Back · Bodyweight
Reverse Grip Pull-up
How to do the reverse 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 underhand grip about shoulder-width apart, palms facing you. Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows down and into your sides until your chin clears the bar, then lower back to a full hang with control.
- 1Your lats and biceps working together to pull you up
- 2Elbows driving down into your sides as you rise
- 3A full stretch through the lats at the bottom of each rep
Common mistakes
- Do not swing or kick to get your chin over the bar
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders up at the top
- Do not stop short; lower all the way to a full hang
Muscles worked
The reverse grip pull-up mainly works the biceps and lats, with the forearms, lower traps, mid traps, upper abs, and rear delts assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- LatsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
Kovo programs the reverse 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.