joining us at REP for our Start Strong challenge, you know we've asked you all to go BIG this year with your fitness resolutions. A pull-up may not seem "big", but trust us—by the end of this guide, you'll get it. (Spoiler: It involves Demi Bagby, so, yeah...)

Pull-ups are a gritty, absolute torcher of an upper-body movement. While there are plenty of guides to walk you through the basics of nailing a pull-up, I'm taking things a step further.

That's why I reached out to daredevil, acrobat, and my personal gym-spiration, Demi Bagby. She's currently training for her next big event—something epic that's shrouded in secrecy — and it involves training pull-ups on repeat. Like, hundreds of pull-ups a week.

She gave me a run-down of her best pull-up advice, how to go from zero to 100 pull-ups, plus next-level variations that will help even the most seasoned puller-upper (yep, just made that up) progress to the next level. Let's dive in.

The Basics of A Pull-Up and How to Get Over The Hump

For anyone who has gone through the journey of earning your first pull-up—or maybe you're not quite there yet—you know it's an arduous, sometimes defeating process. Some don't want to mess around hanging from bands on a bar (we've all seen the fail videos that end with a viscious snap to the undercarriage). Some struggle with grip strength. Others get frustrated by the slow progress and non-linear journey.

According to Bagby, trusting the process is key. "Any time spent on a pull-up bar means you're getting stronger," she says. "And no matter how advanced you are, the training is the same. I'm gonna be training pull-ups the same way that someone completely new to pull-ups is training, and that's pretty cool."

Bagby recommends a classic pyramid (or ladder) approach to pull-ups and scaling your way up:

Beginner-friendly movements

• Bar hangs
  
• Ring rows
• Jump-pull ups
• Band-assisted pull-ups

Progressions to level up

• Negative pull-ups
• Bar hangs with a shrug or hold
• Feet-elevated ring rows
• Band-assisted pull-ups with fewer bands or a band with less resistance
• Kipping pull-up

Volume and intensity

Commit to 12 weeks of training and watch your pull-ups go from meh to amazing. Then, if you're feeling saucy, keep it going for the rest of the year.

• Weeks 1-3: Incorporate pull-ups into training 3x a week using movements from the beginner-friendly list. Week over week find ways to increase intensity, whether it be reps, time, or number of exercises.
• Weeks 4-6: You've got the basics, so it's time to move to the progressions list. Stick to training pull-ups at least 3x a week.
• Week 7-9: Time to train your weaknesses! Where do you struggle most? Is it the last few inches to get your chin over the bar or initiating the pull from the bottom of the movement? Maybe it's your grip or something else. Wherever you struggle most, choose movements to train that deficiency. Bar hangs with holds at different angles, adding weight to bar hangs, and slowing down your negative pull-ups are great options for training common pull-up weakness, says Bagby. And when in doubt, hit volume and up the reps of a modification, such as a jump pull-up or band-assisted pull-up.
• Weeks 10-12: You're almost there! Stick to the plan and start to attempt full pull-ups. This is a great movement to start or end workouts with.

The above is a high-level program. If you've got questions or want more detail to hone your training, check out these thorough guides:

• How to Improve Your Pull-Ups
• 11 Different Pull-Up Hand Positions to Try
• Pull-Up Alternatives That Train The Same Muscles

Advanced Pull-Up Progressions to Shred Your Upper Body

Congrats! You've nailed your first pull-up. If you're ready, try some of these leveled-up progressions:

Invisible Step Pull-Ups

If you've ever wanted to be a mime, now is your time to shine. This move gained popularity on the internet as a fitness challenge, and the concept is in the name: From the bar, pretend your feet are standing on an invisible step-ladder or staircase. Pull yourself up every time you take a "step".

Frenchies

Bagby recommends these to anyone looking to perfect their form and technique. The idea is to hit three key points of a pull-up with a hold: dead hang, 90 degrees, and chin above the bar.

L-Sit

It might surprise some to learn how much core strength is involved in pull-ups. The L-Sit engages those core muscles and (mostly) removes your legs from the equation—meaning the work is isolated on that upper body, core, and quads for a spicy pull. Breathe, brace, and get after it.

Shakers or Headbanger Pull-Ups

Because an L-Sit isn't hard enough, someone invented Shakers. Get in L-Sit position with arms at about 90 degrees. Flex and extend your arms horizontally, so your body moves back and forth rather than up and down. Feel the burn, cry, repeat.

Muscle-Ups: Bar

It's like a pull-up, but with a triceps extension at the top. Stay controlled and avoid flailing during the kipping portion of the movement.

Muscle-Ups: Rings

Mastered the muscle-up? Take it to the next level by removing some stability and doing the exercise with rings. Remember, this movement takes strength, balance, control, and concentration.

Typewriter Pull-Ups

Being from the midwest, I'm petitioning to rename these "Corn Cob Pull-Ups", but I digress. Find that flexed pull-up position and in a fluid, controlled movement move laterally across the bar. One arm will be extended while the other is flexed.

Front Lever Hold

Another ab-burner, this move requires a full-body elevated hold. You can add on to this movement by turning it into a crunch (think Lever Hold to an L-Sit motion), adding an inversion, or adding pull-ups to the hold.

Single-Arm Pull-Up

We've reached the top of the mountain. Why do pull-ups with two hands when you can use one? 

Demi's Tips for Getting Really Really Good at Pull-Ups

Other than practicing like crazy (some of her workouts invole 200+ reps of pull-ups), here are some of Bagby's tried-and-true methods for advancing pull-ups.

Chalk, but only sometimes

"I just kind of have sweatier hands," Bagby says laughing. "I'm trying to get used to not using chalk, but I have a ton of it."

Chalk can be a game-changer for improving technique and getting those first few unassisted reps. If it's not for you, great. But for those in the sweaty hands club (it's meeeee), keep some chalk around while you train.

A finger massage ring roller

Bagby gushed about this spring roller the way I gush about spring rolls (ayyy, I'm here all week). It looks like a scrunchy but can be rolled up and down your fingers providing light massage, accupressure, and just delightful sensory relief. All in all, it's her secret to reviving tired hands after crushing pull-ups.

A hang board

This is a climber favorite for a reason. Hang boards strengthen grip and provide an extra challenge when holding your bodyweight from a hanging position.

Attitude

When I asked Bagby about common pull-up mistakes, she said the biggest one is giving up.

"Some people will jump up on a bar to do a pull-up, realize that they can't do it, and then they don't want to work for it because it seems so far away—but it's really not," she says. "It's OK to use a band. It's OK to do jumping pull-ups for a month. It doesn't matter what modification you use because you'll still be getting stronger."

Pull-ups, like any challenge, require an attitude that doesn't sabotage your goals from the jump. You don't have to love the journey, you just have to be willing to take a step. And then another. And another.

Demi's Gear Recs: Equipment Essentials for Training Pull-Ups

• Pull-up bar (check out this pull-up bar comparison guide to find your perfect match)
• Pull-up bands
• Plyo box
• Gymnastics rings
• Dumbbells or Kettlebells
• Chalk

Takeaway

Alright team. That's everything you could ever need to get really freaking good at pull-ups this year. If you've accepted this Start Strong challenge, let us know how you did! Give us a follow and a tag @repfitness.

Ashley Boyer is the Editor in Chief of REP Fitness. She's an ACE-CPT and master's candidate in Sports Performance and Conditioning at Southern Utah University. When not training for obstacle course races, you can find her hanging with her dogs or binging history documentaries.

This article was reviewed by Rosie Borchert, NASM-CPT, for accuracy.