Suspension Pull-up (version 2)

How to do the Suspension Pull-up (version 2)

1. 1Set the suspension straps to a height where the handles hang at approximately chest level when you stand beneath them.
2. 2Grasp both handles with a neutral or supinated grip, arms fully extended, and walk your feet forward until your body is angled back at roughly 45 degrees or more relative to the floor.
3. 3Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and keep your body in a straight line from heels to head before initiating the pull.
4. 4Exhale and drive your elbows toward your hips, pulling your chest up toward the handles in a controlled arc.
5. 5Continue pulling until the handles reach your lower chest or upper abdomen and your elbows are fully bent behind your torso.
6. 6Pause briefly at the top, focusing on squeezing the lats and mid-trapezius together.
7. 7Inhale and slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with arms fully extended, resisting the descent rather than dropping.
8. 8Maintain a rigid plank position throughout — do not let your hips sag or your lower back arch at any point in the range of motion.

Form tips

• Initiate each rep by depressing and retracting your shoulder blades before bending the elbows — this pre-activates the trapezius and keeps the shoulders safe.
• Keep your wrists stacked directly over your elbows at the top of the pull to maximize lat engagement and reduce forearm strain.
• The closer your body is to horizontal, the harder the exercise — adjust your foot position to match your current strength level.
• Think about pulling the handles toward your hips rather than toward your face; this cue shifts emphasis onto the lats and teres major rather than the biceps.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for a count of two to three seconds to maximize time under tension and build more strength.

Common mistakes

• Allowing the hips to sag during the pull — this breaks the straight-line body position, reduces core activation, and places unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine.
• Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears at the top — this overloads the upper trapezius instead of engaging the mid and lower trapezius and infraspinatus as intended.
• Using momentum or a swinging motion to complete the rep — momentum removes load from the target muscles and negates the strength-building benefit of the exercise.
• Bending at the hips to make the pull easier — this shortens the effective lever arm and reduces the training stimulus rather than scaling the movement properly.
• Rushing through the lowering phase — dropping quickly bypasses the eccentric work that contributes significantly to muscle development in the lats and teres major.

Frequently asked questions