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Wide Grip Pull-Up
A pull-up with a wider than shoulder-width grip that shortens the range and biases the lats over the biceps.
BackBodyweightVertical pull
GoLightWeight mediawide-grip-pull-up
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Latissimus dorsi
Secondary
Teres majorRear deltoidsBicepsForearms
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Vertical pull
Setup
- 01Grip the bar roughly 1.5 times shoulder width with a pronated grip.
- 02Avoid an extreme width that forces the shoulders into a painful position.
- 03Hang with straight arms, shoulder blades slightly elevated, and legs together.
- 04Brace the trunk so the body hangs still before the first rep.
Execution
- 01Pull the shoulder blades down and back to initiate.
- 02Drive the elbows down toward the sides and bring the chest to the bar.
- 03Pull until the chin clears the bar; the wide grip means a shorter top range.
- 04Lower under full control back to a straight-arm hang.
Checkpoints
- -Elbows travel down and out to the sides, not forward.
- -Chest leads the pull rather than the chin poking up.
- -Full elbow extension at the bottom of every rep.
- -No swing or kip through the rep.
Common mistakes
- -Taking a grip so wide that the shoulders impinge at the top.
- -Shrugging into the neck instead of depressing the shoulder blades.
- -Half reps that skip the dead hang.
- -Craning the neck to fake bar clearance.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 10 reps; expect 1 to 3 fewer reps than your standard pull-up.
- -Add load with a belt only after 8 or more strict bodyweight reps.
- -Works well as the first back exercise on an upper or pull day.
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