Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up
Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up Exercise Description
The Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up is a bodyweight vertical pulling exercise using a pronated (overhand) grip set wider than shoulder width. It primarily trains the latissimus dorsi and teres major for shoulder adduction/extension, with strong assistance from the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids for scapular retraction/depression. The biceps brachii, brachialis, and forearm flexors assist as you flex the elbows and maintain grip. Emphasis is on moving the body as one unit while keeping a neutral spine and controlled scapular motion. Performed correctly, you’ll pull until the chin clears or the upper chest approaches the bar, then lower under control to a full, active hang. Keep the bar in front of your face/upper chest (not behind the neck) and avoid kipping or swinging to maintain joint-friendly mechanics and consistent tension.
- Muscle Groups: Back, Lats
- Target Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi, Teres Major
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Brachii - Long Head, Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Rhomboid Major, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Stabilizing Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Iliocostalis, Longissimus, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Pull
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Shoulder Extensors, Shoulder External Rotators
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Lats, Lower Lats
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up Exercise
‘- Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip wider than shoulder width; wrap thumbs around the bar.
– Start in a dead hang: elbows straight, ribs down, glutes lightly engaged, legs together or crossed behind.
– Set an active hang by drawing the shoulder blades down and slightly back; keep neck long.
– Initiate the pull by driving elbows down and slightly in toward your sides; avoid shrugging.
– Keep torso stable—neutral spine, chest tall without flaring ribs or overextending the lower back.
– Pull until your chin clears or upper chest approaches the bar; keep the bar in front, not behind the neck.
– Pause briefly at the top while maintaining scapular depression and retraction.
– Lower with control, allowing the elbows to fully extend and the shoulder blades to upwardly rotate and protract to a full hang.
– Maintain a smooth, controlled tempo; avoid kipping, swinging, or using leg drive.
– Keep head and eyes neutral—do not reach with the chin or crane the neck.
Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up Tips
‘- Use a wide overhand grip and wrap your thumbs around the bar for a secure hold.
– Start from a true dead hang with elbows straight, ribs down, and glutes lightly engaged.
– Keep your legs together or crossed behind you to stay organized in the hang.
– Set an active hang by drawing your shoulder blades down and slightly back while keeping your neck long.
– Initiate the pull by driving your elbows down and slightly in toward your sides, avoiding any shrugging.
– Maintain a neutral spine with a tall chest, but avoid flaring your ribs or overextending your lower back.
– Pull only until your chin clears or your upper chest approaches the bar, keeping the bar in front of your face and chest.
– Pause briefly at the top while maintaining scapular depression and retraction.
– Lower yourself under control, letting your elbows fully extend and your shoulder blades upwardly rotate and protract into a full hang.
– Keep a smooth, controlled tempo and avoid kipping, swinging, or using your legs for momentum.
– Hold your head and eyes in a neutral position, and do not reach for the bar with your chin or crane your neck.
Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up Beginner Introduction
The Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up is a strict bodyweight pulling movement performed on a bar with a wide overhand hand position. It mainly challenges the lats and upper back as the shoulders draw down and back, while the biceps and forearms work hard to bend the elbows and maintain the hold. Because the hands are set wider than the shoulders, the sides of the back and the area between the shoulder blades carry much of the workload, turning this into a demanding upper-body strength drill.
During each repetition, the body rises toward the bar until the chin travels above or near it, then returns to a strong hanging position in a smooth, controlled arc. The spine stays long and natural, the chest lifts without exaggerating the lower back, and the shoulder blades glide with purpose rather than jerking. The movement style emphasizes tight, unified motion of the entire body, steady rhythm, and deliberate muscle control instead of using momentum, kipping, or leg drive.