The frenchie pull up is a challenging bodyweight movement. This pull up builds vice-like grip strength and muscular endurance through a series of isometric holds. If you’re looking to reach the next level with your pull ups, we recommend giving frenchies go.

Frenchie pull ups are an advanced Calisthenics exercise. They specifically target your latissimus dorsi, biceps, forearms and gripping muscles. 

Also known as frenchies or interval pull ups, they improve muscular endurance by involving isometric holds, or ‘lock offs’, at different stages of the movement. The sequence allows you to engage and strengthen the target muscles at different ranges of their contraction. 

There are a few variations of frenchie pull ups. However, the original version cycles through three consecutive pull ups with three isometric holds - at the top, in the middle and near the bottom. 

How To Perform a Frenchie Pull Up

To perform the original frenchie pull up, created by Eric Horst, complete the following cycle -

• Start with an overhand grip on the Pull Up Bar.

• Pull up to the top position with your chin above the bar. Pause and hold your chest close to the bar for four seconds.

• Lower yourself to a straight-armed hanging position. That’s the first part of the cycle complete.

• From the hanging position, immediately pull up to the top position again, then lower yourself to halfway with your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for four seconds, then lower to the full hanging position.

• Pull up again and lower yourself two-thirds of the way down. Your elbows should be at an angle of around 120 degrees. Hold for four seconds.

• Lower yourself to the bottom. That’s one full cycle.

• Continue through as many cycles as you can do.

Another popular frenchie variation involves three holds across one pull up - one during the pulling (concentric) phase, one at the top and one during the lower (eccentric) phase -

• Grab the pull up bar with an overhand grip.

• Pull up to the halfway position (elbows at 90 degrees) and hold for four seconds.

• Continue pulling up to the top position and hold for another four seconds.

• Lower yourself back into the halfway position and hold for another count of four.

• Continue lowering into the bottom position. That’s one rep. 

• Complete as many reps as you can manage.

Who Should Do Frenchie Pull Ups?

Frenchie pull ups were first designed to help rock climbers build grip strength and muscular endurance. The holds mimic the challenging positions they would face on a climbing wall. 

We’d recommend being able to perform at least five strict pull ups before incorporating frenchies into your training. As frenchie pull ups are taxing, it’s best to start with just a few cycles and build up volume over time. 

You can regress frenchies by standing inside a resistance band that is tied to the bar.

Frenchie pull ups are a great exercise to target your back, biceps and forearms in a novel way. They’re effective at building true, functional grip strength and muscular endurance that will come in useful across your other lifts. 

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Tags: Equipment > Pull Up Bar ; Exercise Type > Strength