Exercise Pull Up Bar: 10 Moves and a 4-Week Plan for Home
By Flexi Muscles — 12 November 2026 · 6 min read
The best exercise pull up bar routine uses three moves: a dead hang, a pull up (or an assisted one) and a hanging knee raise. Do 3 sets of each twice a week on a wall mounted pull up bar fixed into solid concrete or brick. It trains your back, arms, grip and core in any South African home gym.
Below are 10 exercises, a quick reference table, a 4-week plan and the cases where you should skip a bar altogether.
Shop the Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar
What you can train on an exercise pull up bar
A single bar covers more than most people expect. Pulling moves work your lats, upper back and biceps. Hanging moves work your grip and shoulders. Raises work your abs and hip flexors. That is a whole upper-body session from one piece of steel.
It also suits a hanging bar exercise habit: a few minutes at a time, a few times a day, without setting anything up.
Before you start: wall, door frame and weight
Most search results show door frame bars. Ours is different: a wall mounted pull up bar with wide, parallel and narrow grip positions. The listing says to fit it to a solid concrete, brick or tile wall, and never to drywall, plaster or cavity walls. It also states the load rating depends on the strength of the wall, so the wall is the limit, not just the bar.
Our view: do not buy any bar until you know what your wall is made of. Knock on it. A hollow sound means it is not the wall for this job.
Two more checks before the first rep:
- Clearance. Stand under the bar and reach up. You need room to pull your chin over it, and room for your legs to swing forward during knee raises.
- Your own weight. Check the maximum load on the product page against your body weight, and tighten every screw after fitting, as the listing advises.
Hangs and grip work
1. Dead hang
Grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders and hang with straight arms. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Start with 3 holds of 20 seconds and add 5 seconds a week. This is the one to start with.
2. Scapular pull up
From a dead hang, keep your arms straight and pull your shoulder blades down and together so your body rises a few centimetres. Lower slowly. It teaches the first part of every pull up.
3. Chin-over-bar hold
Jump or step up so your chin is above the bar, then hold. Start with 5 seconds. It builds the strength you need at the top of a pull up.
Pull ups, chin ups and how to get your first one
4. Assisted pull up
Loop a band over the bar and under your foot or knee. The band helps most at the bottom, where pull ups are hardest. Our pull up assist bands come in five thicknesses, so you can move to a lighter one as you get stronger.
5. Negative pull up
Step up so your chin is over the bar, then lower yourself over 3 to 5 seconds. Aim for 3 sets of 3. Many people find these a useful step towards a first full rep.
6. Pull up
Start from a dead hang, pull your elbows down towards your ribs and lift your chin over the bar. Lower under control. Skip the kicking.
7. Chin up
The same move with your palms facing you and hands shoulder-width apart. It uses more biceps, so many people find it easier than a pull up.
8. Parallel grip pull up
Use the parallel handles, with palms facing each other. It is easier on the shoulders for many people. For form details, see our guide to the neutral grip pull up.
Core: hanging knee and leg raises
9. Hanging knee raise
Hang from the bar and pull your knees up towards your chest without swinging. Lower slowly. Start with 3 sets of 8. If your grip gives out before your abs do, ab straps take the grip out of it.
10. Hanging leg raise
Once you can do 10 to 15 clean knee raises, straighten your legs and lift them to hip height. Do not move up before the knee raise feels easy.
Quick reference: which move for which muscle
Save this table. It shows each move, what it mainly trains and where to start.
| Exercise | Main muscles | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Dead hang | Grip, forearms, shoulders | 3 × 20 seconds |
| Scapular pull up | Lower traps, lats | 3 × 8 |
| Chin-over-bar hold | Lats, biceps | 3 × 5 seconds |
| Assisted pull up | Lats, upper back, biceps | 3 × 5 |
| Negative pull up | Lats, biceps | 3 × 3, 3 to 5 seconds down |
| Pull up | Lats, upper back, biceps | 3 × max clean reps |
| Chin up | Biceps, lats | 3 × max clean reps |
| Parallel grip pull up | Lats, biceps, forearms | 3 × max clean reps |
| Hanging knee raise | Abs, hip flexors | 3 × 8 |
| Hanging leg raise | Abs, hip flexors | 3 × 5 |
The starting numbers are our suggested programming for beginners, not research figures. Adjust them to your own ability.
A 4-week pull up bar workout plan
Train twice a week with at least one rest day between sessions. The CDC advises muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week, and a 2016 meta-analysis of 10 studies found twice-weekly training gave a larger muscle-growth effect than once weekly (0.49 against 0.30).
| Week | Session A | Session B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dead hang 3 × 20s, scapular pull up 3 × 8, hanging knee raise 3 × 8 | Dead hang 3 × 20s, negative pull up 3 × 3, chin-over-bar hold 3 × 5s |
| 2 | Dead hang 3 × 25s, assisted pull up 3 × 5, hanging knee raise 3 × 10 | Dead hang 3 × 25s, negative pull up 3 × 4, chin-over-bar hold 3 × 8s |
| 3 | Dead hang 3 × 30s, assisted pull up 3 × 6 with a lighter band, knee raise 3 × 12 | Dead hang 3 × 30s, negative pull up 3 × 5, chin up 3 × 1–3 if you can |
| 4 | Pull up 3 × 1–3, parallel grip pull up 3 × 3, knee raise 3 × 12 | Chin up 3 × 2–4, negative pull up 3 × 5, hanging leg raise 3 × 5 |
If a week feels too hard, repeat it. There is no prize for finishing in four weeks. (The bar does not know what week it is.)
The NHS also advises building up repetitions gradually over time, which is what the plan does.
When to skip a pull up bar
Do not buy or use a wall mounted bar if any of these apply:
- Your wall is drywall, plaster or hollow brick. The listing says not to fit it there. A bar that pulls out of the wall is a real injury risk.
- You rent and cannot drill. A bolted bar is not for you. A door frame or free-standing option suits you better, and we do not sell those.
- You have shoulder, elbow or wrist pain. Hanging loads those joints. See a physio before you start.
- Children may climb on it. It is an exercise bar, not a play frame.
Once pull ups feel easy, gymnastics rings add instability and a new challenge. For other bars and accessories, browse our pull up bars collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exercises can you do on a pull up bar?
Ten that matter: dead hang, scapular pull up, assisted pull up, pull up, chin up, parallel grip pull up, negative pull up, chin-over-bar hold, hanging knee raise and hanging leg raise. Together they train your back, arms, grip and core.
How often should I train on a pull up bar?
Twice a week to start. The CDC advises muscle-strengthening work on at least 2 days a week, and a 2016 meta-analysis found training a muscle twice a week beat once a week. Leave a rest day between sessions.
Can I do pull ups at home without a door frame bar?
Yes. A wall mounted bar bolted into solid concrete, brick or tile does not rely on your door frame. It needs a suitable wall, so check yours before you buy.
What is the best hanging bar exercise for a beginner?
The dead hang. Hold the bar with straight arms for 20 to 30 seconds and build up. It trains your grip and shoulders and prepares you for pull ups.
Can I use a pull up bar if I cannot do a pull up yet?
Yes. Start with dead hangs and scapular pull ups, then add assisted pull ups with a band or slow negatives. This is a common route to a first pull up.
Is a wall mounted pull up bar better than a door frame bar?
It is more secure if your wall is solid, because the load goes into the masonry. Door frame bars suit renters and do not need drilling, but they depend on the frame. We sell wall mounted bars, not door frame bars.
Related at Flexi Muscles
- Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar
- Pull up bars collection
- Pull up bar guide: which type works for your home gym
- Neutral grip pull up: form, muscles worked and the bar you need
- Gymnastic rings workout: the complete beginner guide