How to do the Chest-to-Bar Pull-up, step by step
- Grab the bar about shoulder-width.
- Kip from hollow to arch, or pull strict.
- Drive your elbows hard back and down.
- Lean your torso back slightly and bring your chest to the bar.
- Push away and drop back to a full hang.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Only your chin gets up therepull longer and harder, bring your chest to the bar.
- Hips stay backdrive your hips slightly forward as you pull while your torso leans back.
- No contact with the barthe rep only counts with visible contact.
How to scale the Chest-to-Bar Pull-up
If you can't do the movement cleanly yet or the workout is too heavy, use one of these variations:
- Regular pull-up
- Banded Chest-to-Bar
- Ring Row to the chest
Also known as
C2b pu · Chest to bar
Benchmarks with Chest-to-Bar Pull-up
- Hope3 rounds, 1 min each: Burpees, Power Snatch 34 kg, Box Jump 61 cm, Thruster 34 kg, Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups; 1 min rest
- Lumberjack 2020 Deadlifts 125 kg, 20 KB Swings 32 kg, 20 OHS 52 kg, 20 Burpees, 20 C2B Pull-ups, 20 Box Jumps 61 cm, 20 DB Squat Cleans 2 × 20 kg – 400 m Run after each movement
- Zimmerman25 min AMRAP: 11 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups, 2 Deadlifts 142.5 kg, 10 HSPU
- Open 13.54 min AMRAP: 15 Thruster 45 kg, 15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups; every 3 full rounds (90 reps) add 4 min. Score: reps
- Open 14.2 / 15.2Every 3 min for as long as possible: 2 rounds OHS 42.5 kg + Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups, starting at 10/10, +2 reps every 3 min. Score: reps
- Open 16.120 min AMRAP: 7.5 m Overhead Walking Lunge 42.5 kg, 8 Burpees, 7.5 m Overhead Walking Lunge, 8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
- Open 17.3By 8:00: 3 rounds of 6 C2B + 6 Squat Snatches 42.5 kg, then 3 rounds of 7 C2B + 5 × 60 kg; each time +4 min for 3 rounds of 8 C2B + 4 × 85 kg, 9 C2B + 3 × 102.5 kg, 10 C2B + 2 × 110 kg, 11 C2B + 1 × 120 kg (max 24 min). Score: reps
- Open 18.5 / 12.5 / 11.67 min AMRAP: 3 Thruster 45 kg, 3 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups, 6/6, 9/9 … (+3 each round). Score: reps
- Open 19.533-27-21-15-9 Thruster 42.5 kg, Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups (Cap 20 min)
- Open 21.315 Front Squats, 30 Toes-to-Bar, 15 Thruster; 1 min rest; 15 FS, 30 C2B, 15 Thruster; 1 min rest; 15 FS, 30 Bar Muscle-ups, 15 Thruster – all at 42.5 kg (Cap 15 min)
- Open 22.3 / 25.221 Pull-ups, 42 DU, 21 Thruster 42.5 kg, 18 C2B, 36 DU, 18 Thruster 52.5 kg, 15 Bar Muscle-ups, 30 DU, 15 Thruster 60 kg (Cap 12 min)
- Open 24.35 RFT: 10 Thruster 42.5 kg, 10 C2B; 1 min rest; 5 RFT: 7 Thruster 60 kg, 7 Bar Muscle-ups (Cap 15 min)
- Open 26.224 m DB Overhead Walking Lunge, 20 DB Snatches (alternating), 20 Pull-ups; 24 m Lunge, 20 Snatches, 20 C2B; 24 m Lunge, 20 Snatches, 20 Muscle-ups – dumbbell 22.5 kg (Cap 15 min)
These descriptions are general guidance and don't replace a coach. Have someone at your box show you new movements, and stop if anything hurts.