Back · Bodyweight
Wide Grip Pull-up
How to do the wide grip pull-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- VerticalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip set wider than shoulder-width. Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows down and out to the sides until your chin clears the bar, then lower back to a full hang with control.
- 1Your lats doing the work as your elbows drive down and out
- 2Shoulder blades pulling down and back to start each rep
- 3A full stretch through the lats at the bottom of the hang
Common mistakes
- Do not swing or kick your legs to cheat the rep
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders up into your ears at the top
- Do not cut the range short by stopping before a full hang
Muscles worked
The wide grip pull-up mainly works the lats, with the biceps, forearms, mid traps, lower traps, rear delts, and upper abs assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
Kovo programs the wide grip 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.