mastering

the

almighty

Pullup
training
plans for
every
level.
Yo u t a k e
on the
challenge,
we help
you clear
t h e b a r.
STRENGTH
AND GROWTH
COME ONLY
THROUGH
CONTINUOUS
EFFORT AND
STRUGGLE.
The pullup is the ultimate bodyweight strength we’re here to help you out. Read on to
exercise, but it’s also the most frustrating to discover what it takes to clear the bar, as well
learn. Whether you’re starting from scratch as 3 training plans designed for every athlete
or looking to improve your pullup technique, to master the pullup in just a matter of weeks.
CONTENTS
04 06

why it’s become what

the go-to is a perfect

strength exercise pullup

the training plans

08 10 12

starting more maximum

from Pullups performance

scratch please the advanced

training plan
the beginners the intermediate
training plan training plan

15 16

put your glossary

new-found skill

to the test
WHY IT’S BECOME
THE GO-TO
STRENGTH EXERCISE
the pullup is an exercise that functionally trains the
arms, back and shoulder muscles in synergy. When
you perform Pullups, the lats, biceps, as well as the
muscles that stabilize the shoulder blades (rhomboids,
trapezius, teres major and rotator cuff) respond by
growing and getting stronger. These bicep busters
are also a great core exercise to develop the abs and
obliques. It’s no doubt that Pullups should be a part
of every athlete’s training routine, the question is why
are they so damn difficult?

trapezius

rhomboids
rotator cuff

biceps

teres major

lats

biceps

core

lats
lifting your entire bodyweight requires
strength, mobility, coordination and control. Men
naturally possess more upper body muscle mass
and therefore potential for strength. But this does
not mean that they are unattainable for women.
We just have to set the standards right. Due to the
fact that from a evolutionary standpoint women
are not as strong in push and pull movement
patterns, achieving one pullup is an amazing
display of strength.
WHAT IS
A PERFECT PULLUP?
freeletics is all about technique and execution.
So before we go any further, it’s important you know
what we consider a perfect pullup.

# E a r nYo u r S ta r

at the bottom at the top

shoulders

not shrugged

towards

arms
chin over ears

locked
the bar

elbows

neck f u l ly

should not flexed

be tense

straight

back

core legs straight

engaged and in front of

the body

KEEPING THE TENSION, LOWER

YOUR BODY IN A SLOW AND
CONTROLLED MANNER.
the

training

plans

SUCCESS IS
THE SUM
OF SMALL
EFFORTS.
REPEATED.
DAY IN,
DAY OUT.
BUILDING STRENGTH:
THE BEGINNERS
TRAINING PLAN
if you can’t yet perform one strict pullup or
can do up to 2 full repetitions with decent form,
this is the perfect training plan to get you started
and utilize the muscles required to perform your
first, or first few, Pullups.
Start with a max. rep test* before you begin the
training plan. You’ll be asked to repeat this at the
end so you can measure your progress to see
how far you’ve come. After the first max rep test,
take a couple of days rest to allow your muscles to
be fully recovered before you begin the training
plan. Every training day starts with a warmup and
preparation session to prepare your muscles and
prevent injury.

week 1

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

Negative Pullup*
lowering your body 3–5 5 90s
for 3-5 seconds

week 2

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

3
Set 1: hold for 30s
Pullup Hold* 1 90s
Set 2: hold for 25s
Set 3: hold for 20s

continues on next page

 week 3

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

Assisted Pullup* max. 5 90s

week 4

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

Jumping Pullup* 3–5 5 90s

FOCUS ON STICKING TO THESE 3 TRAINING DAYS FOR 4 WEEKS, WITH A BREAK

OF 1 DAY IN BETWEEN, AND THEN TRY THE MAX. REP TEST AGAIN AT THE END
TO COMPARE YOUR RESULTS. STAY CONSISTENT.
IMPROVING EFFICIENCY:
THE INTERMEDIATE
TRAINING PLAN
can you do 3-10 unbroken strict Pullups with
decent form and now want to progress to the next
level? Then it’s time to focus on your efficiency.
Right now, you’ve got the basic strength but
by following this training plan you will become
technically sound, therefore wasting as little
energy as possible.
Start with a max. rep test* before you begin. You’ll be
asked to repeat this at the end so you can measure your
progress to see how far you’ve come. After the first max.
rep test, take a couple of days rest to allow your muscles
to be fully recovered before you begin the training plan.
Every training day starts with a warmup and preparation
session to prepare your muscles and prevent injury.

week 1

3 – 5 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

50% of your
Pullups 5 120s
pullup max.

week 2

3 – 5 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

50% of your
Pullups 7 120s
pullup max.

continues on next page

 week 3

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

50% of your
Pullups 10 120s
pullup max.

week 4

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest
exercise reps sets
(between sets)

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s

Strict Pullup max. 3 120s

FOCUS ON STICKING TO THESE 3 TRAINING DAYS FOR 4 WEEKS, WITH A

BREAK OF 1 DAY IN BETWEEN, AND THEN TRY THE MAX. REP TEST AGAIN
AT THE END TO COMPARE YOUR RESULTS. STAY CONSISTENT.
NEUROMUSCULAR
STRENGTHENING: THE ADVANCED
TRAINING PLAN
if you can perform more than 10 unbroken, strict
Pullups with good form then we’ll assume you’re
technically sound, proficient and efficient with your
Pullups. What you need now is further energy system
adaptation, neuromuscular strengthening and
metabolic conditioning. This plan uses a method,
called greasing the groove. Here we aim to train
your anaerobic energy system to withstand fatigue
along with intramuscular coordination for greater
maximum strength.
Before you begin the training plan, test how many
Pullups you can perform with an added weight of
10% of your own body weight. This allows you to
measure your progress after the 4 weeks to see
how far you’ve come. After this, take a couple
of days rest to allow your muscles to be fully
recovered before you begin the training plan.
Every pullup training day starts with a warmup and
preparation session to prepare your muscles and
prevent injury.

week 1

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest added
exercise reps sets
(between sets) weight

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 - -

Shoulder
warmup 8 – 10 3 60s -
Pullup*

Weighted Work up to
5 4 120s
Pullups* 5RM*

Pullups 8 – 12 1 - -

continues on next page

 week 2

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest added
exercise reps sets (between
sets) weight

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 - -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s -

50% of max.
Weighted Pullups 5 5 120s weight of
week 1

Negative Pullup* more than

lowering your body 3 3 120s max. weight of
for 3-5 seconds week 1: 10kg+

week 3

3 TIMES PER WEEK

rest added
exercise reps sets (between
sets) weight

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 - -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s -

Work up to
5RM*
Weighted Pullups 5 4 120s
(aim for more
than week 1)

Pullups 8 – 12 1 - -

continues on next page

 week 4

3 times per week

rest added
exercise reps sets (between
sets) weight

warmup Passive Hang* 30s 1 - -

warmup Shoulder Pullup* 8 – 10 3 60s -

50% of max.
Weighted Pullups 5 5 120s weight of
week 3

Negative Pullup*
More than
lowering your
3 3 120s max. weight of
body for 3-5
week 3: 10kg+
seconds

FOCUS ON STICKING TO THESE 3 TRAINING DAYS FOR 4 WEEKS, WITH A

BREAK OF 1 DAY IN BETWEEN, AND THEN TRY THE MAX. REP TEST AGAIN
AT THE END TO COMPARE YOUR RESULTS. STAY CONSISTENT.
PUT YOUR
NEW-FOUND SKILL
TO THE TEST
certain freeletics god workouts were designed to
test your pullup skills. Time to take on the challenge
and show them what you’ve learned.

beginner & intermediate

ares kyklops

herakles perseus

advanced

achilles hades

aias krios

ares orion

artemis pegasos

chimera poseidon
GLOSSARY
A technique with many sets but low
greasing reps as to never bring the muscles
to full exhaustion. This method
the prevents you from getting tired
of it, therefore allowing the brain
groove to strengthen the neuromuscular
pathways more efficiently. The
main focus during these reps
should be perfect form. The better
the form is, the better your brain
learns the movement.
This means doing as many
max. rep repetitions as possible without
failure. As soon as you are
test unable to pull yourself over the
bar for one last repetition,
stop counting.
The “5-Repetition Maximum” is
5RM the maximum amount of weight
that you can possibly lift for 5
clean repetitions.
Hanging from bar with straight
passive arms and feet off the ground.
hang
Hanging from a bar with
shoulder straight arms and feet off
the ground. Then moving the
pullup shoulders down and away
from the ears by squeezing
the shoulder blades back
and down.
TO ACHIEVE THE
IMPOSSIBLE YOU MUST
FIRST ATTEMPT IT.
A pullup variation that
negative focuses on a slow lowering
phase, also called the
pullup eccentric part of an
exercise. Rather than
performing a full pullup, you
start from the top and just
lower yourself for a certain
amount of seconds.
A pullup variation that includes
pullup a static hold at the top. This
requires you to hold your chin
hold above the bar for a certain
amount of seconds.
Doing a pullup with a
assisted resistance band to help you at
the hardest part of the pulling
pullup up phase.
A pullup variation that includes
jumping jumping up with your chin over
the bar and then lowering
pullup yourself slow and controlled.
Pullups with additional weight
weighted using a weight belt or holding
a dumbbell in between the
pullups legs. This exercise enables
you to lift more than your
bodyweight.