Shoulder Grip Pull-up

Beginner

Lats

Body Weight

What Shoulder Grip Pull-up really gives you is control through the whole range, driven by pure bodyweight leverage.

How to do Shoulder Grip Pull-up

Grab the pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing away from you.
Hang freely with your arms fully extended.
Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar.
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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Shoulder Grip Pull-up Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

3 sets of 6-8 hard reps with 2 minutes of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.

Hypertrophy

3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.

Endurance

2-3 sets of 20-25 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.

Common Shoulder Grip Pull-up Mistakes

Rushing reps so gravity does most of the work

Take two to three counts on the lowering phase of every rep.

Letting a nearby joint take over as the set gets hard

Stop the set as soon as the working joint stops leading the movement.

Easier and Harder Than Shoulder Grip Pull-up

Harder progression

Cable Thibaudeau Kayak Row

Swap Shoulder Grip Pull-up For

Alternate Lateral Pulldown

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Band Underhand Pulldown

Shoulder Grip Pull-up — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Shoulder Grip Pull-up?

Grab the pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing away from you. Hang freely with your arms fully extended. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Shoulder Grip Pull-up work?

The Shoulder Grip Pull-up primarily targets the lats. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.

How many sets and reps of the Shoulder Grip Pull-up should I do?

For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Shoulder Grip Pull-up good for beginners?

Yes. The Shoulder Grip Pull-up is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.

What can I do instead of the Shoulder Grip Pull-up?

Try the Alternate Lateral Pulldown, One-Arm Dumbbell Row or the Band Underhand Pulldown. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.