Pull-ups: how to do it
Main muscles: Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major. Helpers: Biceps, Brachialis, Lower traps, Rhomboids. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Bodyweight
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Back
How to do it
- Grip slightly wider than the shoulders. Start the movement by pulling the shoulder blades down, not by bending the arms.
- Reach for the bar with your chest, drive the elbows down and back.
- Short pause at the top, lower under control to full extension.
Common mistakes
Kipping with the torso, half range of motion.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
- Secondary
- Biceps, Brachialis, Lower traps, Rhomboids
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days4 × 8–12
- Upper/lower, 4 days4 × 8–12
- 5-day split4 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
One-arm dumbbell row
Dumbbells · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major, Rhomboids
Chin-ups
Bodyweight · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Biceps
Lat pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Close-grip lat pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Straight-arm pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Barbell row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500