Rear Pull-up
- Target muscle
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Synergist muscles
- Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Pectoralis Major Sternal Head, Teres Major, Trapezius Lower Fibers, Trapezius Middle Fibers
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Back
- Type
- Strength
The rear pull-up is an advanced bodyweight variation in which the bar travels behind your head to the back of the neck. The latissimus dorsi does most of the work, assisted by the teres major, pectoralis major sternal head, brachialis, brachioradialis, and the middle and lower trapezius. It builds upper-back width through a pulling angle standard pull-ups do not reach, but demands excellent shoulder mobility.
How to do the Rear Pull-up
- 1Grip a pull-up bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with an overhand (pronated) grip, wrapping your thumbs fully around the bar.
- 2Hang at full arm extension with your body vertical, your ribs down, and your core and glutes braced.
- 3Depress and retract your shoulder blades before your elbows bend, so the pull starts from your back.
- 4Pull yourself upward while tilting your head forward and tucking your chin toward your chest so the bar clears the back of your head.
- 5Continue until the bar reaches the base of your neck, driving your elbows down and back with your neck held still.
- 6Pause for a beat at the top without letting the bar touch or rest on your neck.
- 7Lower yourself under control over 2–3 seconds until your arms are fully extended, then reset your shoulder blades before the next rep.
Form tips
- Stop the pull at whatever depth your shoulder mobility allows — reaching only ear level still loads the lats fully and spares the neck.
- Think about driving your elbows down toward your hips rather than pulling with your hands; this keeps tension on the latissimus dorsi and teres major instead of the arms.
- Warm up with dead hangs and band pull-aparts first so the overhead position is available before you load it.
- Exhale through the pull and inhale on the descent, keeping your legs still so the body stays vertical rather than swinging.
- Safety note: this variation loads the cervical spine and the shoulder joint in end-range external rotation — skip it if you have neck, rotator cuff, or impingement issues, and stop at the first sign of pain or pinching.
Common mistakes
- Letting the bar contact or bang into the back of the neck, which compresses the cervical vertebrae and risks acute injury.
- Using a narrow grip, which limits lat engagement and forces the shoulders into an internally rotated position under load.
- Leaving the chin up and jamming the neck into hyperflexion around the bar, concentrating shear force on the cervical spine.
- Kipping or swinging the legs to get the bar past the head, which removes muscular control at the most vulnerable point of the rep.
- Forcing the movement with restricted shoulder mobility, which rolls the shoulders forward and raises impingement risk rep after rep.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the rear pull-up work?
The primary mover is the latissimus dorsi. The teres major, pectoralis major sternal head, brachialis, brachioradialis, and the lower and middle trapezius act as synergists.
Is the rear pull-up safe, and who should avoid it?
It carries more risk than a standard pull-up because it loads the cervical spine and puts the shoulder in end-range external rotation. Reserve it for lifters with excellent overhead mobility, and avoid it entirely if you have neck pain, shoulder impingement, or a rotator cuff history — use standard pull-ups or lat pulldowns instead.
What is the difference between a rear pull-up and a regular pull-up?
In a regular pull-up the bar stays in front of your face and your chin clears it. In the rear pull-up your head tilts forward and the bar passes behind it to the base of the neck, changing the pulling angle and shifting more work onto the upper back.
How wide should my grip be for rear pull-ups?
Slightly wider than shoulder-width. That width lets the elbows travel down and back behind your torso as the bar reaches neck level; going much wider shortens the range without adding lat work.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Three to four sets of 5–8 strict reps is a sensible target. Keep the reps well short of failure — form breaks down first at the neck, which is exactly where this variation is least forgiving.
