The Three Biggest Mistakes You're Probably Making with Pull-ups
Feb 10, 2026The pull-up is one of the most valuable upper-body movements you can train.
It builds real-world pulling strength, reinforces healthy shoulder mechanics, improves grip endurance, and develops the kind of relative strength that carries over to sports, grappling, climbing, and everyday life. Few exercises give you as much return on investment with so little equipment.
But despite its simplicity, the pull-up is also one of the most commonly butchered exercises in the gym.
In this week's video, Al Kavadlo breaks down The Three Biggest Mistakes You’re Probably Making with Pull-Ups—and fixing these can instantly make your training more effective and safer.
Pull-ups done right don’t just make you stronger—they make you more resilient.
Watch the full video below to see these mistakes broken down in detail and learn how to clean up your pull-up practice for long-term gains.
(This month we are running a pull-up challenge inside the Calisthenics Inner Circle, join us here.)
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