Pull Ups - Grip Width

[2MuChBoDyFaT]

Hey guys,

Just after a general idea of what grip width "most people" use for the pull ups ?

I have been doing wide grip, but sometimes I feel a bit of a twinge in my bad shoulder. I also read that doing a wide grip places excessive stress on the shoulder joint

Can you still get lat development from a shoulder width (or slightly narrower than shoulder width) grip ? Or does this turn them into a purely back development exercise ?

Extremist Pullup ...... are you out there ?

[b0ngman]

back = lats. Many people try to work there infraspinatus by doing them wide, but this isnt a good idea

[Big Ad]

I only do shoulder width grip pull ups and i seem to get plenty of lat recruitment, personally i think the while wide grip targets lats thing is a bit of a myth. Like you say it can be pretty hard on the shoulders too.

[dougc]

Too wide of a grip irritates my shoulders. I found that the most comfortable grip is just a bit wider than shoulder width. Still get plenty of lat recruitment. I also find that if I start the movement by depressing my shoulders, scapula I feel it more in my lats and take my arms out of it by visualizing forcing the elbows down and back.

[bingpwr]

Too wide of a grip irritates my shoulders. I found that the most comfortable grip is just a bit wider than shoulder width. Still get plenty of lat recruitment. I also find that if I start the movement by depressing my shoulders, scapula I feel it more in my lats and take my arms out of it by visualizing forcing the elbows down and back.

+1

[lukebr]

yeah?

ive found the wider i go the more im feeling it in my lats.

from when i do it i find the closer my grip is the more i feel it in my biceps and it feels like im cheating so i always try to keep it really wide.

BUT

if you gettin shoulder irritations from it then id say dump it rather than continue to do it and work on maybe strengthening your shoulder or switching exercises

[DEVzzz]

I just do wide, shoulder, and narrow hammer grip.

If wide was uncomfortable for me I would drop it though.

x2 on the comment about concentrating on moving the elbows, this helps me with any back exercise to take the arms out of it.

[DJAuto]

Hey guys,

Just after a general idea of what grip width "most people" use for the pull ups ?

I have been doing wide grip, but sometimes I feel a bit of a twinge in my bad shoulder. I also read that doing a wide grip places excessive stress on the shoulder joint

Can you still get lat development from a shoulder width (or slightly narrower than shoulder width) grip ? Or does this turn them into a purely back development exercise ?

Extremist Pullup ...... are you out there ?

You can certainly get good width from a shoulder width grip. I currently do my weighted pullups at a very slightly wider then shoulder grip form, and have seen excellent results. While I wouldn't say that the wider grip equals a wider back is a myth, it certainly is not necessary for lat stimulation. The bottom line is, try to do different widths occasionally instead of focusing on one exclusively.

If I remember correctly, Extremist posted that he was doing them shoulder width currently. If that doesn't prove it, what will?

[2MuChBoDyFaT]

Thanks for the replies. (repped who i could before I ran out of charge)

Cheers ~

[DanielX]

After reading an article about the myth of wide grip to get wide 5 years ago,I've only ever done reverse grip shoulder width and slightly narrower pulldowns/chins.I got good width from staying away from the "pulling my damn shoulders out of my socket" feeling which seem to target the upper lats just under your armpit.Your lats get a better "pre-stretch" from shoulder width than from wide grip.Sure the biceps come into play but it's not a big deal.Triceps are what fail first in bench press exercises...so what.

[MastaM]

do you guys do them palms facing toward you or away from you if you do them shoulder width?

[2MuChBoDyFaT]

do you guys do them palms facing toward you or away from you if you do them shoulder width?

We are talking about "pull ups" .. so palms facing away dude

(palms facing towards you are "chin ups")

Cheers ~

[MastaM]

alright thax bro, ya i knew that but was just making sure because people often use pull ups in the wrong manner

[taipan_342]

Hey guys,

Just after a general idea of what grip width "most people" use for the pull ups ?

I have been doing wide grip, but sometimes I feel a bit of a twinge in my bad shoulder. I also read that doing a wide grip places excessive stress on the shoulder joint

Can you still get lat development from a shoulder width (or slightly narrower than shoulder width) grip ? Or does this turn them into a purely back development exercise ?

Extremist Pullup ...... are you out there ?

I have ongoing problems with my right shoulder but the weird thing is one of the few exercizes i dont feel any discomfort with is pull-ups. I just use the pull-up bar they have at my local gym and its just slightly wider then shoulder width although you can position your hands wider. I also arch my back alittle bit and try and treat the movement as a row more so then a pull-up, i dont exaggerate it but enough to take any real pressure off of my shoulders.