7 Different Pull Up Grips You Should Be Using on Back Day

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December 2, 2021

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7 Different Pull Up Grips You Should Be Using on Back Day

Why Should You Change Pull Up Grips

To get the best results and continually make gains in the gym, one of the things you have to do is switch up your workouts from time to time. It is important that you don’t overuse certain muscles, and that is easy to do when you do the same exercises all the time. One way to prevent overtraining while also working the same muscle group is to work a different part of the muscle. The difficulty of doing pull ups at the beginning of your back workout compared to the end can be a lot different. Using different pull up grips is a good way to overcome how tired your muscles are. Each grip works a different part of your back so you can continue to train your back without risk of injury or exhaustion.

Changing Pull Up Grips Can Help Overcome Plateaus

You can break down your back workout further by working different angles or alternating grips. You might not be able to do another wide grip pull up, but you could probably do another set or two of chin-ups because a different part of your back and bicep is being trained due to your grip. Doing this will allow you to train more and you will be able to build up different parts of the same muscle. This is a great way to overcome plateaus and grow your overall size and strength.

If you are working out with high intensity every time you go to the gym, maintaining the same level of motivation can be hard. Making small adjustments to your workout such as changing up a grip can add a new challenge and keep you from getting bored with the same exact exercises.

7 Different Pull Up Grips You Should Be Using

Pull Up Grip #1 – Wide Grip

The wide grip is one of the most popular grips for pull ups. This is one of the hardest types of pull ups to do so a lot of beginners start off with neutral grip or chinups first before using this grip. When doing a wide grip pull up, your hands will will be wider than shoulder width apart. Typically people go anywhere from 1.5 to 2 times wider than a what you would on a neutral grip pull up. The main muscles that you work with type of grip are the lats and traps.

Pull Up Grip #2 – Overhand Neutral Grip

The overhand neutral grip is the standard grip used when doing pull ups. When doing this type of pull up, your hands usually grip the bar somewhere around shoulder width apart. Your hands might be slightly wider than that but not by much. The neutral grip is a little bit easier than a wide grip and uses more of your biceps to help perform each rep. The main muscles for this grip are lats and biceps.

Pull Up Grip #3 – Underhand Neutral Grip

This particular grip is great for biceps. The underhand neutral grip causes your arms to be supinated more leading to better contractions at the top of the rep. Doing pull ups underhanded activates the biceps more than overhanded pull ups. To use this grip, place your hands on the bar about shoulder width apart. The main muscles used for this exercise are biceps and lats.

Pull Up Grip #4 – Overhand Close Grip

Doing an overhand close grip pull up can be hard on your wrists and forearms. This is because of the angle your hands have to be at in order for you to keep your grip inside shoulder width. If the bar you are using for pull ups isn’t a straight bar and has a close grip with an angle that will help alleviate some of the pressure. The close grip is great for working your inner lats and biceps.

Pull Up Grip #5 – Underhand Close Grip

Commonly known as the chinup, this is the easiest grip to do a pull up with. Most of the work is being done by the bicep which makes this a great variation to use on back day when you want to do pull ups but your muscles are too fatigued to perform some of the other grips without compromising form. To do an underhand close grip pull up, grip the bar underhanded with your hands positioned slightly inside shoulder width.

Pull Up Grip #6 – Hammer Grip

Hammer pull ups are not always possible because it requires a certain type of bar to do it. If you are fortunate to have the right equipment, being able to use this grip will allow you to recruit some muscles in your back that aren’t possible with a straight bar. This will help you increase your overall strength across all back exercises. This grip requires you to hold the bar with your palms facing each other. Typically your grip will be shoulder width apart although some bars make it possible to also do close or wide grip.

Pull Up Grip #7 – Close Under-Over Grip

This type of pull up can be tough because you have to be in full control when doing this exercise. Your head does not have to be directly under the bar but you can do it that way. If you keep your shoulders square to the bar, coordination is going to come in play since you are pulling from two different directions. This grip will cause you to work your core a lot and it also strongly utilizes the biceps.