Back · Bodyweight
Rocky Pull-up Pulldown
How to do the rocky pull-up pulldown, 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 and pull yourself up so your chin clears the bar in front, then shift and lower behind your head, alternating the bar from front to back across reps. Keep the range comfortable for your shoulders and control every rep.
- 1Your lats and mid-back working through both the front and behind-the-neck
- 2portions
- 3Shoulder blades pulling down and together on each rep
- 4Smooth, controlled transitions rather than jerky shifts
Common mistakes
- Do not force the behind-the-neck range if your shoulders feel pinched
- Avoid swinging or using momentum to clear the bar
- Do not shrug up into your ears at the top
Muscles worked
The rocky pull-up pulldown mainly works the lats and biceps, with the forearms, mid traps, lower traps, rear delts, and upper abs assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the rocky pull-up pulldown 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.