Negative Pull-Up

The bridge to your first pull-up: jump or step up and resist the way down. The eccentric phase tolerates more load than the concentric.

• Compound
• Bodyweight
• Beginner

How to do it

• Start with your chin above the bar
• Lower in 3–5 s to straight arms
• Keep shoulders active and legs together

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 3–6 negatives · 3–5 s each

Tempo: Lower in 3–5 s, controlled from start to finish; go back up the easy way

Common mistakes

• Dropping through the second half of the range
• Doing so many that the lowering is no longer controlled

Muscles worked

Primary

• Lats

Secondary

• Biceps
• Forearm
• Core / abs

Alternatives

• Band-Assisted Pull-Up
• Pull-Ups
• Inverted Row