Pain guide · Back pain

Back pain when doing pull-ups: upper and lower back, arching and swinging, the hang and what helps

Back pain when you do pull-ups or chin-ups usually comes from your back working hard to hold your body still, or arching and swinging to finish the reps, especially as you tire. Where it hurts is the best clue: across the lower back is usually ordinary back pain, between the shoulder blades the upper back muscles, and along the side of your back into the armpit the lats (the broad muscles of the back). No study has counted back pain from pull-ups, and in one survey of CrossFit athletes, back injuries came from lifting rather than from moves such as pull-ups. Pulldowns and rows for now, then strict, assisted pull-ups with your ribs down and your legs still, usually ease it. Hanging from a bar isn't a back treatment: traction doesn't help back pain in trials, and no trial has tested hanging.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble, weakness in both legs, or upper back pain with chest pain or sudden breathlessness, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for back pain with a fever, after a fall from the bar, or very sore, swollen arms and dark pee after a big session. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies show, and don't, about arching, kipping and the dead hang, shows how to change your pulling today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, back to the bar.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 38 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.
Call 999: sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that does not go away (it can feel like squeezing or pressure, burning or indigestion); pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, shoulder, stomach or back; or chest pain and you feel sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath. It could be a heart attack. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem. If you've been diagnosed with angina, get help from NHS 111 too if it feels worse than before, is happening more often, lasts longer or happens when you're resting.
Call 999 or go to A&E if breathing suddenly becomes difficult, if pain in your chest or upper back comes on suddenly with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, or if someone passes out. Do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Call 999: sudden chest or back pain that can feel like something being torn inside, and causes shortness of breath, and problems with walking, vision and speaking (the NHS's wording, on its costochondritis page). It can be a tear in the wall of the body's main artery (an aortic dissection). Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Call 999 or go to A&E: with a broken or bruised rib, shortness of breath or chest pain that is getting worse, or coughing up blood. A broken rib may have damaged your lung.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111: you have sharp chest pain that comes and goes, or only happens when breathing or coughing; sharp chest pain that has not got better after a few days; you've coughed up a few small spots, flecks or streaks of blood, or noticed blood in your phlegm; or you're feeling short of breath regularly. It can be pleurisy or a chest infection.
Same day (NHS 111): back pain after a new, significant injury in the last 7 days, such as a fall from a height (off a box, a bar or rings) or a direct blow to the back.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): back pain and you feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly.
Call 999 or go to A&E: new problems walking, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a sudden loss of coordination, such as difficulty doing up buttons. These can be signs of pressure on the spinal cord.
Same day: clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness in one or both arms, that is getting worse; problems with balance or walking since the neck pain started; or neck pain with a severe headache.
Same day: leg weakness that is getting worse; new leg pain with a history of cancer, HIV, TB or inflammatory arthritis; or leg pain with a fever, feeling unwell, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss or night sweats.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): new difficulty lifting the front of your foot or toes (foot drop), or a foot that slaps down or catches as you walk, especially if it is getting worse. Weakness in both legs, or with numbness around the genitals or bottom or bladder or bowel changes, is the 999 emergency above.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or you're being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or you feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Do not drive to A&E. With any other hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, feeling or being sick, vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, constipation, a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or sudden confusion, get help from NHS 111.
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
Same day: you have or have had cancer, and new back pain that is severe and doesn't let up, is getting steadily worse, is worse at night and disturbs your sleep, is worse when you cough, sneeze or strain, or comes with tenderness over the spine. Contact your cancer team or GP urgently. With cancer, new weakness, difficulty walking, numbness or bladder or bowel problems are an emergency.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of pull-ups, push-ups, dips or curls, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Back pain that hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home, stops you doing day-to-day activities, worries you, or you're struggling to cope.
Pain, tingling or numbness spreading below the knee that isn't settling after a few weeks, is getting worse or stops your normal activities: see a GP.
Pain that doesn't improve with rest or is worse at night, or pain that is worse when you sneeze, cough or poo.
Unexplained weight loss, or a lump, swelling or change in the shape of your back.
Pain at the top of the back, between the shoulders, rather than in the lower back.
A sudden pain or pop at the back of the armpit or below the shoulder blade during a hard pull, then bruising there or new weakness pulling your arm down and in: get it checked within days by a GP or sports medicine doctor, because a torn lat or teres major is rare, often missed at first, and bigger tears in athletes are sometimes repaired (our suggestion).
Rib pain with no injury that builds up with rowing, golf or other training: see a GP. It may be a rib stress fracture.
A rib broke from a cough, a sneeze or a minor bump: ask your GP about your bone health.
A teenager or young adult whose low back pain is worse arching backwards and hasn't settled after a couple of weeks: stop the lifts that arch the back and get it checked by a GP or a sports medicine doctor or physiotherapist. It can be a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis), which usually does well without surgery when it's found.
A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, especially one that appears when you cough or strain and goes when you lie down: see a GP, as it may be a true hernia. A femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, mainly in women over 50, though it can happen to anyone) needs treating in hospital.
Sudden new back pain after a minor fall, lift, cough or sneeze, from 50 or past the menopause, or if you take long-term steroid tablets; or height loss, a curved spine or a change in posture: see a GP. It can be a spinal fracture.
Back pain that started before 45 and has lasted more than 3 months, especially if it started before 35, wakes you in the second half of the night, comes with buttock pain, gets better with movement or within 48 hours of anti-inflammatory painkillers, or you have or have had arthritis, pain where a tendon attaches to bone (enthesitis) or psoriasis, or a parent, brother, sister or child with spondyloarthritis. These can point to inflammatory back pain (axial spondyloarthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer people with 4 or more of these 9 features to a rheumatologist, and to do a blood test for the HLA-B27 gene marker if exactly 3 are present, referring if it is positive.
Upper back stiffness that is worse in the morning and at night and eases with exercise, with pain where the ribs join the spine or breastbone, or a deep breath that is hard to take, especially if it started before 45: see a GP. It can be ankylosing spondylitis.
A burning, tingling or painful patch of skin on one side of your back or chest, with or without a rash: get advice from a pharmacist or NHS 111 as soon as possible. Shingles can cause pain a few days before the rash appears, and rarely without one. Try to see a pharmacist within 3 days of the rash appearing.
A strain that is getting worse, or isn't feeling better after looking after it yourself: see a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

Across the lower back, one or both sides, during or after sets, worse when you arch, swing or kip

Usually ordinary low back pain from the back working hard to hold you still: by far the commonest pattern. Pulldowns, then strict, assisted pull-ups with your ribs down usually ease it.

Read: Back pain →A sudden catch in the lower back mid-rep or dropping off the bar, then stiffness or muscles locking up

A strained muscle or back spasm: common, and it settles over days to weeks.

Read: Back spasm and pulled back muscle →The lower back during hanging knee or leg raises or toes-to-bar

Usually the back arching as the legs lower. Our leg raise guide covers it.

Read: Back pain in leg raises →Achy back muscles, including along the sides into the armpits, a day or two after a new or bigger session, easing day by day

Usually muscle soreness; our after-workout guide tells soreness from a strain.

Read: Back pain after a workout →Between the shoulder blades or across the upper back, an ache or burn during or after pulling

Usually the upper back and shoulder-blade muscles working hard. Our upper back pain guide covers the rest.

Read: Upper back pain →Under or around one shoulder blade, sometimes with neck stiffness or later tingling down the arm

The shoulder-blade muscles, or a nerve in the neck.

Read: Pain under the shoulder blade →A sudden pop or tearing pain at the back of the armpit or below the shoulder blade during a hard pull, then bruising and weakness pulling the arm down

Rarely a torn lat or teres major, a tear that is often missed at first: get it checked within days.

Read: Back of shoulder pain →The middle of the back, from the bottom of the shoulder blades to the bottom of the ribs

Usually the mid back's muscles, joints or ribs.

Read: Middle back pain →One side of the chest or a single rib, sharp on breathing in or coughing, after a fall from the bar or building over weeks

Possibly a bruised or broken rib, or rarely a rib stress injury: see the warning signs.

Read: Rib pain →Down one leg past the knee, with tingling, numbness or weakness

A nerve, usually from a disc (sciatica): less common, and slower to settle.

Read: Sciatica →From the neck down an arm, with pins and needles or numbness

A nerve in the neck.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →The back of the neck, from craning your chin over the bar

Usually the neck muscles (our reading).

Read: Neck pain after a workout →A teenager or young adult whose low back hurts more arching back, building over weeks

Possibly a stress fracture of the spine, which needs checking: see the warning signs.

Read: Spondylolisthesis →The front of the shoulder, or the elbow, rather than the back

Our shoulder and elbow pull-up guides cover those.

Read: Shoulder pain in pull-ups →

Upper back pain with chest pain, breathlessness, sweating or feeling sick

Possibly the heart or lungs: see the warning signs.

Understand it

What a pull-up asks of the back, and what no study has measuredEmerging evidence

You hang from your hands and pull your body up with the lats, which run from the upper arm to the spine and the back of the pelvis, the muscles around the shoulder blades and the arms. The trunk has to hold still against the hang: in 25 adults doing pull-ups and chin-ups, the lats worked at 117% to 130% of a maximal test effort, the back muscles along the spine (the erector spinae) at 39% to 41% and the side abdominals at 31% to 35%. Chin-ups worked the back muscles harder than a seated lat pulldown. A wide grip with the hands angled out raised the abdominals' work by about 15% of their maximum in 21 men.

Adding a kip (a swing from the hips) swung the hips through about 49 degrees more and the knees through about 57 degrees more than a strict pull-up in 11 athletes, with the abdominals working about 29% harder and the hip flexors about 26% harder. No lab study has measured how the lower or upper spine moves during a pull-up: the pull-up studies measured the shoulder and arm.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Who gets it, and what the injury surveys showEmerging evidence

No study counts back pain from pull-ups. In CrossFit-style training, the back or spine made up 26% of injuries across 28 studies (11,089 people); in a survey of 3,049 people, the back was the site in 36% of those injured; and in 456 Czech athletes the spine made up 30.7% of injuries, though that paper doesn't say which moves caused them. Smaller surveys also put the shoulder, spine and lower back among the commonest sites.

The one survey that linked injuries to movements points away from pull-ups: in 386 CrossFit athletes, none of the upper, middle or lower back injuries came from gymnastic moves (which include pull-ups), and 9 of 12 low back injuries came from power lifting. The numbers are small, so treat that as a pointer, not proof. In 93 street workout athletes, who train on bars, the upper and mid back made up 18.4% of injured body parts, and overtraining was the commonest reason they gave; in 181 Dutch calisthenics athletes, the back was 10% of injuries. Upper back pain is common in everyone, with 15% to 28% of people having it over a year.

Sources 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Rare but serious: a torn lat, a rib and a breakdown of muscleEmerging evidence

Tears of the lat or the teres major (a smaller muscle beside it) are rare and seen mostly in baseball pitchers, but they have been reported in weightlifters, CrossFit athletes and bodybuilders. They can start with a sudden pain and sometimes an audible pop, then bruising at the back of the armpit; a 55-year-old bodybuilder heard a pop with pain in his armpit during a pull-up, and a CrossFit athlete tore his lat tendon during a bar muscle-up. Muscle tears are usually treated without surgery; a tendon torn from the bone is sometimes repaired.

No rib stress fracture has been linked to pull-ups. First rib stress fractures have been reported in weightlifters, with pain above the collarbone and around the shoulder blade, and the first X-ray can be normal. Muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), which can harm the kidneys, is rare but followed 85 assisted pull-ups and 125 push-ups in 12 minutes in 3 women, who had very sore, swollen, weak arms days later.

Sources 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

Not usually. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says don't routinely offer imaging for low back pain outside specialist care, and NHS inform says that for most back pain you won't need an X-ray or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan. Disc bulges show on scans of 30% of 20-year-olds without back pain and 84% of 80-year-olds, and disc wear from 37% to 96%, so a scan finding isn't the diagnosis on its own.

Tests do matter with the warning signs, for a suspected lat tear (an MRI scan found the tendon torn from the bone in the reported cases), and for rib pain after a fall or building with training (one first rib stress fracture showed on a bone scan and a computed tomography (CT) scan after a normal X-ray).

Sources 24, 25, 26, 18, 19, 21

How it usually goesStrong evidence

No study follows back pain from pull-ups. In new low back pain, average pain fell from 52 to 23 out of 100 within 6 weeks across 33 groups of people (11,166 in all), then to 6 at a year; in pain that had already lasted a while, it fell from 51 to 23 over a year. The NHS sends people to a GP if back pain hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home.

Lat and teres major muscle tears usually settle without surgery, and the CrossFit athlete whose tendon was repaired managed 15 pull-ups in a row at 9 months. No one can promise a date.

Sources 27, 28, 16, 17, 19

Rare but serious: the heart, the lungs, the ribs and the nervesEmerging evidence

Upper back pain is rarely the heart or the lungs, but they come first. The NHS sends chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to the arms, neck or jaw, to 999, and sudden difficulty breathing, or sudden pain in the chest or upper back with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, can be a blood clot in the lung, also a 999 call. After a fall from the bar, a broken or bruised rib with breathlessness or chest pain that is getting worse, or coughing up blood, needs 999 or A&E. Numbness around the genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble, or weakness or numbness in both legs is an emergency too. All of these are rare.

Sources 29, 30, 31, 32, 28

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Pull without hanging first: the pulldown asks less of the backEmerging evidence

Chin-ups worked the back muscles harder than a seated lat pulldown, and moved the base of the neck more, in a lab study read as an abstract. A seated pulldown with your thighs under the pad and rows keep your trunk supported, so they are the usual first step (our reading). No study has tested the swap against back pain.

Sources 2, 1

The dead hang isn't a back treatmentStrong evidence

Across 32 trials (2,762 people), traction for low back pain, by hand or machine, had "little or no impact on pain intensity, functional status, global improvement and return to work", and some trials reported more pain. NICE says do not offer traction for low back pain with or without sciatica. No trial has tested hanging from a bar, so this is carried over from the traction trials. Hanging is fine as an exercise if it feels comfortable.

Sources 33, 24

Exercise helps back painStrong evidence

In long-lasting low back pain, exercise eased pain by about 15 points out of 100 against no treatment, usual care or placebo (249 trials, moderate certainty), with no one type clearly best. NICE advises encouragement to continue normal activities and suggests considering a group exercise programme. In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise. No trial has tested pull-ups as a treatment for back pain.

Sources 34, 24, 35

Upper back pain: strength training helps desk workers, but no trial used pullingEmerging evidence

In 48 women with neck muscle pain in desk jobs, 10 weeks of specific strength training cut their worst pain by about 79%, while cycling gave only a brief drop; in 30 office workers, 10 minutes a day of band exercises including rows cut average pain by 25% and worst pain by 43%. No trial has tested pulling exercises for upper back pain itself, and these were desk workers rather than people who do pull-ups, so the plan borrows the idea, not the doses.

Sources 36, 37, 15

Kipping: a different exercise, never measured at the spineEmerging evidence

Kipping brings the hips, knees and abdominals into the move and lets you do more reps before your arms tire. No study has measured what it does to the spine, and in the one survey that linked injuries to moves, no back injury came from gymnastic moves. Learning strict pull-ups first and adding kipping last is our suggestion while your back is sore.

Sources 3, 7

Belts, medicines and surgeryStrong evidence

NICE says don't offer belts or corsets, traction, or paracetamol on its own for low back pain. Surgery has no role for ordinary back pain from training; a lat tendon torn from the bone is sometimes repaired, while muscle tears are treated without surgery.

Sources 24, 16, 17

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morningEmerging evidence

This guide uses the back hub's rule, as our other back movement guides do. Some discomfort during exercise is fine, and it does not mean you are doing damage. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do less next time (fewer reps, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing.

Leg symptoms are the exception: stop or shrink any movement that sends pain, pins and needles or numbness further down your leg. If leg symptoms move back towards your spine, that is a good sign, even if your back aches a little more for a while.

NHS inform's back exercises use the same bands (0 to 3 minimal pain, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and want your back no worse the morning after. The NHS back pain page is stricter about specific exercises: stop if your pain gets worse and see a GP for advice. In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

For pull-ups (our suggestion, built on these rules): judge each set by its last reps, and use the step of the ladder (pulldowns and rows, band or machine help, slow lowering, full pull-ups) where your back stays at 5 out of 10 or less, settles within an hour and is no worse the next morning. If you start to arch or swing, end the set. Treat arm symptoms like leg symptoms: stop or shrink any pull or hang that sends pain, pins and needles or numbness down an arm. A pop at the armpit, rib pain that is sharp on breathing, chest pain or sudden breathlessness isn't a pain-rule question: see the warning signs.

Sources 38, 28, 35

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep pulling, without hanging

About the first 2 weeks, walking daily and the other moves 2 or 3 times a week: settle the pain without resting in bed, keep the back and arms working with supported pulls, and practise holding your ribs down. With a diagnosed condition (sciatica or a disc, a stress fracture of the spine or a rib, a torn lat, a spinal fracture), that guide's plan or your team's comes first.

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

5 to 10 minutes, several times a day · As in our back movement guides (editorial); walking outdoors counts the same. The NHS says stay active

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Lat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 8 to 12 to the top of the chest, thighs under the pad, sitting tall, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure · Editorial, as in our pull-up guides. The pulldown asked less of the back muscles than a chin-up in a lab study

Harder: Pull-up

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

3D demoDead bugBeginner · No equipment

2 or 3 sets of 6 to 8 each side, your lower back resting on the floor · Editorial, as in our kettlebell swing back guide: the ribs-down position of a strict pull-up, lying down

Easier: Dead bug heel taps · Harder: Forearm plank

Thoracic rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment

6 slow rotations each side, in a comfortable range · As in our upper back pain guide (editorial); for pain between the shoulder blades

Easier: Side-lying open book · Harder: World's greatest stretch

Lying sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLying sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide)Beginner · No equipment

Only with leg symptoms: 10 repetitions with a 1-second pause, 2 to 3 times a day; try it for two weeks · The move page's dose (an NHS musculoskeletal service's). Keep it only if it eases your leg

Harder: Seated sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide)

Move on when: You can walk for 10 to 15 minutes and do 3 sets of pulldowns within the pain rule, your back is no worse the next morning, and the pain is easing day by day (editorial, as in our back movement guides).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Rebuild the hollow body and the pull, with help

About weeks 2 to 6, 2 or 3 pulling sessions a week: a strong, quiet trunk under the bar and a full-range pull with help, first with your feet on the floor, then with a band or machine.

Hollow body hold demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHollow body holdIntermediate · No equipment

3 holds of 10 to 20 s, knees bent at first, lower back pressed into the floor · Editorial. Rest your head in your hands if your neck is doing the work, as the move page says

Easier: Dead bug · Harder: Dragon flag

Inverted row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoInverted rowIntermediate · Pull-up bar

3 sets of 8 to 12, a higher bar or rings first, body straight from shoulders to heels · As in our pull-up guides (editorial): a pull with your feet on the floor

Easier: Incline ring row · Harder: Bent-over barbell row

Band-assisted pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand-assisted pull-upIntermediate · A band + Pull-up bar

2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 with a band that lets you finish each set in good form, legs still · The move page's dose (the American Council on Exercise's). An assisted pull-up machine helps evenly through the rep instead

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Pull-up

Scapular pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScapular pull-upIntermediate · Pull-up bar

2 sets of 8 to 10, only once hanging is comfortable · As in our pull-up guides (editorial). Leave it out after a recent shoulder dislocation, as the move page says

Easier: Bar hang · Harder: Pull-up

Back extension on a 45-degree bench demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBack extension on a 45-degree benchIntermediate · A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12, moving slowly and stopping at straight · Editorial, as in our back movement guides. Never fling into the top, as the move page says

Easier: Ball back extension · Harder: Horizontal back extension (hyperextension, Roman chair)

Move on when: 3 sets of 8 to 12 band-assisted pull-ups pass the pain rule with your legs still, and your back is no worse the next morning, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to the bar

From about week 6, often later, 2 or 3 pulling sessions a week: strict pull-ups and chin-ups through a full range, then your usual training, one change at a time by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to pull-ups after back pain, so the order is editorial.

Negative pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoNegative pull-upIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step

3 sets of 3 to 5, lowering over 3 to 5 s, stepping down to the box at the end · As in our pull-up guides (editorial). The move page says expect more muscle soreness at first

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Pull-up

3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar

3 sets, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, ribs down and legs quiet · Editorial, with the move page's cue

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Weighted pull-up

3D demoChin-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar

2 to 3 sets, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure · Editorial

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Weighted pull-up

V-bar pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoV-bar pull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar + Other / check instructions

2 to 3 sets of 3 to 8, stopping with 1 or 2 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point: a neutral-grip option

Easier: V-bar pulldown · Harder: Pull-up

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m · As in our deadlift back guide (editorial): the trunk holding still under load

Harder: Suitcase carry

3D demoBar hangIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step

3 to 5 holds of 10 to 20 s, feet ready to take your weight, last · As in our pull-up guides (editorial): an exercise, not a back treatment

Easier: Incline ring row · Harder: One-arm dead hang

Move on when: Strict pull-ups pass the pain rule for 2 weeks; then add one change at a time by the written steps below. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your pull-up for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show all of these. They come from lab studies, our pull-up move pages and the NHS; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a change to the pull-up for back pain.

1. Pull without hanging for now: seated lat pulldowns with your thighs under the pad, and rows. The pulldown asked less of the back muscles than a chin-up in a lab study.
2. When you hang again, hold a long, quiet body: keep your ribs down and your legs quiet, with no swinging, as our pull-up move page says. Squeezing your legs together and keeping them slightly in front of you is coaching practice, untested for back pain.
3. Stop the set when you start to swing, arch or kick (our suggestion): that is when the back takes over.
4. No kipping or butterfly pull-ups, weighted pull-ups, maximum tests or pull-up challenges for now (our suggestion). Kipping swings the hips and knees through far more range, and no study has measured the spine in kipping.
5. Take some of your weight: a band or an assisted pull-up machine, then slow lowering, then full reps, as our pull-up guide's ladder does.
6. The bar: if it is so low that you have to bend your knees behind you, use a higher bar or keep your legs straight and slightly in front (our suggestion).
7. Getting on and off: step up to the bar from a box and step down at the end rather than dropping (our suggestion; a fall from a bar is one of the warning signs).
8. Keep moving: the NHS says stay active, and NICE advises carrying on with normal activities.

Sources 2, 3, 1, 28, 24

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how pull-ups come back after back pain, so these steps are our suggestion.

1. One change at a time: more reps, then chin-ups or a wider grip, then added weight (our weighted pull-up page asks for ten strict pull-ups first), then kipping, butterfly pull-ups, muscle-ups or toes-to-bar if your sport needs them.
2. Kipping and its relatives come back last, once several strict pull-ups pass the pain rule, one of them a week to begin with.
3. Climbing: easy routes and short sessions first, by the same rule.
4. Build any pull-up challenge or test up over weeks, not from its top number, with a day between pulling sessions.
5. Everyday life alongside: walking first, sitting in shorter spells, lifting with the load close to your body, and sleeping in whatever position is comfortable.
6. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing.

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Full pull-ups through back pain	Your whole weight hangs from your arms and the back muscles work at about 40% of their maximum to hold you still.	Seated pulldowns, then band help.Try: Lat pulldown
Arching, swinging or kicking to finish reps	The back takes over the work (our reading); the move page's cue is ribs down, legs quiet.	End the set, or use a band for the last reps.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Kipping, butterfly pull-ups and muscle-ups while it's sore	Kipping swings the hips and knees through far more range, and no study has measured the spine.	Strict, assisted pull-ups; kipping last.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Weighted pull-ups while it's sore	Extra load before the back has settled (our suggestion).	Body weight, then band help.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
A bar so low you bend your knees behind you	It tends to arch the lower back (our reading).	A higher bar with your legs straight and slightly forward, or inverted rows.Try: Inverted row
Dropping off the bar from the top	A fall from a bar is one of the back warning signs.	Lower under control and step down to a box.Try: Negative pull-up
Long dead hangs "to decompress your spine"	Traction does little or nothing for back pain in trials, NICE says don't offer it, and no trial has tested hanging.	Walking and the stage moves.Try: Treadmill walking
Hanging knee raises or toes-to-bar with a sore lower back	The back arches as the legs lower, as our leg raise guide explains.	Bent-knee work lying down.Try: Dead bug
Pull-up challenges and hundreds of reps	A sudden jump is the usual story (our reading), and rarely a big session breaks down muscle.	Stop 2 or 3 reps short, with a day between pulling sessions.
Pulling through pain or tingling down a leg or arm	That is a nerve, and the back hub's rule says stop or shrink the movement.	Supported pulls, and the nerve slider for the leg.Try: Lying sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide)
Pulling through a pop at the armpit	It may be a torn lat or teres major.	Stop and get it checked within days.
Bed rest, or stopping all exercise	The NHS says stay active.	Walking and the stage 1 moves.Try: Treadmill walking
Counting on a belt to get through sets	NICE doesn't offer belts or corsets for low back pain.	Fewer, easier reps.

Routines to follow

Pull-up progression workout

Work up to your first pull-up: dead hangs, scapular pulls, rows, negatives and assisted pull-ups.

25 minBeginner7 movesPull-up bar, A step

First pull-up workout

Train for your first pull-up: hangs, shoulder-blade pulls, rows, band- or machine-assisted pull-ups, slow negatives and grip work in one session.

30 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A step

Lat workout: pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns and rows (gym)

A gym lat workout: lat pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns, one-arm cable pulls and a row with your elbows close, with sets, reps, rest and easier options.

40 minIntermediate8 movesPull-up bar, A cable machine

Back workout (gym)

A gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.

45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A band

Beginner core workout

A 15-minute beginner core workout on the floor: dead bugs, bird dogs, knee planks, side planks and curl-ups.

15 minBeginner6 movesNo equipment

Lower back strengthening workout: bird dogs to supermans, no equipment

A 20-minute floor workout for your back muscles: bird dogs and bridges, then a face-down ladder from the locust to the superman, with side planks and dead bugs.

20 minBeginner13 movesNo equipment

Upper back mobility routine

A 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.

12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wall

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my back hurt when I do pull-ups?

Usually because your back is working hard to hold your body still, or arching and swinging to finish the reps, especially as you tire (our reading of the muscle studies). Where it hurts is the best clue: across the lower back is usually ordinary back pain, between the shoulder blades the upper back muscles, and along the side into the armpit the lats.

Why does my lower back hurt doing pull-ups?

Most often the lower back arching or swinging as you pull, kicking to finish reps, or kipping (our reading). Keep your ribs down and your legs still, stop the set when you start to swing, and use pulldowns or band help for now. Pain or tingling down a leg is a nerve and needs the changes in the pain rule.

Why does my upper back hurt after pull-ups?

An ache between or under the shoulder blades a day or two after pulling is usually the upper back muscles working hard, and it eases day by day. A sudden pop at the back of the armpit with bruising, or pain with tingling down the arm, needs checking.

Are pull-ups bad for your back?

Not as far as the evidence shows. In one survey of CrossFit athletes, back injuries came from lifting, not from moves such as pull-ups, though the numbers were small. Arching, swinging and sudden jumps in volume are the usual problems.

Are pull-ups good for back pain?

No trial has tested them. Exercise in general helps long-lasting back pain, so pull-ups can stay in your training if they pass the pain rule.

Does hanging from a bar decompress your spine?

No trial has tested hanging from a bar, and traction, by hand or machine, did little or nothing for low back pain across 32 trials; NICE says not to offer it. Hang if it feels good, but don't count on it to treat your back.

Can I do pull-ups with a herniated disc or sciatica?

Often, once it's settling, if pulling doesn't send pain further down your leg; the back hub's rule says stop or shrink any movement that does. Start with seated pulldowns, and follow your clinician's advice if you have weakness or numbness.

Is kipping bad for your back?

No one has measured it: the one lab study showed kipping swings the hips and knees through far more range and works the abdominals harder. Learn strict pull-ups first and add kipping last.

Why do my lats hurt after pull-ups?

Soreness along the side of your back a day or two later is normal after a new or bigger session. A sudden pop and bruising at the back of the armpit is different: it can be a rare lat tear, which needs checking within days.

Why do my ribs hurt after pull-ups?

Sore muscles over the ribs after a hard session are common. Pain at one spot, sharp on breathing in or coughing, after a fall or building over weeks, needs a GP, and shortness of breath or chest pain that is getting worse is an emergency.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not: NICE says don't routinely scan back pain, and disc changes are common in backs that don't hurt. A scan matters with the warning signs, a suspected lat tear, or rib pain after a fall.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel trouble or weakness in both legs, and for upper back pain with chest pain or sudden breathlessness. Get a same-day check for back pain with a fever, after a fall from the bar, or with very sore, swollen arms and dark pee, and see a GP if it isn't better after a few weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.

When to get help first

Get urgent medical help if

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Where does it hurt?

Understand it

What a pull-up asks of the back, and what no study has measuredEmerging evidence

Who gets it, and what the injury surveys showEmerging evidence

Rare but serious: a torn lat, a rib and a breakdown of muscleEmerging evidence

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

How it usually goesStrong evidence

Rare but serious: the heart, the lungs, the ribs and the nervesEmerging evidence

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Pull without hanging first: the pulldown asks less of the backEmerging evidence

The dead hang isn't a back treatmentStrong evidence

Exercise helps back painStrong evidence

Upper back pain: strength training helps desk workers, but no trial used pullingEmerging evidence

Kipping: a different exercise, never measured at the spineEmerging evidence

Belts, medicines and surgeryStrong evidence

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morningEmerging evidence

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Keep pulling, without hanging

Rebuild the hollow body and the pull, with help

Back to the bar

What to change for now

Your pull-up for now (written steps)

Back to your usual training (written steps)

Positions to swap, and why

Routines to follow

Pull-up progression workout

First pull-up workout

Lat workout: pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns and rows (gym)

Back workout (gym)

Beginner core workout

Lower back strengthening workout: bird dogs to supermans, no equipment

Upper back mobility routine

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources