Pull-ups: the enemy of many, and the pride of some, few exercises draw such visceral reactions out of people! People may not think of home as the setting to build pull-up strength, but that is just not the case. With a solid over the door pull-up bar, especially paired with a set of rings, as we have from Gronk Fitness in our Home Gym Package, you can go from zero to pull-up hero in no time! So how do you do it? It’s all about the nuances, and today we’ll focus on 4 top methods to build your pull-up strength at home.

1. Build Pull-Up Strength with Bodyweight

1 - Ring Rows: secure two rings from the pull-up bar and pull yourself up while driving your elbows back behind you. These are great because they build up the strength of your pulling muscles working with your own bodyweight. They can also easily be made easier or harder by stepping your feet forward or backward.

2 - Hanging: improving your grip strength and comfort hanging from a bar is important to progress to pull-ups, and you have all you need at home. Dead Hangs are a great way to start here, and are as easy as they sound, just hang on to the bar! Hanging Leg Raises are a great progression to add some movement and develop your core. Perform these by raising your legs up as high as you can while staying stable, with knees either bent or straight, depending on difficulty.

2. Perform Negative Reps

1 - Jump and Hold: The top part of pull-up strength is the hardest part for many, so how do you improve it? Spend time there! Jump up, or step up to the top position then hold it, depending on strength level, as little as 1 second, or as many as 15 seconds before progressing to full reps, or resisted lowering.

2 - Resisted Lowering: Once you get up to the top, you probably want to get down as fast as possible, but not so fast! Take your time, enjoy the view, and squeeze as hard as you can to lower yourself down. Doing so will develop strength in the muscles you need to pull yourself up from the start.

While it's easy to read information or watch a video on improving pull-up strength, working with a coach is the best way to progress. We're offering a session for you at no cost! Sign up for a complimentary workout here, and to get set up with your pull-up bar and ring set-up, order your Gronk Fitness Home Gym GHF Package!