TRX Pull Up Exercises to Build Real Pull Up Strength (3 Progressions)

One reason why people fail with pull-ups is because their grip strength gives out before their back muscles even get worked.

But what if you could build grip and back strength for pull-ups way faster, using just a TRX?

After coaching thousands with suspension training, I’ve seen that you can.

So in this post, I’m going to show you the three TRX moves that will help you break through your plateau…

And finally nail that 1st, 3rd, or even 10th pull-up…

To start, I’m going to show you the 4 muscles these TRX exercises strengthen…

And how to progress so that by week 3, you’ve built impressive pull-up power…

Don’t have time to read the post in full? Then watch the video below to learn the 3 TRX exercises to build pull-up strength FAST…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrvRfnzhdmE

The 4 Important Pull-up Muscles They Strengthen

First a pull-up requires strong latissimus dorsi muscles, they generate about 60% of the pulling force.

If they’re not firing correctly, you’re srewed.

Then your biceps need to contribute another 20% and for most people they burn out within seconds.

Then there are your traps and rhomboids that stabilise you through the whole movement

And then, your grip strength for the final 20%. If that goes first, nothing else matters.

These three TRX moves hit all those muscles.

And I’m going to show do them within a progressive 3-stage plan…

That will take you from zero to reliable pull-up power in just 3 weeks.

To start, let’s build the muscle foundation you need…

Stage 1. Pull-Up Muscle Building

First the low row is your fundamental move.

Skip this and you’ll never do a pull up.

But master it and you strengthen your latimus dorsi muscles, the huge muscles that runs dwn the sides of your back…

But here’s the mistake that makes this exercise useless

Most people rush through the exercise using momentum and never fully squeeze or stretch the muscle.

Meaning they miss out on complete muscle activation.

So, let’s fix that…

https://youtube.com/shorts/x79MBzleaGY

1. Start at the top, elbows back, chest out, lats tight.
2. Set a slight angle with a shoulder-width stance.
3. Lower slowly, then actively push your arms forward at the bottom to stretch your lats.
4. Don’t just drop into a hang. Control the stretch and keep tension on the muscles.
5. Drive your elbows down and back alongside your body to pull up.
6. At the top, squeeze your lats like you’re crushing a bottle with your back.

Here’s your tempo… and this is critical:

• 2 seconds DOWN
• 2 seconds UP
• 2 seconds SQUEEZE (crush that bottle)

Next, is the extremely important stabilisation strength with the high row…

Stabilisation Strength

This move builds your traps and rhomboids muscles which stabilise your shoulder girdle through the whole movement.

Without this stability, your body compensates by overusing your biceps.

Which is why your arms give out before your back even gets worked.

But don’t make the same mistake:

If you rush through the exercise without a full range of motion, it’s useless.

So Start at the top, elbows up and pulled back, chest out….

https://youtube.com/shorts/dmdK79vlyiI

1. Create that slight angle.
2. Lower slowly, then at the bottom actively push your arms forward to stretch your upper back.
3. Remember, don’t hang!
4. Drive your elbows up and out to pull up, then squeeze powerfully at the top.

Same tempo here:

• 2 seconds DOWN
• 2 seconds UP
• 2 seconds POWERFUL SQUEEZE at the top

Do these for the first week, 4 times a week.

3 sets of 10-15 reps

The goal here is technique mastery…

Feeling your muscles work and connecting to them with your mind-muscle connection.

Or as one of my clients puts it….

But here’s the thing: muscle activation without strength won’t get you over that bar.

So next, I’m going to show you how to rapidly build the raw pulling power you need to handle your full bodyweight.

Stage 2. Pull-Up Strength Building

Without a strong brachioradialis muscle that sits in your forearm, you won’t have the grip strength needed to hold you up.

And because your biceps handle 20% of the pull-up force, we need to strengthen them too.

Reverse grip curls are the perfect move to strengthen both at once

But you must ensure to maintain tension on the arm muscles like this…

https://youtube.com/shorts/8EOeFA4EPOY

1. Start at the top with an overhand grip.
2. Squeeze your biceps hard and rotate your thumbs up and out to activate them. Your forearms should burn immediately.
3. Create a good-sized angle for strength building.
4. Lower slowly, but stop just before your arms straighten at the bottom, keep tension, don’t hang.
5. Squeeze your biceps hard, like flexing in a mirror, to curl up.
6. Go straight into the wrist rotation at the top to hit those arm muscles.

For all three of these exercises in the second week….

Create a big angle because we’re going to focus on a very slow eccentric phase.

Which is the lowering phase.

Research overwhelmingly supports the idea that this phase plays the biggest role in stimulating muscle strength and growth…

Compared to the concentric upward phase.

Tempo and reps for week 2

For all exercises so far:

• 4 seconds DOWN (fight gravity the whole way)
• 2 seconds UP (explode)
• 2 seconds POWERFUL TOP SQUEEZE (flexing in that mirror)

3 sets for each exercise of 6-8 reps 4 times a week

This strength-building will also help you eliminate back pain, as Tony experienced:

Now here’s where most people stall out because they haven’t trained for muscle endurance.

But how do you do that?

Let me show you…

Stage 3. Pull-Up Muscle Endurance

It’s critical to train for isometric strength for pull-ups.

This is the part where you hold yourself at the top.

Because it builds grip strength, and the secret sauce, muscle endurance… all at once.

So for the 3rd week, you’re going to dramatically change the tempo of all 3 exercises to focus on isometric holds and endurance.

Here’s what that looks like…

1. Create a good-sized angle on all exercises.
2. Lower yourself slowly over 10 seconds
3. Then explode up over 1 second
4. Then powerfully squeeze and hold at the top for 5 seconds

This is isometric strength building

This is hard, so go for 3 sets of 3-6 reps, 4 times a week

By the end of the 3rd week, that’s when it’s time to test your pull-up strength!

But here’s the thing…

Nailing a pull-up is just one piece of the puzzle.

If the rest of your body isn’t strong, mobile, and balanced, you’re setting yourself up for injury and plateaus.

So checkout this post next where I’ll show you the 8 essential TRX moves every man must master and exactly how to do them to build full body strength, mobility, and confidence quickly.

I’ve also created a free 4-week workout plan for these 8 exercises that you can follow. You’ll find it below the video to download.

Here’s to your fitness freedom!

Coach Adam aka TRX Traveller