THIS week we address the king of the upper-body strength exercises, the pull-up. The aim here is to look at what pull-ups are, how to train for your first pull-up and how we can progress the movement. OK, so first up, what exactly is a pull-up? The pull-up is an upper-body compound movement beginning from a dead hang on a bar, hands wider than shoulder distance and palms facing away from your body. Start by squeezing the lats (latissimus dorsi, the muscles on your back that run under your armpits and round to the middle of your back) and shoulders together and pull yourself up towards the bar. The aim is for the chest or sternum to make contact with the bar before lowering to the start position again. If the pull-up is done with good form you will effectively work the muscles of your back, arms, forearms, shoulders and abdominals. This is why it is known as the king of upper-body exercises. Training for your first full pull-up can take some time, so you must be patient. Variables include, starting strength, athletic background and bodyweight. Bodyweight is probably the biggest obstacle most will face in achieving their first strict pull-up. If you are overweight you can still start with the first of the steps below, but the closer you are to a lean physique the easier it will be to move on through the stages.