Intermediate

Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

The neutral grip puts your palms facing each other, which keeps the shoulders in a comfortable, joint-friendly position and lets the brachioradialis and biceps assist powerfully. Many lifters find this the strongest and least irritating pull-up variation, so it is a great pick if overhand pull-ups bother your shoulders or elbows. It builds thick lats and a strong mid-back.

Equipment
Pull-Up Bar
Body part
Back, Lats
Type
Strength
Browse by muscle
Latissimus Dorsi
Browse by movement
Vertical Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi
Secondary
Brachioradialis, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head, Trapezius Lower, Trapezius Middle
Tertiary
Infraspinatus, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Grab a pair of parallel handles so your palms face each other.

  2. 2

    Hang with arms extended, shoulders packed down, and core braced.

  3. 3

    Pull your chest toward the handles by driving your elbows down and slightly forward.

  4. 4

    Rise until the top of your chest is near hand level.

  5. 5

    Lower under control to a full stretch without letting the shoulders roll forward.

  6. 6

    Exhale pulling up, inhale lowering, and keep the torso from swinging.

Tips

  • Let your elbows travel a touch in front of the body, this suits the neutral-grip line of pull.
  • Keep the chest tall and drive it toward the bar rather than curling your head over.
  • If handles are close together, keep your forearms vertical to protect the wrists.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The neutral grip makes the arms feel strong, so the biceps start the pull before the shoulder blades move; set the blades down first and let the elbows lead.
  • The knees hitch up and the hips kick to launch each rep, and once you are swinging between parallel handles the chest never squares up to them.
  • A full hang feels vulnerable, so the bottom of every rep gets shortened, and a rep that starts with bent elbows skips the range that builds the lats.
  • Descents are dropped in half a second to save something for the next rep, which throws away the half of the exercise most people are short on.

Frequently asked

How many neutral-grip pull-ups should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Four sets of three to six reps with two minutes of rest, stopping each set one rep before your technique breaks down. If you cannot do one yet, lower yourself from the top over five seconds and run the same number of sets that way, adding reps as they get easier. Once ten clean reps are there, start adding weight instead of chasing higher numbers.
What can I do instead of the neutral-grip pull-up with no bar at home?
Rows under a sturdy table, gripping the edge with your palms facing in, train the same back muscles at a load you scale by walking your feet out. A band looped over any solid overhead bar takes weight off the bottom of a real pull-up if you have somewhere to hang from.
What is the neutral-grip pull-up good for, and when should I choose something else?
It develops the lats and mid back through a full vertical pull, and the palms-facing position is the kindest on the shoulders and elbows, so it is often the pull-up people can keep doing without pain. Choose something else while you cannot complete a single rep, since sets of near misses teach little: assisted reps or slow lowers get you there faster. Back off the volume if the inside of your elbow starts to ache.

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