Wide-Grip Pull-Up
Muscles worked: Back (assisted by rear delts, biceps).
How to do it
- Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using a wide grip.
- As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar, bring your torso forward and head so that there is an imaginary line from the pull-up bar to the back of your neck.
- Pull your torso up until the bar is near the back of your neck.
- After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
- Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Coaching cues
The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:
- Hands well outside shoulder width
- Drive the elbows down and out - biases the lats
Logging it
IronPack suggests working in the 4 to 8 rep range, progressing in 2.5 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Bodyweight movement: log added weight only, and your records account for your logged bodyweight. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.
Related exercises
- Deadlift - back, glutes
- Pull-Up - back
- Chin-Up - back, biceps
- Lat Pulldown - back
Track the wide-grip pull-up properly
IronPack logs every set, tracks your records at every rep count, shows these form photos mid-workout, and turns the training into a card game you play with your mates.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreSteps: free-exercise-db (public domain) with IronPack corrections. Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.