shoulder grip pull-up: technique and muscles worked

Animated demonstration of shoulder grip pull-up

How to do this exercise

Step:1 Grab the pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing away from you.
Step:2 Hang freely with your arms fully extended.
Step:3 Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar.
Step:4 Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
Step:5 Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Equipment: Body weight Barbell
Body part: Back
Target muscle: Trapezius Latissimus dorsi Rhomboids
Secondary muscle: Biceps Forearms Posterior deltoid Rectus abdominis

Hypertrophy grade

Good7 / 10

Nemeo’s take

The shoulder pronation traction is a reference for developing the back, in particular the dorsal muscles, but remains limited by the grip and the overall core bracing more than by targeted local fatigue. Its big advantage: strong tension in the stretched position and full amplitude, but progressive overload becomes complex without ballast or assistance. It's a challenging classic, superior to most bodyweight variations for pure hypertrophy, but less specialized than a pulley vertical pulldown.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

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shoulder grip pull-up

How to do this exercise

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