Towel Pull-Up
Pull-ups on a towel over a bar. Extreme grip and forearms. It works mainly the forearm flexors and lats, with help from the biceps, rear deltoid and rotator cuff.
In Flawless, Gold, the third of eight ranks, starts at 10 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 8 for women.
How to do Towel Pull-Up
- Drape two towels over the bar about shoulder width apart and grip one in each hand with the thumbs wrapped.
- Hang with straight arms, then pull yourself up by driving the elbows down until the hands reach chest height.
- Keep the body still; the towels make the grip the limit, so no kipping.
- Lower with control to straight arms and let go before the grip opens on its own.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Forearm flexors | Flexores antebrachii |
| Primary | Lats | Latissimus dorsi |
| Secondary | Biceps | Biceps brachii |
| Secondary | Rear deltoid | Deltoideus posterior |
| 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 Towel Pull-Up
| Rank | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start |
| Silver | 5 | 4 |
| Gold | 10 | 8 |
| Platinum | 15 | 12 |
| Diamond | 20 | 16 |
| Obsidian | 25 | 20 |
| Painite | 30 | 24 |
| Antimatter | 50 | 40 |
Numbers are reps in one set, for ages 23–39.
Flawless ranks Towel 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 Towel Pull-Up work?
It works mainly the forearm flexors and lats, with help from the biceps, rear deltoid and rotator cuff.
How do you do Towel Pull-Up?
Drape two towels over the bar about shoulder width apart and grip one in each hand with the thumbs wrapped. Hang with straight arms, then pull yourself up by driving the elbows down until the hands reach chest height. Keep the body still; the towels make the grip the limit, so no kipping. Lower with control to straight arms and let go before the grip opens on its own.
How many reps of Towel Pull-Up is good?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 10 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 8 for women, Diamond at 20 and 16.
Try it free
Free on Google Play and the App Store. The whole log is free; PRO is optional.