Top 10 Pull-Up Variations: Beginner to Advanced + Muscles Worked

Pull-ups are one of the best bodyweight exercises for building the back, arms and grip. They are also surprisingly versatile.

A simple change in grip, hand position, pulling height or body position can make the exercise easier or harder and shift the emphasis toward the lats, biceps, upper back, forearms or core.

But the differences are often exaggerated. Pull-up variations do not completely isolate different parts of the back. Research comparing pronated, supinated, neutral and other grips shows that the same major pulling muscles remain involved, although their relative contribution can change.

This guide ranks 10 useful pull-up variations from beginner to advanced and explains what muscles each one works.

Pull-Up Variations at a Glance

#	Pull-Up Variation	Level	Main Muscles Emphasized	Best For
1	Assisted Pull-Up	Beginner	Lats, biceps, upper back	Learning the pull-up
2	Chin-Up	Beginner–Intermediate	Biceps, lats	Back and arm strength
3	Neutral-Grip Pull-Up	Beginner–Intermediate	Lats, biceps, brachialis	Balanced pulling
4	Standard Pull-Up	Intermediate	Lats, upper back, biceps	Overall back strength
5	Close-Grip Pull-Up	Intermediate	Lats, biceps, brachialis	Long-range pulling
6	Wide-Grip Pull-Up	Intermediate	Lats, teres major, upper back	Back-focused variation
7	Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up	Intermediate–Advanced	Lats, traps, rhomboids	High pulling strength
8	L-Sit Pull-Up	Advanced	Lats, biceps, abs, hip flexors	Back + core
9	Towel Pull-Up	Advanced	Forearms, grip, lats, biceps	Grip strength
10	Archer Pull-Up	Advanced	Lats, biceps, core	One-arm progression

Difficulty is approximate. Body weight, limb length, grip strength and training background can make one variation easier or harder for different athletes.

What Muscles Do Pull-Ups Work?

Regardless of the variation, pull-ups are primarily a vertical pulling exercise.

The main muscles involved include:

• Latissimus dorsi: the large muscles running down each side of the back
• Biceps brachii: bends the elbow and contributes strongly during pulling
• Brachialis: an important elbow flexor underneath the biceps
• Brachioradialis: assists elbow flexion and contributes to forearm strength
• Trapezius: helps position and control the shoulder blades
• Rhomboids: assist with scapular control and retraction
• Teres major: works with the lats during upper-arm movement
• Posterior deltoids: assist the pulling motion
• Forearms: maintain the grip on the bar
• Core: stabilizes the trunk and limits unwanted swinging

EMG research on pull-ups confirms substantial involvement from the latissimus dorsi, biceps and several shoulder and scapular muscles.

Grip changes can alter the emphasis, but they do not turn a pull-up into an entirely different exercise.

1. Assisted Pull-Up

Difficulty: Beginner

Assisted pull-ups are the best place to start for someone who cannot yet complete a strict bodyweight pull-up.

Assistance can come from:

• An assisted pull-up machine
• A resistance band
• A partner
• Light foot support on a box or bench

The assistance reduces the amount of body weight that must be lifted while allowing the athlete to practice the same basic pulling pattern.

Muscles Worked

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, upper back.
• Secondary: Forearms, rear deltoids, core stabilizers.

How to Do It

Start with enough assistance to perform controlled repetitions.

Begin from an extended-arm position, pull the body upward without excessive swinging, and lower under control.

As strength improves, gradually reduce the amount of assistance.

Why Use It?

The assisted pull-up allows beginners to build strength while practicing the full movement rather than repeatedly failing at an unassisted repetition.

Best for: Beginners working toward their first strict pull-up.

2. Chin-Up

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

The chin-up uses an underhand, or supinated, grip, with the palms facing the body. Hands are usually placed around shoulder width.

Muscles Worked

• Primary: Biceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, brachialis.
• Secondary: Forearms, trapezius, rhomboids, other shoulder stabilizers.

The underhand position allows the biceps to contribute strongly.

In a direct EMG comparison, researchers found significantly greater biceps brachii activity during chin-ups than conventional pull-ups. The same study also found greater pectoralis-major activity during the chin-up, while the conventional pull-up produced greater lower-trapezius activity.

That does not mean chin-ups are mainly an arm exercise. The lats remain heavily involved.

Why Do Chin-Ups Often Feel Easier?

Because the biceps are well positioned to assist the movement, many trainees find chin-ups more manageable than overhand pull-ups.

This makes them a useful bridge between assisted pull-ups and standard pull-ups.

Best for: Building the biceps and back together.

3. Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Neutral-grip pull-ups use parallel handles so that the palms face each other. The position resembles the grip used for a hammer curl.

Muscles Worked

Latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis, forearms, trapezius, rhomboids.

Neutral-grip pull-ups provide a balanced combination of back and elbow-flexor involvement.

Research comparing pronated, supinated, neutral and rope pull-ups found that muscle-activation patterns were generally more similar than dramatically different across grip styles, although some individual muscles did show differences.

For that reason, neutral grip should not be viewed as a completely different back exercise. It is simply another effective way to perform the vertical pulling pattern.

Best for: Balanced back-and-arm training.

4. Standard Pull-Up

Difficulty: Intermediate

The standard pull-up uses an overhand, or pronated, grip, usually around shoulder width or slightly wider. It is the variation most people picture when they hear the word “pull-up.”

Muscles Worked

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids.
• Secondary: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis, rear deltoids, forearms, core.

Research comparing chin-ups and conventional pull-ups found greater lower-trapezius activation during the standard pull-up, while the chin-up produced greater biceps activation.

Another study comparing multiple grip styles found greater middle-trapezius activation with the pronated pull-up than with the neutral-grip version.

How to Do a Standard Pull-Up

1. Grip the bar around shoulder width.
2. Begin from a controlled hang.
3. Keep the torso relatively stable.
4. Pull until the chin passes the bar.
5. Lower under control until the arms are extended again.

Avoid kicking the legs or using excessive momentum when the goal is strict strength.

Best for: Overall back development and general pulling strength.

5. Close-Grip Pull-Up

Difficulty: Intermediate

A close-grip pull-up uses an overhand grip with the hands closer together than in a standard pull-up.

Muscles Worked

Latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis, forearms, upper-back stabilizers, core.

The narrower hand position changes the elbow and shoulder path and often allows a relatively long pulling range. Close-grip pull-ups are sometimes described as specifically targeting the “lower lats,” but this is too simplistic.

Research on vertical pulling exercises shows that grip width can alter mechanics and activation patterns, but lat recruitment does not suddenly shift to a completely different region simply because the hands move closer together.

Best for: Strict pulling through a long range and additional elbow-flexor involvement.

6. Wide-Grip Pull-Up

Difficulty: Intermediate

Wide-grip pull-ups use a pronated grip with the hands positioned noticeably wider than the shoulders.

Muscles Worked

Latissimus dorsi, teres major, trapezius, rhomboids, rear deltoids, biceps.

Wide-grip pull-ups are often promoted as the best variation for building a wider back. There is some biomechanical evidence that wide pull-ups can increase the relative contribution of the latissimus dorsi compared with certain other pull-up techniques.

However, wider is not automatically better.

A study comparing shoulder-width and freely selected wider pronated pull-up grips found no significant differences in maximal strength, repetitions to failure or power-force-velocity characteristics.

Research on lat pulldowns has similarly found that dramatically widening the grip does not necessarily produce dramatically greater lat activation.

How Wide Should You Go?

Moderately wider than shoulder width is usually enough. There is little reason to move the hands as far apart as physically possible.

Best for: Adding a back-focused variation without relying on an extreme grip.

7. Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

A standard pull-up normally ends when the chin clears the bar. The chest-to-bar variation goes higher. Instead of stopping at chin level, continue pulling until the upper chest approaches or touches the bar.

Muscles Worked

Latissimus dorsi, middle and lower trapezius, rhomboids, rear deltoids, biceps, brachialis, forearms, scapular stabilizers.

The additional pulling height makes the upper portion of the repetition considerably more demanding. Rather than simply “getting over the bar,” the athlete must continue generating force while drawing the body higher.

Research examining muscle forces throughout pull-up movements also shows that muscle contribution changes during different phases of the repetition, supporting the value of training controlled movement through a useful range of motion.

Why Train Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups?

They can help build the higher pulling strength useful for:

• Gymnastics
• Calisthenics
• Muscle-up progressions
• Other advanced bar skills

Best for: Developing high pulling strength and control near the top of a pull-up.

8. L-Sit Pull-Up

Difficulty: Advanced

The L-sit pull-up combines two exercises: a pull-up and an L-sit. Instead of letting the legs hang underneath the body, keep them straight and extended forward so the torso and legs form roughly an “L.”

Muscles Worked

• Pulling muscles: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, trapezius, forearms.
• Core and lower-body stabilizers: Rectus abdominis, obliques, hip flexors, quadriceps.

The pulling muscles still perform the pull-up, but maintaining the L position adds a major trunk and hip-flexor challenge. It also makes it harder to generate momentum with the legs.

How to Progress

Before attempting the full variation, try:

1. Regular strict pull-ups
2. Hanging knee raises
3. Tuck-position pull-ups
4. One-leg-extended pull-ups
5. Full L-sit pull-ups

Best for: Gymnastics and calisthenics athletes who want pulling strength combined with body control.

9. Towel Pull-Up

Difficulty: Advanced

Towel pull-ups add a serious grip challenge. Drape one or two strong towels over a pull-up bar and hold the ends rather than gripping the bar directly.

Muscles Worked

• Major emphasis: Forearm and gripping muscles.
• Also worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, trapezius, rear deltoids.

A study directly comparing traditional, suspension-device and towel pull-ups found broadly similar activation across several major pulling muscles, although middle-trapezius activity was lower in the towel condition than in the traditional pull-up.

The main practical difference is the grip.

Research examining fat-grip attachments during exercises including pull-ups found increased forearm muscle activity and a reduction in the number of pull-ups participants could complete when thick grips were used.

Who Benefits From Towel Pull-Ups?

They are particularly useful when grip strength is an important part of the sport or activity, such as:

• Climbing
• Gymnastics
• Calisthenics
• Grappling
• Obstacle-course training

Best for: Grip and forearm strength.

10. Archer Pull-Up

Difficulty: Advanced

The archer pull-up is one of the hardest variations on this list.

Start with a wide grip. Instead of pulling straight upward between both hands, pull the body toward one hand while allowing the opposite arm to straighten. The movement resembles an archer drawing a bow.

Muscles Worked

• Pulling side: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, trapezius, rhomboids.
• Stabilizing muscles: Forearms, rear deltoids, core, shoulder stabilizers.

The main difference is load distribution.

Although both hands remain on the bar, one side performs substantially more of the pulling work.

Why Train Archer Pull-Ups?

They are commonly used as a progression between normal two-arm pull-ups and more advanced unilateral pulling.

A simple progression might look like:

Standard pull-up → wide pull-up → assisted archer pull-up → archer pull-up → assisted one-arm pull-up

Best for: Advanced calisthenics and one-arm pull-up progression.

Which Pull-Up Variation Is Best for Each Goal?

Goal	Best Pull-Up Variation
First pull-up	Assisted pull-up
Biceps	Chin-up
Overall back	Standard pull-up
Balanced back + arms	Neutral-grip pull-up
Longer strict pulling range	Close-grip pull-up
Back-focused variation	Wide-grip pull-up
High pulling strength	Chest-to-bar pull-up
Core + pulling strength	L-sit pull-up
Grip strength	Towel pull-up
One-arm progression	Archer pull-up

Which Pull-Ups Are Best for the Back?

For most people, the standard pull-up is the simplest choice for overall back training.

It works the lats alongside the trapezius, rhomboids and other muscles involved in controlling the shoulder blades.

Wide-grip pull-ups offer another option. Biomechanical research has found relatively greater latissimus-dorsi contribution in wide pull-ups than in some other techniques, but that does not mean an extremely wide grip is necessary.

Chest-to-bar pull-ups are useful when the goal is stronger pulling through the upper portion of the movement.

For most workouts, there is no need to perform every grip. One or two well-chosen variations are enough.

Which Pull-Ups Are Best for Biceps?

The chin-up is the clearest choice when greater biceps involvement is the goal.

In a direct comparison of chin-ups and pull-ups, biceps brachii activation was significantly higher during chin-ups.

Neutral-grip pull-ups are another good choice because the biceps, brachialis and brachioradialis all contribute to elbow flexion.

This does not make either exercise an isolation movement. The lats and upper back remain heavily involved.

Which Pull-Ups Are Best for Grip Strength?

Choose towel pull-ups or a thick-grip variation.

Making the handle harder to hold forces the forearms and gripping muscles to work harder. Research using fat-grip attachments found increased forearm muscle activity during the tested exercises and fewer completed pull-up repetitions when the thicker grip was used.

For beginners, regular dead hangs can provide a simpler starting point before towel pull-ups.

Which Pull-Ups Are Best for Core Strength?

The L-sit pull-up provides the most obvious core challenge on this list.

Instead of allowing the legs to hang underneath the body, the athlete must maintain a demanding static position while simultaneously performing each pull-up.

Archer pull-ups also require considerable trunk control because the body shifts toward one side.

However, even ordinary strict pull-ups require the torso to remain stable throughout the repetition.

Which Pull-Ups Are Best for Chest?

Pull-ups should not be considered a primary chest-building exercise.

Research comparing chin-ups and pull-ups found some pectoralis-major involvement and significantly greater activation during the chin-up condition, but the movement remains primarily a pulling exercise involving the back and elbow flexors.

And despite its name, a chest-to-bar pull-up is not a chest exercise. “Chest-to-bar” simply describes how high the body is pulled.

For direct chest training, pressing exercises such as push-ups, dips or presses are more appropriate.

Does Grip Width Really Change Which Muscles Pull-Ups Work?

Yes, but probably less than many exercise charts suggest.

Moving the hands wider or narrower changes:

• Shoulder position
• Elbow path
• Range of motion
• Mechanical leverage
• How comfortable the movement feels

But it does not completely change the muscles responsible for the exercise.

In one pull-up study, using a freely selected grip roughly 20% wider than shoulder width produced no significant changes in maximal strength, repetitions to failure or the power-force-velocity profile compared with a shoulder-width grip.

Research on lat pulldowns has similarly found relatively small differences in lat activation between different grip widths. That means there is little reason to obsess over whether the hands should be exactly two or four inches wider.

A grip that allows strong, controlled repetitions is generally more useful than chasing an supposedly “perfect” width.