Pull-Up
Primary muscles: Latissimus dorsi · Biceps · Core
Overview
The pull-up is one of the most fundamental and essential upper-body pulling exercises in CrossFit. It strengthens the back, arms, and core all at once, and is widely regarded as the most efficient bodyweight movement for building practical, functional strength.
The starting position is a dead hang: grip the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away) at shoulder width or slightly wider, with the arms fully extended. This start matters a great deal. Before you pull, set your shoulder blades down and back (scapular setting) so your shoulders don't shrug up toward your ears. Skipping this preparation significantly raises the risk of shoulder injury.
To begin the pull, think of the back muscles (lats and rhomboids) contracting first and drawing your body upward. Pull until your chin clears the bar, and pausing briefly at the top maximizes muscle contraction. On the way down, resist gravity and lower slowly under control — this eccentric contraction builds strength and muscle faster.
CrossFit also uses the kipping pull-up and the butterfly pull-up. Kipping uses swing momentum to perform more reps quickly, which suits high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and metcon WODs where explosive output matters. To kip safely, however, it is recommended that you first build at least 10 strict pull-ups.
Consistent pull-up training builds functional strength, and also improves posture, shoulder stability, and upper-body muscle development. It is a key exercise for strengthening the back muscles that tend to weaken in people who sit for long hours.
Step-by-step
Grip the bar
Grab the bar overhand at shoulder width or wider and hang with arms fully extended.
Set the shoulders
Pull the shoulder blades down and open the chest to stabilize the shoulders.
Start the pull
Engage the lats first and drive the elbows toward your ribs.
Reach the top
Pull until the chin clears the bar and pause briefly.
Controlled descent
Lower slowly, keeping tension in the eccentric phase, back to the start position.
Technical Standards
Start from a dead hang with arms fully extended
Grip the bar overhand, at shoulder width or wider
Set the shoulder blades down (scapular setting) to protect the shoulders
Pull until the chin is clearly above the bar
Keep the torso stable with no kicking or swinging (strict standard)
Lower slowly and under control with an eccentric contraction
Common Faults
Shoulder shrug: shoulders rise toward the ears at the start, causing shoulder impingement
Half rep: the elbows do not fully extend or the chin does not clear the bar
Excessive forward swing: the core is not engaged, so the body sways back and forth and injury risk rises
Dropping too fast: coming down explosively sends shock into the shoulder joint
Scaling
Banded pull-up — loop a resistance band over the bar and place a foot or knee in it to reduce the load. Or substitute ring rows to activate the back muscles first.
Negative pull-up — jump to the top of the bar, then lower yourself slowly over 5–8 seconds, training only the eccentric phase.
Weighted pull-up — attach extra load with a dip belt or backpack to maximize strength and muscle growth.
WODs featuring this movement
Fran
Sub-3 min (Elite), Under 5 min (Competitive), Under 10 min (Recreational)
Helen
Sub-9 min (Elite), Under 12 min (Competitive), Under 15 min (Recreational)
Eva
Under 40 min (Elite), Under 50 min (Recreational)
Mary
20-minute AMRAP - 10+ rounds (Elite), 6+ rounds (Competitive)
Barbara
Under 20 min (Elite), Each round under 4 min
Chelsea
Goal: complete the 30-minute EMOM
Cindy
20-minute AMRAP - 20+ rounds (Elite), 12+ rounds (Competitive), 8+ rounds (Recreational)
Jackie
Sub-8 min (Elite), Under 12 min (Competitive), Under 18 min (Recreational)
Lynne
Score-based - 150+ total reps (Elite)
Nicole
20-min AMRAP - 100+ total Pull-ups (Elite)
Murph
Sub-40 min (Elite), Under 55 min (Competitive), Under 70 min (Recreational)
Danny
20-minute AMRAP - 5+ rounds (Elite), 3+ rounds (Competitive)
26.1
AMRAP 15 min (score: completed reps)
25.2
For Time (12-min cap)
25.1
AMRAP 15 min (score: completed reps)
24.5
For Time (20-min cap)
24.1
For Time (15-min cap)
23.2
AMRAP 15 min (score: completed reps)
23.1
For Time (12-min cap)
22.3
For Time (12-min cap)
22.2
For Time (20-min cap)
21.4
AMRAP 12 min (score: completed reps)
21.2
For Time (20-min cap)
20.5
AMRAP 7 min (score: completed reps)
19.5
AMRAP 20 min (score: completed reps)
19.4
For Time (12-min cap)
18.5
AMRAP 7 min (score: completed reps)
16.1
20-minute AMRAP