Wide Grip Pull-up
The point of Wide Grip Pull-up is strength you can feel outside the gym; pure bodyweight leverage is how it gets there.
How to do Wide Grip Pull-up
- Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar.
- Lower your body back down to the starting position with control.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Wide Grip Pull-up Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 6-8 hard reps with 2 minutes of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 20-25 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Common Wide Grip Pull-up Mistakes
Adding reps forever instead of making the movement harder
Change leverage, elevation, or tempo once you clear your rep range.
Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains
Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.
Skipping warm-up sets and starting at working weight
Run two light build-up sets so the first hard set is not the first rep.
Easier and Harder Than Wide Grip Pull-up
Swap Wide Grip Pull-up For
Wide Grip Pull-up — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Wide Grip Pull-up?
Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together. 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 Wide Grip Pull-up work?
The Wide 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 Wide Grip Pull-up should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Wide Grip Pull-up good for beginners?
Yes. The Wide 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 Wide Grip Pull-up?
Try the Alternate Lateral Pulldown, One-Arm Dumbbell Row or the Lever Front Pulldown. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
