Paused Pull-Up

Pull-up with a pause at the top with the chin above the bar.

• Compound
• Bodyweight
• Intermediate

How to do it

• Pause for 1–2 s with the chin above the bar, with no swinging
• Set the shoulder blades before pulling: depress the shoulders away from the ears
• Pull until the chin clears the bar and lower until the arms are straight

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 5–12 reps · 1–2 RIR (add weight if you have reps to spare)

Tempo: Pull up without swinging, pause 1–2 s at the top, and lower for 2–3 s under control

Common mistakes

• Swinging (kipping) to get up
• Shortening the pause as fatigue builds

Muscles worked

Primary

• Lats
• Back

Secondary

• Biceps
• Forearm

Alternatives

• Pull-Ups
• Lat Pulldown
• Neutral / Close-Grip Pulldown
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row