Your first pull-up: the 4-step progression

Your first pull-up: the 4-step progression

The exact ladder I use with every client, from dead hang to full rep.

MMaya Santos

August 11, 2026

Nobody is born able to do a pull-up. Every single client who got their first one followed the same four steps, including Priya, who got hers at 34 after two years of thinking she couldn't.

Step 1: Own the dead hang

Before you pull anything, you need 30 seconds of relaxed hanging and 20 seconds of active hanging (shoulders pulled down). Grip is almost always the first limiter. Fix it here.

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