The Commando Pull-up is a challenging upper body exercise that targets your back, biceps, and shoulders.

  1. Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip.
  2. Engage your core and pull your body upward while rotating your torso.
  3. Alternate pulling your body up to each side, mimicking a commando movement.
  4. Lower yourself back down with control and repeat.

How to perform the Commando Pull-up

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Commando Pull-up using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your forearms.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your forearms rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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