Neutral-grip pull-ups use parallel handles with your palms facing each other, which sits the shoulder in its most comfortable position of the three grips and lets the biceps contribute strongly without the full supination of a chin-up. If overhand pull-ups leave your shoulders or elbows complaining, this is the version to run instead, and it is not a downgrade.
How to do it
- Palms facing each other — usually the kindest grip on the shoulder and elbow.
- Pull until the bar is at chin height, then lower under control.
Common mistakes
- Swinging, which is easier on a neutral grip and just as useless.
What it trains
- Lats
- drive the upper arms down and back past the ribs
- Biceps and brachialis
- bend the elbows, with the brachialis doing more than on any other grip
- Upper back
- retracts the shoulder blades as you clear the handles
- Core
- keeps the body from swinging between the handles
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
Are neutral-grip pull-ups easier than regular pull-ups?
For most people, yes — somewhere between a chin-up and a pull-up. The biceps and brachialis are in a stronger position than overhand, so expect a rep or two more than your pull-up number and a few fewer than your chin-up.
Which grip is best for my shoulders?
Neutral, generally, because the shoulder is not forced into rotation at either end of the range. That is a mechanical point, not a promise — if a grip hurts, the useful information is that it hurts, and this is the one most people switch to.
What if my gym has no neutral handles?
Hang a pair of dip or row handles over a straight bar, or use the narrow parallel grips on the V-bar of a chin station. A towel over the bar in each hand works too and turns it into a grip session at the same time.
In StackUp. Logged as reps per set. Add weight if you use a belt or a dumbbell and StackUp progresses it like any other lift. Get the app.
Back
