Wide Grip Chin Up

Category
compoundDifficulty
intermediate
Equipment
pull-up bar
Force Type
pull
How to Perform the Wide Grip Chin Up
- Grip a pull-up bar with a supinated (underhand) grip, hands positioned wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Hang with your arms fully extended and your shoulder blades depressed away from your ears.
- Engage your core and cross your ankles or keep your legs slightly in front of you for stability.
- Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down and into your sides, leading with your chest.
- Continue until your chin clears the bar, focusing on squeezing your lats and biceps at the top.
- Hold the top position for a brief moment to maximize muscle contraction.
- Lower yourself in a controlled manner back to the full dead hang position.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not using a full range of motion
Start from a full dead hang with straight arms and pull until your chin is clearly above the bar on every rep.
Using kipping or body swing to complete reps
Perform strict reps with controlled movement; reduce volume if you cannot maintain form.
Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears
Depress your shoulder blades before initiating the pull and maintain that position throughout the movement.
Muscles Worked
Benefits
- ✓Combines the lat-widening benefits of a wide grip with the bicep activation of a supinated grip
- ✓Builds significant upper body pulling strength and back width
- ✓Develops grip and forearm strength as a functional bodyweight exercise
Pro Tips
- ●If you cannot yet perform this variation, build up with standard shoulder-width chin ups or use an assisted pull-up machine.
- ●Focus on driving your elbows toward your hips to maximize lat engagement.
- ●Add weight with a dipping belt once you can perform 10+ strict reps to continue progressing.
Variations
Recommended Sets & Reps
Strength
4-5 sets of 3-5 reps (add weight if needed)
Hypertrophy
3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Endurance
2-3 sets of 12-15 reps


