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Doing Wide Grip Pull Ups benefits your back in amazing ways. It is a more advanced version of the regular pull-up, it is more challenging, and the muscle areas it targets are slightly different.
How to Perform a Proper Wide Grip Pull-Up
Ideally, you have a pull-up bar that stretches out far enough for you to spread your arms much wider than a regular pull-up. If not, then simply move your hands out as far as the bar will allow.
A. Palms facing outward, grip the bar with your hands at least shoulder-width apart. Go into a “dead hang,” which means you allow your arms to fully extend and your body to hang limply.
B. Squeeze your core to avoid possible swinging. Use your arms, shoulders and back to slowly raise your chin above the bar.
C. Pause momentarily.
D. Again focusing on your arms, shoulders and back, slowly lower your body down again to a dead hang.
Important Notes: Wide Grip Pull Ups Benefits and Safety
A. If you cannot get your chin above the bar, do not worry. Continue to practice the Wide Grip Pull-Up during your workout routines and you will eventually achieve this move! Additionally, continue to regularly perform normal pull-ups during workouts. They will help build your strength for the wide grip pull-ups.
B. Keep your core tightened! This will prevent you from swinging, which you DO NOT want to do.
C. Push your chest up and slightly forward. Do not allow your body to go “hollow.”
D. The “dead hang” is most ideal to hit as many muscles as possible, but it is not a requirement.
Targeted Muscles
Primary: Back
Secondary: Biceps, Shoulders
Tertiary: Core, Wrists, Forearms
Suggestions for Beginners
Incorporate one single Wide Grip Pull-Up attempt in between sets of unrelated exercises during every workout.
Continue to regularly do normal pull-ups as you always do during your workouts.
Combining these two strategies will build your strength up enough for you to achieve multiple consecutive Wide Grip Pull-Ups! When that happens make it a point to add a set of Wide Grip Pull-Ups to your workouts. While they are great for back days, or upper body in general, I personally do them as often as I can to continue building my strength.
A Variation of the Best Upper Body Exercise
Performing Wide Grip Pull Ups benefits so many muscles in the back and builds exceptional strength. As a variation of my favorite exercise move, you can guess that I tend to do them pretty often! They aren’t easy, but the more you do them, the better you will get!
