Pull-up and push-up workout for any level

A pull-up and push-up workout trains your whole upper body with one bar and a bit of floor. Do a set of pull-ups, rest, do a set of push-ups, rest, and repeat for 3 to 5 rounds, three days a week.

Below is the full workout, a step by step path for men who cannot do a pull-up yet, a 10 minute push-up workout for busy days and a simple sit-up and push-up circuit.

Why pair pull-ups and push-ups?

Because one pulls and the other pushes. Pull-ups train your back, the backs of your shoulders and your biceps. Push-ups train your chest, the fronts of your shoulders and your triceps. Do both and you cover your whole upper body.

They also fit well in one session. While you do push-ups, your hands get a break from the bar. While you hang from the bar, your chest gets a break. So you can rest less and get more done in the same time.

Both are easy to count, anywhere. That means you always know if you are getting stronger. Write your reps down after every session and try to beat them next time.

What do you need for a pull-up and push-up workout?

You need a bar you can hang from and enough floor to lie down on. That is all.

• A doorway pull-up bar. The kind that hooks over a door frame needs no screws. Check that it fits your frame before you buy one.
• Park bars. Lots of parks have a pull-up bar or a set of bars for training, and they are free to use.

Before you hang from a doorway bar, fit it the way the maker says. Then test it. Hold the bar with your feet still on the floor and slowly put more of your weight on it. Only lift your feet once it feels solid. Check it again each time you put it back up.

A towel or mat helps for push-ups on a hard floor. Nothing else is needed.

How do you do the pull-up and push-up workout?

Do one set of pull-ups, rest 30 seconds, then do one set of push-ups and rest 90 seconds. That is one round. Do 3 rounds to start, and build up to 5.

Stop each set one or two reps before you have to. Ugly reps at the end of a set do not count for much. If you cannot do a pull-up yet, swap in your step from the next section.

Warm up for five minutes first: arm circles, ten push-ups against a wall, and two short hangs from the bar with your toes still touching the floor.

Pull-ups

Grab the bar with your palms facing away, hands a little wider than your shoulders. Hang with straight arms. Pull your shoulders down, away from your ears, then pull until your chin is over the bar. Lower yourself slowly until your arms are straight again. No swinging and no kicking.

With your palms facing you, it is a chin-up. If chin-ups feel easier for you, use them. Either one works in this plan.

Push-ups

Hands a little wider than your shoulders. Keep your body in one straight line from head to heels. Lower your chest to just above the floor, then push back up. If full push-ups are too hard, put your hands on a sturdy table or bench. For every push-up step from easy to hard, see our chest workout for men at home.

What if you can't do a pull-up yet?

Work up to it in steps. Start at the first step you cannot do easily, and move to the next one when you hit the goal for two sessions in a row.

For table rows, test the table first. Lean on it with part of your weight and make sure it will not tip or slide. A low bar at the park works too.

If you have a resistance band, you can loop it over the bar and put a knee or foot in it. The band takes some of your weight, so you can do full pull-ups sooner. Use it as an extra, not in place of slow lowers.

While you work through the steps, use your step in place of pull-ups in the main workout. On step 3, a round is table rows, rest, push-ups, rest.

How do you do a 10 minute push-up workout?

Set a timer for 10 minutes. At the start of each minute, do one set of push-ups, then rest until the next minute starts. Ten minutes, ten sets.

Pick a number you can hit every minute, all the way to the end. A good start is half your best set. If your best is 20, do 10 a minute. If you miss reps, lower the number next time. When all ten sets feel easy, add one rep.

This is a good swap for the full workout on days you are short on time. Ten minutes of training beats skipping it.

What is a good sit-up and push-up workout?

A sit-up and push-up workout is a simple circuit: a set of push-ups, then a set of sit-ups straight after, then a short rest. It needs no bar, so it works on days you cannot get to one.

Do 3 rounds to start, and build up to 5.

For a sit-up, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. If your feet lift, hook them under a couch. Cross your arms on your chest and curl up until your chest is close to your knees. Lower yourself slowly. Do not pull on your head or neck. For more core moves, try our ab workout for men at home.

How often should you do pull-ups and push-ups?

Three days a week, with a rest day between each one. Here is a simple week.

This plan only covers your upper body, so do not skip your legs. Squats, lunges and glute bridges from our home workout for men are an easy fit for Tuesday and Saturday.

How do you make the workout harder?

Add reps first. Then slow down. Then add rounds. Change one thing at a time, and only when the last change feels easy.

1. Add reps. Add one rep to one set each session, until you reach the top of the range.
2. Slow down. Take three seconds to lower on every pull-up and push-up.
3. Pause. Hold for one second with your chin over the bar, and one second with your chest just above the floor.
4. Add rounds. Go from 3 rounds to 4, then 5.
5. Rest less. Cut the rest between rounds from 90 seconds to 60.

Once you can do 5 rounds with the top number of reps, move to a harder push-up from the chest guide and keep slowing down your pull-ups.

Stop any move that causes sharp pain. If you have an injury or a health condition, talk to a doctor before you start a new workout.

When you want a longer session that also trains your shoulders and arms on their own, try our upper body workout for men at home. More on training, food and sleep in our body guides.