Close Grip Pull-Up

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Grip the bar with an overhand (pronated) grip, with hands spaced narrower than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang at full arm extension with your feet off the floor and your core braced.
3. Depress your shoulder blades by pulling them down and away from your ears.
4. Maintain a slight arch in your upper back with your chest pointed toward the bar.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you pull your body upward by driving your elbows down toward your ribcage.
2. Continue pulling until your chin clears the bar or your upper chest makes contact.
3. Inhale as you lower yourself back to the starting dead-hang position with a controlled tempo.
4. Aim for a 2-0-2 tempo: two seconds to pull up, no pause, and two seconds to lower.

Form checklist

• Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides rather than flaring them outward.
• Avoid using momentum or swinging your legs to assist the movement.
• Ensure a full range of motion by fully extending your arms at the bottom of every rep.
• Keep your shoulders retracted and depressed to prevent them from rolling forward at the top.

Pro tips

• Focus on pulling through your elbows rather than pulling with your hands to maximize lat and bicep engagement.
• Imagine trying to drive the bar through the floor to help initiate the movement with your back muscles.

Make it harder

• Add external resistance using a weighted vest or a dip belt with plates.
• Perform 'eccentric-focused' reps by taking 5-8 seconds to lower yourself from the top position.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the close grip pull-up work?

The close grip pull-up primarily targets the lats and trapezius, and also works the abs and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the close grip pull-up?

The close grip pull-up uses pull up bar.

Is the close grip pull-up good for beginners?

The close grip pull-up is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Alternating Dead HangAdvanced · lats and trapezius
• Back LeverAdvanced · erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, pectorals, and trapezius
• Band Assisted Pull-UpBeginner · lats and trapezius
• Band Bent Over Lat PulldownIntermediate · lats, rhomboids, and trapezius