Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor, and holds certifications as a personal trainer and weightlifting coach. She has been writing about health for over 10 years. “Be able to do a ...

In its simplest terms, the pull-up seems pretty basic: hang from a bar, then pull yourself up to it. It’s not complicated, but that sure doesn’t mean that it’s easy. In fact, this bodyweight, no-fancy ...

Ahhh, that first pull-up feeling. I’d say it took me about two years from knowing what a pull-up was to being able to do one, which sort of just…happened, in September 2020, on my home pull-up bar.

“Be able to do a pull-up” is a common fitness goal, and if you work hard—with negative pull-ups, inverted rows, and more—someday you’ll get there. Go ahead, take a minute to celebrate. But don’t drop ...