Pull-ups are one of the best exercises for building a wide, muscular back.

That said, some gymgoers find regular pull-ups and chin-ups rough on their wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

If that sounds familiar, neutral-grip pull-ups are the perfect alternative.

They train your back and biceps just as effectively as other pull-up variations, likely target your rear delts and brachialis more, and are much easier on your joints.

In this article, you’ll discover why the neutral-grip pull-up belongs in your routine, how it stacks up against regular pull-ups, and how to master it for serious back mass and width.

Key Takeaways

  • Neutral-grip pull-ups are easier on your shoulders, elbows, and wrists than regular pull-ups or chin-ups.
  • They build your back and biceps as effectively as other pull-up variations and may train your rear delts and brachialis more.
  • They’re highly scalable, so whatever your strength level, you should be able to find a variation that works for you.
  • Pull-ups, chin-ups, and neutral-grip pull-ups offer similar benefits—one isn’t better than the rest.
  • Using a neutral grip places your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in a more natural position compared to other pull-ups, which can make doing more reps with heavier weights easier. 

Neutral-Grip Pull-up vs. Pull-up

neutral grip pull up

Neutral-grip and regular pull-ups are almost exactly the same—they both involve hanging from a bar, pulling your body up until your chin is above your hands, then lowering yourself until your arms are straight. 

They even involve similar muscles—primarily your back and biceps. 

The difference is that in the pull up your palms face away from you, whereas in the neutral-grip pull-up, your palms face each other. This means you can do a regular pull-up on any horizontal bar a few feet above your head, but the neutral-grip version requires a neutral-grip pull-up bar.

A neutral grip pull-up bar typically has 2-to-4 parallel handles that point toward you. Here’s what one looks like:

Neutral-Grip Pull-up Bar

How to Do Neutral-Grip Pull-ups

The easiest way to learn how to do neutral-grip pull-ups is to split the exercise into three parts: set up, pull, and descend.

Neutral-Grip Pull-up gif

1. Set Up

Grab the handles of a neutral-grip pull-up so your palms face each other.

Lift your feet so that you’re hanging with your arms straight. You can cross your feet over each other if you find it more comfortable.

Flex your glutes and hamstrings to keep your lower body from swinging (a good cue to remember is “tighter is lighter”).

2. Pull

Without swinging your feet or your knees, pull your body upward until your chin rises above your hands. 

Some helpful cues for getting this right are to think about “driving your elbows into the ground” or “smashing your chest into the bar.”

3. Descend

Reverse the movement and return to the start position. 

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Neutral-Grip Pull-up: Muscles Worked

The main muscles worked in the neutral-grip pull-up are:

  • Latissimus dorsi (lats)
  • Trapezius (traps)
  • Rhomboids
  • Infraspinatus
  • Teres major and minor
  • Posterior deltoids (rear delts)
  • Erector spinae
  • Biceps
  • Brachialis
  • Brachioradialis

Here’s how these muscles look on your body:

Neutral-Grip Pull-up Muscles Worked

Neutral-Grip Pull-up Benefits

neutral grip pull up muscle worked

Upper-Body Muscle Growth

As well as training your entire back and biceps, the neutral-grip pull-up trains several other major muscle groups in your upper body, including your forearms, core, and shoulders. It even trains you pecs to a lesser extent.

Compared to the pull-up and chin-up, the neutral-grip pull-up likely also trains your rear delts and brachialis (a muscle that helps to “push up” your biceps) more, too. While we don’t have direct evidence of this, studies suggest these muscles play a bigger role in neutral-grip exercises.

Highly Scalable

Neutral-grip pull-ups are far more scalable than most people realize. For example, if doing the bodyweight version is too challenging, you can make the exercise easier by doing band- or machine-assisted neutral-grip pull-ups. 

On the other hand, if bodyweight neutral-grip pull-ups aren’t challenging enough, you can make them more difficult by adding weight with a dip belt or holding a dumbbell between your thighs.

In other words, no matter your strength or experience level, there’s a version of the neutral-grip pull-up that will work for you.

Build Functional Strength

The neutral-grip pull-up mimics the movement involved in many day-to-day activities, such as pulling yourself up off the floor, lifting yourself up to reach something above you, or climbing. 

By performing the neutral-grip pull-up, you strengthen the muscles involved in these movements, making many everyday tasks easier. 

FAQ #1: Pull-up vs. Chin-up vs. Neutral-grip pull-up: Which is best?

Pull-ups, chin-ups, and neutral-grip pull-ups are almost identical, with the only difference being how you grip the bar: in the pull-up, your palms face away; in the chin-up your palms face you; and in the neutral grip, pull up your palms face each other.

Research shows that this subtle difference in grip changes which muscles you emphasize. The pull-up is slightly better for training your lats and lower traps, the chin-up is slightly better for training your biceps, and the neutral-grip pull-up is slightly better for training your brachialis and rear delts. 

That said, the differences are minor, so they probably don’t make a big difference in which muscles you develop. The main reason to do one versus the other is to keep your workouts fresh and avoid overuse injuries, which can occur when you do the same exercise over and over again for long periods. 

FAQ #2: Are neutral-grip pull-ups easier than other types of pull-ups?

Most people find neutral-grip pull-ups easier than other variations because the neutral grip places your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in a more natural position. This added comfort and stability often makes it easier to perform more reps or add extra weight.

FAQ #3: What do neutral-grip pull-ups work?

Neutral-grip pull-ups train most muscles in your upper body. They’re especially effective for building your back and biceps, but they also train your core, shoulders, pecs, and forearms to a lesser degree.