Pain guide · Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain when doing pull-ups: the rotator cuff, the front of the shoulder, grip and what helps

Shoulder pain when you do pull-ups or chin-ups usually comes from one of a few places, and where it hurts is the best clue. An ache at the front or outside of the shoulder, worse as your arms go overhead and in the dead hang, usually comes from the rotator cuff (often called impingement); a tender spot in the groove at the front, worse with chin-ups, from the biceps tendon; and deep clicking or catching after a jerk, from the labrum, the rim of the socket. No study counts how often each is the cause. Grip matters: a shoulder-width or neutral grip and pulling in front of your head are kinder to a sore shoulder than a very wide or behind-the-neck pull-up. Pull-ups aren't bad for shoulders: they work the rotator cuff hard, and researchers recommend them, built up step by step, in shoulder rehab.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from accident and emergency (A&E) for a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall from the bar, and a 999 call for chest pain that feels tight or spreads to your arm, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for a pop with a bulge in your upper arm, sudden weakness, or swollen, very sore 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 grip, dead hangs and kipping and why a scan rarely helps at first, shows how to change your pull-up today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from rows and pulldowns back to the bar.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 49 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: after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, you cannot move your arm, or your shoulder is painful, bruised or swollen. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Call 999: shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, especially with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick. It could be a heart attack.
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: you suddenly can't fully lift both arms and keep them there, because of weakness or numbness in one arm, especially if one side of your face droops or you slur your words or sound confused. It could be a stroke. Call even if the signs have stopped.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): a sudden pop or snap with pain at the shoulder or upper arm during a lift, with or without a bulge low in the upper arm. It's usually a torn long head of the biceps. Most need no operation, but the rotator cuff can tear at the same time.
Urgent treatment centre or A&E: a pop or snap and sudden pain during an effort, which could be a torn tendon. At the front of the elbow, with bruising and a bulge in the upper arm, don't wait for it to settle: a torn biceps tendon is best repaired within the first 2 to 3 weeks. If it happened weeks ago, still get it checked: repair is often still possible, though it may need a tendon graft.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden weakness lifting the arm after an injury or fall. A rotator cuff tear caused by an injury needs urgent referral to a shoulder specialist. After a dislocation in anyone over 40, the rotator cuff should be checked: about 40% have a tear.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden or very bad shoulder pain; you cannot move your arm; the arm or shoulder is badly swollen or has changed shape; pins and needles that do not go away; no feeling in the arm; the arm is hot or cold to the touch; pain that started after an injury such as a fall; or severe pain in both shoulders.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): the shoulder or arm is hot, swollen or red, or you have a high temperature (although not everyone has one) or feel unwell. A joint infection needs same-day care.
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.
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in a swollen, tight muscle.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain that is getting worse or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself, or it is very hard to move your arm. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.
Your shoulder has partly or fully come out of joint, or you worry it might, including a clunk, a dead arm or a feeling it will slip when you hang from the bar or at the bottom of a pull-up. Get it checked by a GP or physiotherapist soon (our suggestion).
Painful clicking or snapping at the front of the shoulder, or a feeling of something slipping there. The tendon can slip out of its groove, usually alongside a rotator cuff tear, so ask for an assessment.
Locking, catching or a dead arm that keeps stopping you playing despite rehab, or no improvement after about 3 months of rehab: ask for a specialist opinion.
Not improving after a good 3 months of exercise, or the arm is clearly weak: ask for a specialist opinion.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
A shoulder blade that suddenly sticks out, or new weakness lifting, pushing or carrying: see a GP. Nerve tests may be needed to find which nerve is affected and how badly.
A past history of cancer, an unexplained lump or swelling, weight loss, or pain that is constant and does not ease when you change position.
See a GP if you have pain and stiffness for more than a week, especially if you're over 50, it's in both shoulders (often the neck and hips too) and the stiffness lasts longer than 45 minutes in the morning. It can be polymyalgia rheumatica.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

The front or outside of the shoulder and upper arm, worse as your arms go overhead, in the dead hang and lifting the arm out to the side, sometimes at night

Usually rotator cuff pain, often called impingement: the commonest cause of shoulder pain.

Read: Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff pain) →A tender spot in the groove at the front of the shoulder, worse with chin-ups, curls and the bottom of the hang

Often the long head of the biceps tendon, usually alongside the rotator cuff.

Read: Biceps tendinitis (shoulder) →A sudden pop or snap at the front of the shoulder or upper arm during a pull, then bruising or a bulge low in the upper arm

Possibly a torn long head of the biceps: get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Biceps tendinitis (shoulder) →A pop at the front of the elbow while lowering, with bruising and a bulge higher up the arm

Possibly a torn biceps tendon at the elbow: go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E, as the warning signs say.

Read: Elbow pain in pull-ups and curls →Deep pain with clicking, catching or locking, often after a jerk, a fall from the bar or a kipping rep

Possibly the labrum (a SLAP tear, a tear at the top of the socket's rim), though labral changes are common on scans of shoulders that don't hurt.

Read: SLAP tear →A clunk, a dead arm or a feeling the shoulder will slip as you hang or at the bottom of the pull, especially after a past dislocation or with very flexible joints

Possibly a loose shoulder (instability): stop that position and get it checked soon.

Read: Shoulder dislocation and instability →Sudden weakness lifting the arm after a jerk or a fall from the bar

Possibly a rotator cuff tear: get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Rotator cuff tear →A sudden pain or pop at the back of the armpit or below the shoulder blade during a hard pull, then bruising

Rarely, a torn lat (latissimus dorsi) or teres major, a tear that is often missed at first.

Read: Back of shoulder pain →An ache around or under the shoulder blade

Usually the shoulder-blade muscles or the neck.

Read: Pain under the shoulder blade →On top of the shoulder, where you can put one finger on the end of the collarbone

The joint at the end of the collarbone (the acromioclavicular, or AC, joint), more often sore from dips and pressing than pulling.

Read: AC joint injury and pain →From the neck down the arm, with pins and needles, numbness or burning

A nerve in the neck.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →The inside or front of the elbow rather than the shoulder

Usually golfer's elbow or the biceps tendon at the elbow.

Read: Elbow pain in pull-ups and curls →An ache in the lats, shoulders and arms the day after a big or new session, easing day by day

Muscle soreness. Arms far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains, or dark pee, need a same-day check.

Read: Shoulder pain after a workout →Pain mainly on push-ups, the bench press or dips

Our push-up and bench press guides cover pushing.

Read: Shoulder pain in push-ups →

Chest pain that feels tight or spreads to an arm, the neck or jaw, or arm or chest discomfort that comes on with effort and eases with rest

Possibly the heart: see the warning signs.

Understand it

What a pull-up asks of the shoulder, and what no study has countedEmerging evidence

In a pull-up you hang from your hands with your arms fully overhead, then pull your body up with the lats (the broad muscles of the back), the muscles around the shoulder blade, the rotator cuff (the four small muscles and tendons that hold the ball in the socket) and the biceps. In a lab study of 25 young adults, the lats worked at 117% to 130% of a maximal test effort, the biceps at 78% to 96% and the infraspinatus, one of the rotator cuff muscles, at 71% to 79%. The arms start in the position the NHS says brings on rotator cuff pain, "especially when you lift it above your head".

No study counts how often pull-ups cause shoulder pain. In the sports built on pulling, the shoulder is the commonest or among the commonest injury sites: 32% of injury reports in 181 Dutch calisthenics athletes (the abstract doesn't say whether of injuries or of athletes), 23% of 87 injured body parts in 93 street workout athletes, 26% of injuries across 28 studies (11,089 people) of high-intensity functional training such as CrossFit, and 28.3% of injured areas in 456 Czech CrossFit athletes. In a 12-month study of 109 CrossFit athletes, 14 of 20 shoulder injuries were flare-ups of old ones, and nearly 40% of the group trained on despite shoulder pain. Climbers hang and pull a lot too: in 911 climbing injuries seen at one clinic, the shoulder was the second commonest site after the fingers.

So the map on this page is built from what each condition is known to do, pull-up lab studies and health-service pages. Pain usually comes when the load, or a sudden jump in it (a pull-up challenge, a new grip, kipping, many more sets), gets ahead of what the shoulder is used to; that is our reading, not a counted fact.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

The front and outside of the shoulder: the rotator cuff and the biceps tendonEmerging evidence

Rotator cuff pain is the commonest cause of shoulder pain, about 70% of cases according to the authors of a large UK trial. The NHS describes pain "at the top and the outside of your shoulder", worse lifting the arm, "especially when you lift it above your head", sometimes worse at night.

The long head of the biceps runs in a groove at the front of the shoulder. Chin-ups (palms towards you) work the biceps harder than pull-ups (palms away), so pain at the front often shows with chin-ups first; that is our reading. Climbers who had hung and pulled at a high level for 30 years had more long biceps tendon changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans than non-climbers (53% against 23% of 31 men in each group), but no worse shoulder function, and biceps tendon changes showed on 73% of the shoulders of 50 elite climbers without shoulder pain.

Sources 10, 1, 2, 11, 12

Deep in the joint, a shoulder that slips, and rarer tearsEmerging evidence

The labrum is the rim of the socket. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) lists "Forceful pulling on the arm, such as when trying to catch a heavy object" and "Rapid or forceful movement of the arm when it is above the level of the shoulder" among the causes of a tear at its top (a SLAP tear), with locking, popping, catching or grinding. Many such tears are slow wear, and over 30 to 40, fraying is "a normal process of aging": scans read tears in 55% to 72% of pain-free 45 to 60 year olds and in 56% of the shoulders of pain-free elite climbers. No study links pull-ups or hanging to SLAP tears.

A shoulder that clunks, gives a dead arm or feels as if it will slip is more likely after a past dislocation or with very flexible joints; the NHS lists a shoulder that "feels like the shoulder is clicking or locking" with a tingling, weak arm under instability. In 159 men, weight trainers who did behind-the-neck pulldowns or presses had more signs of a loose shoulder than those who didn't (a cross-sectional study, so it can't show cause).

Rarely, a hard pull tears the lat or the teres major: a sudden pain at the back of the shoulder or armpit, sometimes with a pop, and bruising. These tears are mostly seen in baseball pitchers, also in weightlifters, CrossFit athletes and climbers, are often missed at first, and milder ones are managed without surgery. A torn long head of the biceps brings a sudden sharp pain, sometimes a pop, bruising and a "Popeye" bulge low in the upper arm; the AAOS says these tears "rarely need surgery" unless something such as the rotator cuff is damaged too, while a tear at the elbow is more likely to need surgery.

Sources 13, 14, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

"It hurts at the bottom, in the dead hang"Emerging evidence

At the bottom the arms are fully overhead, the position that brings out rotator cuff pain, and with an underhand (chin-up) grip the shoulder also starts turned far out, as a motion study of 11 men found. In 12 volunteers scanned with the arm in different positions, the gap under the acromion (the bony roof of the shoulder) shrank from about 7.0 mm with the arm 30 degrees out to 3.9 mm at 120 degrees, and in 15 climbers it narrowed after a hard climbing session, recovering within an hour.

Hanging with the shoulder blades drawn slightly down (as in a scapular pull-up) rather than fully relaxed is a common coaching cue, but no study has tested it for pain (our reading).

Sources 1, 20, 21, 22

"It hurts at the top", chin-ups and clickingEmerging evidence

At the top the shoulder is pulled down and back with the elbow bent hard. Pain at the front here can come from the biceps tendon or the front of the joint, and a pinch from the rotator cuff; that is our reading, because no study has measured shoulder load at the top of a pull-up.

Chin-ups work the biceps and chest harder than pull-ups, and the underhand grip starts the shoulder turned far out, so a sore front of the shoulder often complains with chin-ups first; a neutral grip (palms facing each other) is the usual swap. Painless clicks are common. A click with pain, catching or locking, a clunk with a dead arm, or a pop with a bulge in the arm needs checking.

Sources 2, 20, 13, 19, 15

Rare but serious: the heart and a breakdown of muscleEmerging evidence

The heart can show up as shoulder or arm pain. The NHS sends chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to the arms, neck or jaw, to 999. Pull-ups are hard exercise, so arm or chest discomfort that comes on with effort and eases with rest is in the warning signs too. A hot, swollen or red shoulder, especially if you feel unwell, can be a joint infection, which the NHS says needs checking straight away.

Rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys, is rare but has followed big pulling sessions: 3 women after 125 push-ups and 85 assisted pull-ups in 12 minutes, with swelling from the shoulder to the forearm and urine that wasn't brown, and an experienced coach after a workout with 100 pull-ups. That is why muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains need a same-day check, even without dark pee.

Sources 23, 24, 25, 26

What a scan shows, and what it doesn'tStrong evidence

A UK pathway from the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) says rotator cuff pain under the acromion "is a clinical diagnosis. Additional imaging is not essential to confirm the diagnosis or start treatment." An X-ray matters after a fall from the bar or any injury, with warning signs, severe pain or stiffness, or pain lasting beyond about 4 weeks; a suspected dislocation is X-rayed in hospital. An ultrasound or MRI scan is for ongoing symptoms, a suspected tear, or a shoulder that keeps slipping.

Read reports with care. In 96 people without shoulder pain, MRI showed rotator cuff tears in 34% (54% of those over 60), radiologists read superior labral tears in 55% and 72% of 53 pain-free 45 to 60 year olds, and in 50 elite climbers without pain, rotator cuff tendon changes showed in 80% of shoulders and labral tears in 56%.

Sources 27, 16, 28, 14, 12

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows shoulder pain from pull-ups. In 349 people with new shoulder pain in Dutch general practice, 23% had recovered at 1 month and 59% at a year, quicker after overuse or a slight injury and slower with neck pain or severe pain in the day. The BESS pathway calls this kind of pain "usually a self-limiting condition" with most symptoms responding within three months, and refers people not improving by 12 weeks. The NHS says shoulder pain usually takes 2 weeks of looking after it to start easing and "can take 6 months or longer to recover".

In a large UK trial, every group improved a lot over a year, and in a CrossFit survey 64.1% of people with a shoulder injury cut their training for a month or less. No one can promise a date.

Sources 29, 27, 15, 10, 8

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Exercise is the treatment for rotator cuff pain, though no trial used pull-upsStrong evidence

In 102 people with long-lasting rotator cuff pain who were waiting for surgery, specific rotator cuff and shoulder-blade exercises gave a successful result in 69% against 24% with general exercise, and fewer chose surgery (20% against 63%). In a UK trial of 708 adults with new rotator cuff pain, one physiotherapy session of advice with home exercises did as well over a year as up to six sessions of progressive exercise. In 86 people, one self-managed exercise did as well as usual physiotherapy. A Cochrane review of 60 trials found the benefit of manual therapy with exercise over a placebo modest and uncertain.

These trials were in people with rotator cuff pain in general, mostly middle-aged, and none included pull-ups or hanging, so this plan borrows their exercises and doses.

Sources 30, 10, 31, 32

Pull-ups work the rotator cuff hard, and grips work the muscles much alikeEmerging evidence

In 25 young adults, pull-ups and chin-ups worked the infraspinatus at 71% to 79% of a maximal test effort; chin-ups worked the biceps and chest harder, and pull-ups the lower trapezius. In 19 trained men, overhand, underhand, neutral and rope grips worked the shoulder and arm muscles much alike. A modelling study of 11 men recommended all three grips it tested (shoulder-width overhand, wide overhand and underhand) in shoulder rehab and conditioning, "with systematic progression". These are lab studies in healthy people, with no pain measured.

Sources 2, 33, 34

Grip and shoulder position: our reading of one motion study of 11 menMixed evidence

In 11 experienced men, underhand (chin-up) grips started the shoulder in "quite extreme" outward rotation with the arm up to 42 degrees out of the shoulder blade's plane, and wide grips cut the shoulder blade's movement. The authors linked both with a higher risk of impingement and suggested weight-assisted, shoulder-width front pull-ups for weaker people. The risk was inferred from joint angles: the study measured no pain and no space under the acromion, it never measured the neutral grip, and the same group's later model recommended all three of its grips in rehab.

So the advice on this page, a shoulder-width overhand or neutral grip while the shoulder is sore, is our reading of that one small study, not a tested treatment. Whichever grip doesn't hurt is the one to use.

Sources 20, 34

Pulldowns, and pulling to the frontEmerging evidence

In 15 men, lat pulldown grips 1 to 2 shoulder widths apart gave similar muscle activity, with about 3 kg more lifted narrow or medium than wide. In 24 trained men, pulling behind the neck worked the lats no harder than pulling to the front, and the authors judged it "not a good" technique; in 14 trained men, the front version worked the lats as well or better. Weight trainers who did behind-the-neck pulldowns had more signs of a loose shoulder (cross-sectional, so cause isn't shown), and a review of gym injuries advises bringing the bar to the front. None of these measured pain.

Sources 35, 36, 37, 17, 38

Kipping: what one CrossFit survey foundEmerging evidence

In an online survey of 187 CrossFit athletes, 44 reported a shoulder injury over 6 months. Asked for the main cause of their 46 injuries, they named kipping pull-ups 5 times and butterfly pull-ups twice, against 13 for overhead pressing and 10 for snatches. That is the only count we found. The one lab study of kipping reported the hips and trunk, not the shoulder, so no study has measured how kipping loads the shoulder.

Sources 8, 39

Pull-ups in large groups, and the long runEmerging evidence

When the United States Marine Corps replaced the flexed-arm hang with pull-ups in its women's fitness test, upper-limb injuries in 49,910 women didn't rise. When it raised the pull-up standard for men, a falling trend in upper-limb injuries levelled off, more so under 20. These studies show changes over time, not causes, and don't report the shoulder on its own. Climbers who had hung and pulled at a high level for 30 years had more changes on MRI than non-climbers but shoulder function at least as good.

Sources 40, 41, 11

Hanging doesn't treat impingement, as far as anyone has shownEmerging evidence

We found no peer-reviewed study showing that dead hangs treat impingement or reshape the acromion. The nearest paper argues for hanging from human evolution and says "direct causal evidence remains to be established". The gap under the acromion is smallest with the arm high, and after hard climbing it narrowed rather than widened. Hanging can come back last, as an exercise, once it's comfortable.

Sources 42, 21, 22

Injections and surgeryStrong evidence

A steroid injection helped a little at 8 weeks but not over 12 months in the large UK trial, and the BESS pathway says one injection can be considered if the pain isn't improving by 6 to 8 weeks. Decompression surgery did no better than a placebo operation in 313 people, and the pathway doesn't recommend it first. A torn long head of the biceps rarely needs surgery, and lat and teres major tears are mostly managed without it.

Sources 10, 27, 43, 19, 18

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, back to where it was by your next sessionEmerging evidence

This guide uses the shoulder hub's rule, as our push-up guide does. During shoulder strengthening, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable, and a little is expected. By your next session it should be back to where it was before. If it isn't, use a lighter band or weight or a smaller range next time, not nothing. It comes from the trial of 102 people above, whose patients were not allowed to go above 5 out of 10 but were encouraged to feel some pain, with any rise settled before the next session or the load came down. NHS inform's shoulder exercises use the same band (0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and add that your pain should be no worse the morning after.

Rotator cuff trials vary widely: 3, 4 and 5 out of 10 are the commonest limits, and 67% of 86 studies set none. In long-lasting pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise (7 trials, 385 people), and the BESS pathway says it's unclear whether exercising below or above the pain threshold works better.

For pull-ups (our suggestion, built on the same rule): use the step of the ladder (pulldowns and rows, band or machine help, slow lowering, full pull-ups) and the grip where the last reps stay at 5 out of 10 or less and the shoulder is back to its usual level by the next session. If it isn't, go back one step, not to nothing. A feeling of slipping or a dead arm, pins and needles or numbness down the arm, a pop, sudden weakness, a bulge in the arm or chest pain aren't pain-rule questions: stop that position and see the warning signs.

Sources 30, 44, 45, 46, 27

The exercise plan: 3 stages

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

Stage 1

Keep pulling, change the pull

About the first 2 weeks: pulling without hanging, at a range and grip that pass the pain rule (pulldowns to the front with a neutral or shoulder-width grip, and rows), and rotator cuff work from day one. No kipping, wide-grip, behind-the-neck or weighted pull-ups, no dead hangs and no sets to failure for now. With a diagnosed condition (a rotator cuff tear, a SLAP tear, a dislocation or a loose shoulder, or biceps tendon pain), that guide's plan comes first; after surgery, your surgical team's plan does.

Standing band external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 15, light band, elbow at your side, twice a day, within the pain rule · The sets, repetitions and frequency the trial of 102 people used for its rotator cuff exercises (with weights and bands, made harder every other week). If 15 hurts, start with NHS inform's 2 to 3 repetitions at a time

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

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. Pulling without your arms overhead

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Chest-supported dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 6 to 8, holding 2 s at the top, palms facing in · An NHS physiotherapy sheet's dumbbell row dose (6 to 8 reps x 3 sets, a 2-second squeeze at the top); the chest support is our choice, to take the lower back out of it

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

V-bar pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoV-bar pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 8 to 12, to the top of the chest, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure · As in our elbow pain from pull-ups guide (editorial). Palms facing; or a shoulder-width bar to the collarbone, never behind the neck. Stop the bar's rise a little short of the top if reaching up hurts (our suggestion)

Harder: Pull-up

Scaption raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, thumbs up, to shoulder height, lowering slowly · The sets and repetitions the trial of 102 people used; the exercise is our choice for the supraspinatus, the rotator cuff muscle on top

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Move on when: Daily life and the stage 1 pulls pass the pain rule for a week, and pulldowns at a moderate weight pass it for 3 sets of 12 (editorial).

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

Stage 2

Build the rotator cuff and shoulder blade, and rebuild the pull with help

About weeks 2 to 6, 3 to 5 days a week: stronger outward rotators and shoulder-blade muscles, and a full-range pull with help, first from your feet, then with a band or machine.

Side-lying dumbbell external rotation (on a bench) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying dumbbell external rotation (on a bench)Beginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

8 to 15 repetitions, working up to 3 sets, light dumbbell · The move page's dose (an NHS Ayrshire and Arran leaflet). Side-lying on a bench

Easier: Standing band external rotation · Harder: Incline reverse fly with external rotation

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 rounds of 8 of each shape · As in our shoulder pain guide (editorial). Keep your neck long, as the move page says

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

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 · As in our elbow pain from pull-ups guide (editorial). A row with your feet on the floor, between a band row and a pull-up

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 · The move page's dose. Shoulder-width overhand or neutral grip, to the front; the machine version helps evenly through the rep

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 elbow pain from pull-ups guide (editorial). Leave it out after a recent dislocation or if the shoulder slips when you hang

Easier: Bar hang · Harder: Pull-up

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 15, once a day · The trial of 102 people moved to once a day from week 8; doing it sooner here is our suggestion

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Move on when: 3 sets of 8 to 12 band-assisted pull-ups pass the pain rule, with the shoulder back to its usual level by the next session, 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: unassisted pull-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 shoulder pain, so the order is editorial; a modelling study in 11 men recommends building up through all three grips it tested rather than avoiding any.

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 · As in our elbow pain from pull-ups guide (editorial). Step down to the box at the end; expect some muscle soreness

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

3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar

3 sets, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, shoulder-width overhand grip · Editorial. Strict reps, no kipping

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 if the overhand grip complains

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

3D demoChin-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar

2 to 3 sets, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, once the front of the shoulder has settled · Editorial. Chin-ups work the biceps harder than pull-ups, so they come back after the front of the shoulder settles

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

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 to 3 sets of 15, twice a week, kept going · Editorial: the trial's rotator cuff work, kept as a habit

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

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 elbow pain from pull-ups guide (editorial). Leave it out after a recent dislocation or if the shoulder slips, as the move page says

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 small lab studies in healthy people, the NHS and our pull-up pages; the grip advice is our reading of one motion study of 11 men, and where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a change to the pull-up for shoulder pain.

1. Take some of your weight: pulldowns and rows first, then a band or machine, then slow lowering, then full pull-ups. The motion study suggested weight-assisted, shoulder-width front pull-ups for weaker people.
2. Grip: shoulder-width overhand or neutral (palms facing), whichever doesn't hurt. Grips work the muscles much alike, but in the motion study wide and underhand grips put the shoulder in positions the authors linked with impingement. That study never measured the neutral grip, and none has measured pain by grip.
3. Pull to the front of your head, never behind it. Weight trainers who did behind-the-neck pulldowns had more signs of a loose shoulder, and a review of gym injuries advises bringing the bar to the front.
4. The bottom: lower under control into the hang rather than dropping into it, and step down off the bar rather than letting go from the top (our suggestion; forceful pulling on the arm is one recognised way the labrum tears).
5. The top of the range: if the pain comes as your arms go fully overhead, stop a little short of the dead hang for now and build the range back over the weeks (our suggestion).
6. No kipping, butterfly pull-ups or muscle-ups for now (our suggestion). In one CrossFit survey, kipping and butterfly pull-ups were named for 7 of 46 shoulder injuries.
7. Fewer, easier sets: stop 2 or 3 reps short of failure, with at least a day between pulling sessions, and no maximum tests or pull-up challenges for now (our suggestion). The NHS says "do not make up your own strenuous exercises or use heavy gym equipment" while your shoulder hurts.
8. Keep using your arm for everyday jobs. The NHS says "do not completely stop using your shoulder - this can stop it getting better", but don't carry on with the activities that caused the pain.

Sources 20, 33, 17, 38, 13, 8, 15, 1

Rows and the rest of your training

An NHS physiotherapy sheet for shoulder strengthening uses a band row (10 reps x 3 sets) and a dumbbell row (6 to 8 reps x 3 sets), with no overhead pulling or hanging. We found no NHS or professional leaflet that doses pull-ups, pulldowns or hangs for shoulder pain, so those doses on this page are editorial. Squats, lunges, cycling and running can usually carry on as normal (our suggestion). The NHS suggests shoulder exercises for 6 to 8 weeks to stop pain returning.

Sources 47, 15

After a dislocation or surgery

After a dislocation, the NHS says your doctor or physiotherapist will advise when you can return to sport; recovery usually takes 6 to 12 weeks and up to 16 weeks for some sports. Leave hangs and pull-ups out until they clear you. An NHS leaflet on surgery to stabilise the shoulder says it "may be 6 to 8 weeks after your operation before you can use your arm above shoulder height", with heavier tasks from 8 to 12 weeks and contact sports after 6 to 9 months. A US rehab protocol after a SLAP repair rules out pulldowns behind the head from weeks 13 to 24. No source names a week for pull-ups, so your surgical team decides.

Sources 16, 48, 49

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how pull-ups come back after shoulder pain, so these steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. Add one thing at a time: more reps, then chin-ups, then a wider grip if you want it, then added weight (the weighted pull-up's page asks for ten strict pull-ups first), then kipping or muscle-ups if your sport needs them.
2. Add load in small steps: 1 or 2 reps, or 2% to 10% more weight, after a session that passed the pain rule (the American College of Sports Medicine's steps for healthy lifters, as our elbow pull-up guide uses).
3. Kipping and butterfly pull-ups last, once several strict pull-ups pass the pain rule.
4. Behind-the-neck pull-ups and pulldowns: leave them out while it's sore, and for good if they bring the pain back; the front version trains the same muscles.
5. Keep the rotator cuff and row work twice a week, and build any pull-up challenge or test up over weeks, not from its top number.
6. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing, then build again.

Sources 36, 38

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Full pull-ups through pain	Your whole body weight hangs from your shoulders, and the NHS says don't carry on with the activity that caused the pain.	Pulldowns to the front, then band help.Try: V-bar pulldown
Wide-grip pull-ups	Wide grips cut the shoulder blade's movement in a way the authors of a small motion study linked with impingement.	A shoulder-width or neutral grip, with a band.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Behind-the-neck pull-ups and pulldowns	Linked with signs of a loose shoulder in weight trainers (a cross-sectional study), and they work the lats no harder than the front version.	The pulldown to the front.Try: Shoulder-width lat pulldown
Kipping, butterfly pull-ups and muscle-ups	Named for 7 of 46 shoulder injuries in one CrossFit survey; no study has measured the shoulder in kipping.	Strict, assisted pull-ups.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Dropping into a dead hang, or letting go from the top	Forceful pulling on the arm is a recognised way to tear the labrum (our inference for pull-ups).	Lower under control and step down, with slow negatives later.Try: Negative pull-up
Long dead hangs "to open the shoulder"	No study shows hanging treats impingement, and after hard climbing the space under the acromion narrowed for about an hour.	Rotator cuff work.Try: Standing band external rotation
Chin-ups with pain at the front of the shoulder	Chin-ups work the biceps harder, and the underhand grip starts the shoulder turned far out.	A neutral grip.Try: V-bar pulldown
Sets to failure, pull-up challenges and hundreds of reps	A sudden jump in load is the usual story (editorial), and in rare cases a big session breaks down muscle (rhabdomyolysis).	Stop 2 or 3 reps short, with a day between pulling sessions.
Weighted pull-ups while it's sore	Extra load before the shoulder has settled (our suggestion).	Band help, then body weight.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Resting the arm completely	The NHS says this can stop the shoulder getting better.	The stage 1 moves.Try: Band row
Hanging or pulling through a clunk, a dead arm or a feeling of slipping	It can mean the shoulder is loose.	Stop that position and get it checked soon.

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

Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band)

A 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.

25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A band

Climbers' antagonist and shoulder workout

A 30-minute antagonist workout for climbers: push-ups and presses, band rotations, Y-T-W raises and face pulls, wrist and finger extensions, and a side plank.

30 minBeginner13 movesA band, A dumbbell

Pull day workout B

Pull day B: cable rows, lat pulldowns, one-arm dumbbell rows, reverse flyes, incline curls and back extensions, with sets, reps and rest.

50 minIntermediate10 movesPull-up bar, A cable machine

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

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

A pull-up hangs your whole weight from your arms with them fully overhead, the position that brings out rotator cuff pain, then asks the rotator cuff, the shoulder-blade muscles and the biceps to work hard. Where it hurts is the best clue: the front or outside points to the rotator cuff, a spot in the groove at the front to the biceps tendon, and deep catching or locking to the labrum.

Why does the front of my shoulder hurt during pull-ups or chin-ups?

Usually the rotator cuff or the long head of the biceps, often both. Chin-ups work the biceps harder and start the shoulder turned far out, so try a neutral grip and the changes in this guide. A pop with a bulge in the upper arm needs a same-day check.

Are pull-ups bad for your shoulders?

No. They're a hard rotator cuff and shoulder-blade exercise, and researchers recommend them, built up step by step, in shoulder rehab. Too much too soon, a very wide or behind-the-neck grip, or kipping before strict reps are the usual problems.

Should I stop doing pull-ups if my shoulder hurts?

Change them rather than stop: pulldowns and rows, then band help, a shoulder-width or neutral grip, and sets stopped 2 or 3 reps short. Keep the pain at 5 out of 10 or less, settled by your next session. The NHS says don't stop using a painful shoulder completely.

Which grip is best for a sore shoulder?

The one that doesn't hurt, usually shoulder-width overhand or neutral (palms facing). Grips work the muscles much alike, but in one small motion study wide and underhand grips put the shoulder in positions linked with impingement; it didn't test the neutral grip. Keep the bar in front of your head.

Why does my shoulder hurt in a dead hang, and will hanging fix it?

Hanging puts the arm fully overhead, the position that brings out rotator cuff pain, and the gap under the bony roof of the shoulder is narrowest there; after hard climbing it narrowed for a while. We found no study showing that hanging treats impingement or reshapes the bone: rotator cuff and shoulder-blade exercises are what the trials support. Leave long hangs out for now and bring short ones back last.

Is kipping bad for my shoulders?

No one has measured it: the one lab study of kipping looked at the hips and trunk, not the shoulder. In one CrossFit survey, kipping and butterfly pull-ups were named for 7 of 46 shoulder injuries, fewer than overhead pressing and snatches. Learn strict pull-ups first and add kipping last.

My shoulder clicks when I do pull-ups. Is that a problem?

Painless clicks are common. A click with pain, catching or locking, a clunk, a dead arm or a feeling the shoulder will slip needs checking.

Can I do pull-ups with a torn rotator cuff or a torn labrum?

Many people have tears on a scan without any pain, and tears that come on gradually are usually treated with exercise first, so it depends on your shoulder rather than the scan. Follow the plan in our rotator cuff tear or SLAP tear guide, bring pulling back through the stages here, and stop at any slipping, catching or sudden weakness. A tear from an injury, or a repair, follows your specialist's or surgical team's plan.

Do I need a scan?

Not at first: a UK pathway says rotator cuff pain is diagnosed by examination, and scans of pain-free shoulders often show tears. A scan matters after an injury, for a shoulder that slips, or for pain that isn't settling after about 12 weeks.

How long until I can do pull-ups normally again?

No one can promise a date. A UK pathway says most rotator cuff pain responds within three months, and the NHS says shoulder pain can take 6 months or longer to recover. Many people keep doing changed pulls throughout.

When should I see a doctor?

Go to A&E for a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall, call 999 for chest pain that feels tight or spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, and get a same-day check for a pop with a bulge, sudden weakness, a hot swollen shoulder, or swollen arms and dark pee after a big session. See a GP or physiotherapist if it's no better after 2 weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Other pain 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.