Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

PullBarBW

Palms-facing-each-other grip on parallel handles. Shoulder-friendly middle ground between pull-up and chin-up that many coaches recommend as the safest default for shoulder health.

Demo: ScottHermanFitness

Sets

4

Reps

6-10

Rest

1:30

Contraindications

None significant; recommended for lifters with shoulder impingement history over wide pronated grips.

Setup

Grip parallel/neutral handles (or a multi-grip bar) with palms facing each other, shoulder-width apart, full dead hang.

Execution

  1. 1Depress the shoulder blades first
  2. 2Pull the chest up toward the hands, elbows tracking close to the body
  3. 3Drive elbows down and back to the hips
  4. 4Lower under full control back to a dead hang

Key cues

  • Palms face each other the whole rep
  • Elbows stay close, not flared
  • Pull chest to hands, not chin to bar
  • Control the descent

Common faults

  • Flaring elbows out wide
  • Losing the neutral wrist position mid-rep
  • Using momentum instead of a controlled pull
  • Not achieving full lockout between reps

Tweaks

  • Weighted neutral-grip pull-up
  • Add a 2-second pause at the top
  • Slow eccentric emphasis for hypertrophy

Regressions

Band-Assisted Pull-UpNegative Pull-Up (Eccentric-Only)

Progressions

Weighted Pull-Up

Muscles

Primary: Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps Brachii, Brachialis

Secondary: Rhomboids, Middle Trapezius, Forearms

Notes

Frequently cited by Athlean-X as the most shoulder-friendly vertical pull grip for trainees with any history of impingement.

Sources

Attribution: Athlean-X / Jeff Cavaliere