Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, needing no equipment.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
- 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.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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2
Weighted Pull Ups
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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3
Incline Bench Pull
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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4
Band Assisted Pull-Up
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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5
Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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6
Kipping Muscle Up
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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7
Muscle Up
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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8
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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9
Rope Climb
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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10
Side To Side Chins
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do wide-grip rear pull-up work?
Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up primarily works the upper back. The biceps and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for wide-grip rear pull-up?
None. Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.
Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up: is it suitable for beginners?
Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of wide-grip rear pull-up?
Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns, Weighted Pull Ups, Incline Bench Pull train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my wide-grip rear pull-up reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; wide-grip rear pull-up can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up with AI
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