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Pull-Ups

Pull-Ups trains 6 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Lats 100%, Biceps 60%, Forearms 45%, Rear delts 30%, Mid-back / traps 20%, Abs 15%.

Backbone movement Level: Professional Pull-up bar Pull Easy on the lower backEasy on the kneesNo load on the spineEasy on the shoulders

Pull-Ups - Start position
Start position
Pull-Ups - Finish position
Finish position

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with an overhand grip, hands a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Start from a dead hang, shoulders pulled down away from your ears.
  3. Pull until your chin clears the bar, driving your elbows down toward your ribs.
  4. Lower all the way back to straight arms under control.
  5. No kipping. If you cannot get a clean rep, use the negative version or a band.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

Light Main

How it compares

Compared with the Lat Pulldown, it loads Abs 15 points higher, Biceps 5 points higher, Forearms 5 points higher. It needs Pull-up bar where the other uses Cable machine. Compared with the Inverted Row, it loads Lats 65 points higher, Mid-back / traps 65 points lower, Rear delts 20 points lower.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Lats

Related guides

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.

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