LiftSets / Exercises / Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
Works the lats. Helped by the biceps, middle back and shoulders.


Bright blue is the target muscle. Darker blue is helping. The app shows this as a moving demo.
Muscles worked
latsbicepsmiddle backshoulders
How many reps
| Goal | Reps per set |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3-6 |
| Muscle size | 6-10 |
| Endurance | 12-20+ |
Whatever the number, the set should end within a rep or two of the point where you could not do another with good form.
| Kit | Body only |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
What to think about
- Start from a dead hang.
- Drive the elbows down and back.
- Chest to the bar, control the lowering.
How to do it
- Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using a wide grip.
- As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar, bring your torso forward and head so that there is an imaginary line from the pull-up bar to the back of your neck. This is your starting position.
- Pull your torso up until the bar is near the back of your neck. To do this, draw the shoulders and upper arms down and back while slightly leaning your head forward. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
- After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
- Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Other exercises for the lats
- Band Assisted Pull-Up
- Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover
- Chin-Up
- Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown
- Full Range-of-Motion Lat Pulldown
- Leverage Iso Row
- Pullups
- Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown
Track it in LiftSets
Log Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up with last time's numbers in front of you, a rest timer on your lock screen and a graph of your progress.
Coming soon to the App Store