Reverse grip Pull-up
- Músculo objetivo
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Músculos sinergistas
- Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Posterior, Levator Scapulae, Pectoralis Major Sternal Head, Teres Major
- Equipamiento
- Body weight
- Parte del cuerpo
- Back
- Tipo
- Strength
The reverse grip pull-up is a bodyweight pull performed with a supinated (palms-toward-you) grip on a pull-up bar, with the latissimus dorsi as the primary mover. The teres major, posterior deltoid, brachialis, brachioradialis, levator scapulae, and the sternal head of the pectoralis major all assist. It builds back width and upper-body pulling strength, and the underhand grip makes it one of the more accessible ways into full pull-ups.
Cómo hacer el Reverse grip Pull-up
- 1Stand beneath a pull-up bar and take a shoulder-width, supinated (underhand) grip so your palms face toward you.
- 2Hang at full arm extension with your ankles crossed behind you, letting your shoulders ride slightly up toward your ears.
- 3Depress and retract your shoulder blades — pull them down and back — to load the lats before your elbows bend.
- 4Drive your elbows down and back toward your hips as you pull your chest toward the bar.
- 5Keep pulling until your chin clears the bar, holding your torso roughly vertical and your core braced.
- 6Pause for a beat at the top with your shoulders held down, not shrugged toward your ears.
- 7Lower under control to a full hang over 2–3 seconds, resisting the descent rather than dropping.
- 8Reset your scapular position at the bottom and repeat for the target number of reps.
Consejos de técnica
- Think about driving your elbows toward your back pockets rather than pulling with your hands — this shifts the work onto the lats instead of the arms.
- Start every rep with scapular depression before the elbows bend; pre-loading the lats also keeps the shoulder out of an impinged position at the bottom.
- Brace your core and cross your ankles to kill any swing, so the lats move you rather than momentum.
- Own the eccentric — a controlled 2–3 second descent under tension builds more strength than dropping off the bar.
- Once you can hit 10–12 clean reps, add load with a dip belt or a dumbbell between your feet instead of chasing higher rep counts.
Errores comunes
- Kipping or swinging the legs to get over the bar, which offloads the lats and dumps the momentum into the shoulder and elbow joints.
- Skipping scapular depression at the start, which lets the upper traps shrug and take over while the lats stay slack.
- Stopping short of a full hang at the bottom, which cuts range of motion and skips the deepest lat stretch of the rep.
- Craning the neck forward to get the chin over the bar, which fakes the rep height while the torso stays low and strains the neck.
- Gripping much narrower than shoulder-width, which torques the wrists and shifts load off the back and onto the elbow flexors.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the difference between a reverse grip pull-up and a regular pull-up?
A regular pull-up uses a pronated (overhand) grip with the palms facing away; a reverse grip pull-up uses a supinated (underhand) grip with the palms facing toward you. The underhand grip keeps the shoulder in a more externally rotated position and puts the elbow flexors — brachialis and brachioradialis — in a stronger line of pull, while the latissimus dorsi still does most of the work.
What muscles does the reverse grip pull-up work?
The latissimus dorsi is the target muscle. The teres major, posterior deltoid, brachialis, brachioradialis, levator scapulae, and the sternal head of the pectoralis major act as synergists, so you get back width plus a strong upper-arm and forearm contribution.
Is a reverse grip pull-up easier than a chin-up or a regular pull-up?
It is essentially the same movement as a chin-up — both use a supinated, shoulder-width grip. Most people find it a few reps easier than a pronated-grip pull-up because the elbow flexors are in a stronger pulling position.
How wide should my grip be for a reverse grip pull-up?
Shoulder-width is the standard. Much narrower and the wrists take unnecessary torque; much wider and a supinated grip becomes awkward on the elbows and limits how high you can pull.
How can I progress if I cannot do a full reverse grip pull-up yet?
Use a resistance band looped around the bar and under your feet, or an assisted pull-up machine, and reduce the assistance over time. Negatives — jumping to the top and lowering for 3–5 seconds — build the strength for full reps quickly. Dead hangs help if grip is your limiter.
