Strength discipline · Bodyweight
Pull-ups
Pull-ups is a strength discipline in BYOH, trained with bodyweight and building arms and back. Its ladder runs from 1 rep at Level 1 to 60+ reps at Level 9, and Level 10 is the world record.
The ten levels
BYOH measures a discipline in ten cleared levels. Level 9 is a genuine feat; Level 10 is the standing world record, which is there to be looked at rather than reached.
Pull-ups starts at Level 1 with 1 rep. Level 5 asks for 15 reps, and Level 9 - the last level a person can train towards - 60+ reps. The largest single jump is from Level 8 to Level 9, 40 reps to 60+ reps.
| Level | Target |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 rep |
| 2 | 3 reps |
| 3 | 6 reps |
| 4 | 10 reps |
| 5 | 15 reps |
| 6 | 20 reps |
| 7 | 30 reps |
| 8 | 40 reps |
| 9 | 60+ reps |
| 10 · Legend | 1,224 consecutive pull-ups |
The record past Level 9
Most consecutive pull-ups — 1,224 reps, Kenta Adachi (10 Nov 2024).
No clock. One unbroken encounter with gravity. Source.
How it is done
- Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
- As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
- Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
- After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
- Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Movement guidance and imagery from the public-domain Free Exercise DB. BYOH adds the level thresholds.
How the attempt is judged
A level only means something if two heroes clearing it have done the same thing. These are the rules BYOH counts an attempt by — they are the rules of a game, not coaching.
- What counts as one
- One repetition is from a full dead hang to the chin clearly above the bar.
- The set
- One unbroken set. You may pause in the supported position for as long as you like; the set ends the moment you leave it.
- What you need
- An overhand grip a little wider than the shoulders. The supported position is the dead hang.
- What ends it
- Letting go of the bar ends the set. Kipping, kicking or pushing off anything does not count, and neither does a chin level with the bar.
What it builds
Pull-ups feeds Arms and Back in a hero’s record, working lats, biceps, middle back.
- Vertical pull
- Biceps
- Grip & forearms
Pull-ups is one of 32 strength disciplines. It shares its bodyweight requirement with 13 other strength disciplines. Arms is also built by cross-body hammer curl, chin-ups, chair dips and 2 more, and a broad attribute needs several of them rather than one taken far.
Quests that ask for it
- Leave the GroundDiscipline · Level 1
- Cliff HandDiscipline · Level 3
- Over the WallDiscipline · Level 6
- Oak Above the DoorDiscipline · Level 9
- The Whole HeroPath · Level 2
- A Back Like a DoorDiscipline · Level 7
Put it on a record
BYOH turns these levels into a hero: what you clear becomes attributes, quests and a character that grows with your training. It is free, and in open alpha.
Start your hero