Back · Bodyweight
Butterfly Pull-up
How to do the butterfly pull-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- VerticalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Use a continuous circular kip, rolling your hips and shoulders to generate momentum so each rep flows straight into the next as your chin clears the bar. Cycle the motion rhythmically rather than pausing at the bottom.
- 1Lats and upper back snapping you up as the kip drives the pull
- 2Hips and shoulders rolling in a smooth, continuous circle
- 3A tight, rhythmic cycle linking each rep to the next
Common mistakes
- Letting the shoulders shrug up into your ears at the top
- Going loose and losing the timing of the kip
- Chasing speed before you can control the bottom of each rep
Muscles worked
The butterfly pull-up mainly works the lats and biceps, with the forearms, lower traps, upper abs, lower abs, mid traps, obliques, rear delts, and hip flexors assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the butterfly pull-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.