A lot of women assume they can do at least one pull-up. Until they try. Several women have written to me, surprised that they couldn’t do one, even though they consider themselves strong and in good shape. They expected at least one. Very few women can do a pull-up. Estimates are often around 1–5%. Pulling your own body weight just isn’t something most of us have ever specifically trained. Pull-ups rely heavily on the lats, grip strength, and coordination. Many of us initially try to pull mostly with the arms. Learning to engage the back makes a big difference. For years, I did yoga and strength training, but pulling my body weight up to a bar simply wasn’t part of my routine. In my 40s, I set the goal of running a half-marathon and did it. �In my 50s, I worked toward a freestanding handstand and did that too. �In my 60s, I decided to see whether I could learn to do a pull-up. At 61, I did my first one. Now I can do 3. Working toward 5 by the end of the year. Some days feel stro...