As promised...your pull-up bar workout begins NOW. 
Forget pull-ups for the time being...first, it's important to learn how to hang from a pull-up bar in a way that will keep your shoulders healthy and maximize results.

You've got your pull-up bar installed safely.  You're ready to begin.

Step 1:  Hang from the bar.  If the ceiling is low enough (or you are tall enough), you can jump up to grab it.  Otherwise, use a chair or stool to help you reach the bar.

The rules for hanging from a bar are these: 
1.  wrap your thumbs around the bar
2.  keep your whole body tight, especially your abs.  Point your toes - they should be slightly in front of the midline of your body.
3.  KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS AWAY FROM YOUR EARS.  This is so important.  Keeping your shoulders away from your ears works the larger back muscles and keeps the stress off the little rotator cuff muscles which are NOT designed to hold your body weight for extended periods of time.  In other words, it's the best way to prevent injury.

Notice Kristin below.  She is wrapping her thumbs, her body is nice and tight, and her shoulders are low, away from her ears:



In the following picture Kristin is hanging incorrectly.  See how her shoulders are right next to her ears?



Hanging is tough.  See how long you can hang.  When you are done hanging, your upper back and abs should be tired.  If they are not, you are not engaging the correct muscles.  Hanging alone is an excellent exercise to strengthen the upper back and core.

Step 2:  The next move is more advanced and is ONLY for those of you who have mastered hanging from two arms.  It's called a monkey hang, and it's the same as step 1 only you are hanging from ONE arm instead of two.  You still have to keep your shoulder away from your ear - so if you can't do it correctly, keep your feet on a box or step to help support your weight, or keep doing the two-arm hang until you build up your strength.  Kristin's strong and she's showing you a monkey hang below:




There you have it!  I'll give you a good week or so to work on hanging from a bar.  Thank you to Kristin Procopio, owner of Studio U in Minneapolis for her lovely demonstration!