Wide-Grip Pull-ups
The wide-grip pull-up is a pull-up with your hands set clearly wider than shoulder width, palms facing away. The wide grip reduces biceps help and puts more emphasis on your lats, with your upper back and biceps assisting. Expect fewer reps and a shorter range than a standard pull-up. Use it once regular pull-ups feel solid.
Muscles worked
The wide-grip pull-ups trains the lats, with back, biceps helping.
Weekly sets for lats
Hard sets per week that Swole.fit plans for lats, counting every exercise that trains it. Start a cycle near the growth line and climb toward the recovery limit before a deload.
How to do the wide-grip pull-ups
- 01Grab the bar overhand with your hands about one and a half times shoulder width apart.
- 02Hang with straight arms, then set your shoulders down away from your ears.
- 03Pull your elbows down and out toward your hips, driving your chest up toward the bar.
- 04Rise until your chin clears the bar or your upper chest nears it.
- 05Lower under control until your arms are straight and your lats are fully stretched.
Coaching cues
- Spread the lats like wings
- Elbows down to your hips
- Shoulders away from your ears
Common mistakes
- Going so wide that your shoulders feel pinched at the top adds stress without benefit; bring your grip in until the movement feels smooth.
- Kicking your legs to get over the bar hides missing strength; use a band or slower negatives until strict reps come.
- Bending your elbows before setting your shoulders makes your arms do the work; start each rep by pulling your shoulders down first.
How Swole.fit programs it
Log it once and the app plans the next session for you.
- Most sets land between 8 and 15 reps, the range the plan steers compound lifts toward for size.
- Week one starts around 2 to 3 reps in reserve. Each week you train a little closer to failure, ending around 0 to 1 in reserve before a deload week.
- Once the top of the range is easy, Swole.fit suggests a harder variation or added load.
- Sets for this exercise count toward your weekly volume for every muscle it trains: a full set for the primary muscles, half a set for the helpers.
The full method, with the maths, is in how mesocycles work.
Wide-Grip Pull-ups alternatives
Same muscles, different tool. Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or your joints want a change.
Log it. Let the app plan the next one.
Track your wide-grip pull-ups free. Swole.fit picks the next weight, counts your weekly sets and tells you when to deload.