Pull-up negative

Start at the top with your chin over the bar and lower yourself slowly to straight arms — an effective way to build pulling strength before your first pull-up.

How to do it

1. 01Place a sturdy box or chair under the bar and grip it overhand, slightly wider than your shoulders.
2. 02Step up (or hop lightly) into the top position: chin over the bar, elbows fully bent, shoulders pulled down.
3. 03Lift your feet off the box, brace your abs, keep your legs together and lower yourself evenly over about 3–5 seconds.
4. 04Stay in control all the way down until your arms are completely straight.
5. 05Step back onto the box to return to the top for the next rep — do not pull yourself up from the bottom.

Common mistakes

• Dropping fast through the bottom half — once you cannot lower evenly, the set is over.
• Stopping short of straight arms — lower all the way to a full hang.
• Doing too many in the first sessions — negatives cause a lot of soreness, so start with a few sets of a few reps.

In the Pull-up progression

1. 1Dead hang
2. 2Scapular pull-up
3. 3Flexed-arm hang
4. 4Pull-up negative
5. 5Band-assisted pull-up
6. 6Pull-up

Standard to move on: 3 sets × 5, two sessions in a row.