Progressing towards vertical pull-ups at home.

To succeed in achieving your first full vertical pull-up while training at home, I suggest working on two sets of progressions:

• Horizontal progressions, which include:
• Horizontal pull-ups with legs straight, heels on the ground.
• Horizontal pull-ups with legs bent at 90 degrees.
• Horizontal pull-ups with legs elevated.
• Vertical progressions, including:
• Swiss knife pull-ups.
• Descending vertical pull-ups.
• Half-vertical pull-ups.
• Full vertical pull-ups.

Horizontal progressions

By working on these three variations, you will gradually increase the load on your arms and upper body by altering the angle of your body in relation to the horizontal.

But before you tackle these progressions, keep in mind these execution details that apply to all variations:

1. Position the bar at waist level, sit down to slide underneath it.
2. After grabbing the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart plus one hand, position your body horizontally under the bar, with the bar at sternum level.
3. Grip the bar tightly.
4. "Pull" your shoulders down and back, pushing your chest forward and away from your ears.
5. Keep your body straight, with your glutes and abdomen engaged.
6. Exhale as you ascend and inhale as you descend.
7. Raise yourself until your sternum touches the bar.

Horizontal pull-ups with heels on the ground

In the starting position, your legs are extended, and the point of contact with the ground is the heel of your feet.

Horizontal pull-ups with leng bent at 90 degrees

In the starting position, the legs are bent at the knees to 90 degrees, with the feet flat on the ground.

Feet elevated horizontal pull-ups

The feet no longer touch the ground; they are placed on a support of similar height to the bar, so that in the high position, the body is nearly parallel to the ground.

Vertical progressions

For the vertical variations, the progression principle is threefold:

1. Your torso is in a vertical position, so the technique approaches the final movement even more.

2. You will gradually remove the support of your legs on the ground, transferring the majority of the load to your arms and upper body.

3. You will gradually work with a full range of motion.

But before you tackle these progressions, keep in mind these execution details:

1. In a neutral position, your hands, head, and shoulders are in alignment.

2. Grip the bar tightly with your hands.

3. Your torso is as vertical as possible.

4. "Pull" your shoulders down, so as to distance them from your ears.

5. Keep your body tight, with engaged glutes and abdomen.

6. Exhale as you ascend and inhale as you descend.

7. Ascend until your neck or clavicles touch the bar.

Jackknife pull-ups

Or L-sit pull-ups with supported feet. In the starting position, the hips are bent to allow the feet to rest on a support with legs extended. The hips form a right angle or less in the low position, and an angle greater than 90° in the high position.

Negative vertical pull-ups

For this progression, the starting position is the high position of the final movement:

1. Use a support to begin the exercise in the final position, with your neck or chest at bar level.
2. From there, leave the support and control your descent to the low position.
3. Once in the low position with arms extended, repeat the process for the next repetition.

Half vertical pull ups

For this progression, the starting position is the midpoint of the movement, with the arms bent at 90 degrees.

1. Use a support to begin the exercise halfway through, meaning at mid-height, with your arms forming a right angle.
2. Leave the support and pull yourself up on the upper half of the movement.
3. Control the descent until your arms are fully extended in the low position.
4. Return to the starting position for the next repetition.

Full vertical pull ups

Finally, the full movement! To execute it:

1. Start with your arms extended, with your feet not touching the ground.
2. Pull yourself up until the bar touches your neck or the top of your chest.
3. Return to the starting position while controlling the descent.

And there you have it! Of course, these progressions are not the only path to reach your goal. For instance, you could add resistance bands with decreasing resistance to gradually increase the load. This is just an illustration of the path I followed. Similarly, each presented progression can itself be subdivided into mini progressions. I've given you the major steps.

Now it's up to you to implement them to achieve your goal.

Let's get started!