Oh, the dreaded pull-ups. For years we’ve been trying to avoid this lat workout, which seems almost impossible to do. Just when we thought we had pull-ups figured out, we learned that there are tons of mistakes that people usually make when doing this exercise. These are the most common mistakes to avoid when doing a pull-up and how to fix them.
Half Reps or Failure to Train Through Full Range of Motion
Pull-ups engage your upper body muscles and if you don’t do the full range of motion, the exercise isn’t as effective. Doing half reps puts stress on the biceps and leads to neck strain. To fix this, break your sets into smaller reps with a rest period between each set.
Holding the Bar too Wide
Holding the bar too wide leads to pain and overuse injuries to the shoulders and elbows. You won’t be able to fully extend at the shoulders and elbows. Instead, grip the bar just a bit wider than shoulder width apart and bend your elbows and bring your hands up to chest level.
Trying Pull-Ups Before You’re Ready
Doing pull-ups before you’re ready can lead to neck, shoulder, back, arm, and rotator cuff injuries. Before you attempt a pull-up, build up your strength with a lat pull-down machine and use resistance bands on the pull-up machine until you’re strong enough to do them on your own. You can also jump up to the bar and slowly lower yourself down, to build up to the full-range of motion.
