Neutral Grip Pull-Up
A neutral grip spares the shoulders and balances back recruitment. It works mainly the lats, with help from the biceps, rear deltoid, forearm flexors and rotator cuff.
In Flawless, Gold, the third of eight ranks, starts at 14 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 11 for women.
How to do Neutral Grip Pull-Up
- Hang from parallel handles with the palms facing each other about shoulder width, arms straight, feet off the floor.
- Pull yourself up by driving the elbows down to the ribs until your chin passes the handles.
- Keep the chest up and avoid swinging; the neutral grip is the easiest on the elbows and shoulders.
- Lower with control all the way to straight arms before the next rep.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Lats | Latissimus dorsi |
| Secondary | Biceps | Biceps brachii |
| Secondary | Rear deltoid | Deltoideus posterior |
| Secondary | Forearm flexors | Flexores antebrachii |
| Secondary | Rotator cuff | Musculi rotatores humeri |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Back width and the V-taper
- Relative strength — you move your own bodyweight
- Strong grip and forearms as a bonus
Rep standards for Neutral Grip Pull-Up
| Rank | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start |
| Silver | 7 | 6 |
| Gold | 14 | 11 |
| Platinum | 21 | 17 |
| Diamond | 28 | 22 |
| Obsidian | 35 | 28 |
| Painite | 42 | 34 |
| Antimatter | 70 | 56 |
Numbers are reps in one set, for ages 23–39.
Flawless ranks Neutral Grip Pull-Up by the most reps you managed in one set; the rank updates after every workout. Women’s limits are 20 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Neutral Grip Pull-Up work?
It works mainly the lats, with help from the biceps, rear deltoid, forearm flexors and rotator cuff.
How do you do Neutral Grip Pull-Up?
Hang from parallel handles with the palms facing each other about shoulder width, arms straight, feet off the floor. Pull yourself up by driving the elbows down to the ribs until your chin passes the handles. Keep the chest up and avoid swinging; the neutral grip is the easiest on the elbows and shoulders. Lower with control all the way to straight arms before the next rep.
How many reps of Neutral Grip Pull-Up is good?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 14 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 11 for women, Diamond at 28 and 22.
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