Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up
- Target muscle
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Synergist muscles
- Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Pectoralis Major Sternal Head, Teres Major, Trapezius Lower Fibers
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Back
- Type
- Strength
The wide grip rear pull-up is a compound bodyweight pulling exercise that primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, assisted by the biceps brachii, brachialis, teres major, pectoralis major sternal head, and trapezius lower fibers. You finish with the bar behind the head against the upper trapezius rather than at the chest, which keeps the torso vertical and shifts emphasis toward scapular retraction and the lower trapezius. It fits as a back-width option in intermediate pulling programs and demands careful neck positioning.
How to do the Wide Grip Rear Pull-Up
- 1Grip a pull-up bar with both hands roughly 1.5 to 2 times shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you (pronated grip).
- 2Hang at full arm extension with your shoulders relaxed and your core lightly braced — this is the dead hang starting position.
- 3Before you pull, tilt your head forward slightly and tuck your chin toward your chest so the bar has a clear path behind your head.
- 4Initiate the pull by depressing and retracting your shoulder blades, then drive your elbows down and back toward your hips.
- 5Continue pulling until the bar contacts the upper trapezius, just above the base of the neck — do not force the bar down to mid-neck level.
- 6Pause briefly at the top with your elbows pointing down and slightly back, feeling the lats fully contracted.
- 7Lower yourself under control over 2–3 seconds back to the full dead hang, letting your shoulder blades rise and upwardly rotate at the bottom.
- 8Reset your head position on each rep and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Form tips
- Always tuck your chin and tilt your head forward before the bar passes behind your head — this keeps the cervical spine in a safer, more neutral position.
- Build the strength first: if you cannot do 8 strict front pull-ups, train those or a band-assisted version before adding the behind-the-head path.
- Drive the movement through your elbows rather than your hands — think of your hands as hooks and focus on pulling your elbows toward your back pockets.
- Depress your shoulder blades at the start of each rep rather than shrugging into the pull, which keeps the trapezius lower fibers engaged and protects the shoulder joint.
- Control the descent — a slow, deliberate negative extends time under tension and builds more lat strength than dropping quickly back to the hang.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the head upright or tilting it back as the bar descends behind the neck, which compresses the cervical spine and places the vertebrae at risk of impingement.
- Pulling the bar down past the upper traps to mid-neck or below, which dramatically increases the stress on the cervical vertebrae and rotator cuff — stop the bar as soon as it touches the upper traps.
- Using too wide a grip beyond comfortable shoulder range, which reduces the pulling strength of the lats and shifts excessive load onto the shoulder capsule.
- Shrugging at the top instead of depressing the scapulae, which recruits the upper trapezius instead of the intended lower fibers and reduces lat engagement.
- Using momentum or kipping to complete reps, which removes the eccentric load from the lats and brachialis and increases the uncontrolled force passing through the neck.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the wide grip rear pull-up work?
The primary mover is the latissimus dorsi. Synergists that assist the pull include the biceps brachii, brachialis, teres major, pectoralis major sternal head, and trapezius lower fibers. The wide grip places extra emphasis on lat width and the lower trapezius compared to a narrower pulling grip.
Is the rear pull-up safe for your neck?
The rear pull-up carries a higher neck risk than front pull-ups and requires deliberate precautions. Always tuck your chin forward before the bar passes behind your head, stop the bar at the upper traps rather than pulling it down to mid-neck, and avoid any neck discomfort or sharp pain — both are signals to stop. People with existing cervical spine issues should consult a medical professional before attempting this variation.
What is the difference between a wide grip rear pull-up and a standard wide grip pull-up?
In a standard wide grip pull-up the bar travels in front of the body and finishes near the collarbone. In the rear pull-up the bar passes behind the head and contacts the upper trapezius. The rear path forces a more vertical torso, shifts emphasis toward scapular retraction and the lower trapezius, and demands stricter head and neck positioning, but it also carries a higher cervical spine risk if performed carelessly.
How many sets and reps should I do for the wide grip rear pull-up?
For back-width development, 3–4 sets of 6–10 controlled reps works well. Beginners to the movement should start lighter in volume — 2–3 sets of 5 reps — to learn the neck positioning before accumulating fatigue. Avoid training this variation to muscular failure until the neck-safety mechanics are fully automatic.
What are good alternatives to the wide grip rear pull-up?
If neck comfort is a concern, the wide grip front pull-up or the wide grip lat pulldown trains the same primary and synergist muscles with far less cervical risk. The straight-arm pulldown and single-arm dumbbell row are also effective lat-focused alternatives, and the lat pulldown lets you scale the load precisely while you build pulling strength.
