How to Get Your First Pull-Up (And Why Every Woman Should Train for It)

Pull-ups can feel like one of the most intimidating movements in the gym. But they’re also one of the most rewarding. At Iron + Mettle, we’re currently in a strength cycle focused on upper body pulling development and that includes dedicated work towards our pull-ups!

Pull-up training isn’t just about hitting a milestone at the gym. It teaches you how to use your whole body, builds serious upper body strength, and feels incredibly satisfying when you start to make progress. A lot of women never got the chance to learn pull-ups growing up, so it’s no surprise they feel out of reach. But they’re not. With the right plan, they’re just a matter of time and practice.

Let’s break down why pull-ups matter, how we train for them, and what you can start doing today to move toward your first rep!

Why Pull-Ups Are Worth the Work

Pull-ups are a compound movement that require strength in your lats, shoulders, biceps, core, and even your glutes. That’s part of what makes them so tough but it’s also what makes them so valuable.

Here’s what makes pull-up training so beneficial:

• It builds real strength. Pull-ups are more than a party trick. They translate to better posture, stronger arms and back, and improved overall athleticism.

• It reinforces body awareness. You learn how to engage your core, brace your body, and generate tension from head to toe.

• It’s empowering. There’s something about pulling your body over that bar for the first time that flips a switch. You realize you’re a total strong queen bad-ass!

And for women specifically, working toward a pull-up helps reverse the outdated belief that upper body strength “just isn’t for us.” We’ve coached hundreds of women through their first pull-up, many of whom started without being able to hang from the bar, and every single one has walked away with more confidence in their abilities and bodies!

How We Train Pull-Ups at Iron and Mettle

Our current strength cycle includes targeted work to build the muscles needed for pull-ups. That includes vertical pulling (like lat pulldowns), horizontal pulling (like rows), core strength, and grip work.

Pull-up prep includes:

• Eccentrics: Lowering yourself from the top of the bar with control to build strength through the full range.

• Isometric holds: Holding your chin over the bar (or at 90 degrees) to build endurance and positional awareness.

• Assisted reps: Using bands or a box to practice the movement pattern and gradually reduce assistance.

• Accessory work: Strengthening lats, biceps, and core through exercises like lat pulldowns, dumbbell rows, and hanging leg raises.

Because our programming is progressive and strength-focused, clients see steady improvement even if a full pull-up still feels far away. Each phase of the cycle builds on the last (progressive overload), so the gains are earned and repeatable.

Step-by-Step GUIDE: Building Toward Your First Pull-Up

If you’re not training with us (yet), here’s how you can start working toward your first pull-up on your own. Keep in mind, pull-ups take time. But with consistency and the right strategy, they are absolutely achievable.

1. Master the Hang

Start by developing grip strength and shoulder stability with dead hangs. Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms extended and your shoulders pulled down away from your ears. Aim for 10–20 seconds and build from there.

2. Add Scapular Pulls

Scapular pulls teach you how to initiate the movement with your back muscles - not your arms. From a dead hang, engage your lats and pull your shoulder blades down and together, lifting your body slightly without bending your elbows.

3. Train Eccentric Reps

Use a box or jump to get your chin above the bar, then slowly lower yourself down for a count of 3–5 seconds. Eccentrics build strength in the exact range you’ll need to complete a full pull-up.

4. Build Lat and Arm Strength

Rows, lat pulldowns, and bicep curls help strengthen the muscles that support the movement. Use a mix of dumbbells, kettlebells and cables to add variety and volume.

5. Incorporate Core Work

A strong pull-up requires core control. Include planks, hanging leg raises, or deadbugs in your training to build the trunk strength needed to stay tight and stable on the bar.

6. Practice Assisted Pull-Ups

Use a band or an assisted pull-up machine to train the full range of motion. Focus on quality reps, even if the band is heavy at first. Over time, you’ll reduce assistance and rely more on your own strength.

Why This Matters for Women

Most women didn’t grow up doing pull-ups in gym class. And many have internalized the idea that “upper body strength isn’t for me.” But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Building strength in your back, shoulders, and arms improves posture, reduces risk of injury, and makes you feel more capable. It also balances the lower-body dominant routines that many women fall into.

At Iron + Mettle, we train women through every life stage -postpartum, perimenopause, menopause - and we’ve seen how transformative upper body strength can be.

What If You Can’t Do One Yet?

You’re not behind. You’re just starting. Most of our clients begin their pull-up journey with zero reps. We scale every exercise so that it meets you where you are and gives you a clear path forward.

It’s also worth remembering: you don’t need to do a full pull-up to get strong. The training process alone builds muscle, increases confidence, and improves your overall fitness.

Our goal isn’t to get you to one rep and stop. It’s to give you the tools to keep building rep by rep until you can do multiple, confidently and consistently.

Final Thoughts

Pull-ups might seem out of reach, but they don’t have to be. With smart programming, patient coaching, and consistent effort, you can absolutely get there.

At Iron and Mettle, we’re here to help you build the strength you didn’t think was possible.

Come train with us in our Noe Valley women’s gym and we’ll help you pull yourself up - literally and figuratively!