Back Exercise · Body Weight

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Rear Pull-Up

Category

Back

Equipment

Body Weight

Target

Lats

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The rear pull-up brings the bar down behind the neck rather than to the front of the chest, which changes the shoulder angle and puts the joint in a position that not everyone's shoulders tolerate well. A front pull-up is the safer default for most lifters unless shoulder mobility is already solid.

How to Do the Rear Pull-Up

1. Take an overhand hold of the pull-up bar, hands set slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang with arms fully extended and body straight.
3. Contract your back muscles and pull yourself upward, keeping the elbows close to your torso.
4. Keep pulling until your chin passes above the bar.
5. Hold briefly at the top, then lower back down slowly to the start.
6. Repeat for your target rep goal, keeping your core engaged and avoiding any reliance on momentum.

Muscles Worked

The Rear Pull-Up primarily targets the Lats, with Biceps as the primary synergist muscle group, along with the Forearms.

More Back Exercises

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Archer Pull Up Body Weight · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Chin-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats

More Lats Exercises

Back Pec Stretch Body Weight · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band · Lats Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band · Lats

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same lats with different equipment.

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell · Lats

FAQ

What muscles does the Rear Pull-Up work?

The Rear Pull-Up primarily targets the lats, with the biceps and forearms assisting.

What equipment do I need for the Rear Pull-Up?

The Rear Pull-Up is done with no equipment — just body weight.

What's a good alternative to the Rear Pull-Up?

If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Alternate Lateral Pulldown targets the same lats using cable instead.