Pull-ups - what makes difference grip or how wide ?

[Trineu]

Hello, i have a question. I want to alternate my pull-ups and i dont know what is better. What makes the most difference in muscles that are working, the style of the grip (pronated/supinated/neutral) OR the width of pull-up (narrow, shoulder-width, wide) ? I know im working back and arms at every variation, but i just want to know if i want to have some variations, if its better to stick to classic shoulder-width (which im doing right now and is best for me) and just do different style of grips, or if its better to change how wide are they and do different widths of pull-ups (narrow, wide etc.) Thanks

[air2fakie]

Depends if you want to focus on something particular - but in general, certain grips+widths don't combine well together, which will be obvious if you try to do them.

If you like what you're doing now, nothing wrong with sticking to it.

[SuffolkPunch]

think about the position of your elbows.

If they are flared, your upper arms are pulling down out to your sides

If they are in front of you, they are in a different plane of movement - at 90 degrees to the first example.

This has a different effect on the lats - upper vs. lower fibers IIRC. Menno Henselmans has a muscle specific hypertrophy article about this somewhere.

I do both.

[air2fakie]

When in doubt, doing pullups (wide grip, pronated) and chinups (supinated, shoulder-width or narrower) are a simple way to approach it. Neutral grip may help if joints are bothering you.

[GeneralSerpant]

Pronated without leaning back or putting your feet out in front of you requires more scapular work. Otherwise the difference between pronated and supinated is mainly how well the biceps are incorporated.

I think standard width for supinated will be shoulder width while standard for pronated will be a tad wider due to shoulder rotation. With pronated the wider grip is generally tougher because it requires more coordination across the back, while closer grip takes the biceps out of the lift as you get to the end. With chinups the closer you put your hands the more your tightening the posterior muscles which facilitates the lift. I'm not sure if it's practical to go very wide with chinups.

[Trineu]

think about the position of your elbows.

If they are flared, your upper arms are pulling down out to your sides

If they are in front of you, they are in a different plane of movement - at 90 degrees to the first example.

This has a different effect on the lats - upper vs. lower fibers IIRC. Menno Henselmans has a muscle specific hypertrophy article about this somewhere.

I do both.

Well i tried the wider ones where arms are pulling down to my sides, but it really hurts my elbows. Im not professional, but classic trainee, so i dont work like for upper and lower fibers, i mean for general lats development, will i be okay even with just shoulder width ?

[Garage Rat]

Yes i believe the widths and how your hands are positioned can make a difference especially if your trying to target an area on the back.
That being said everyone will be different on how it effects them with all the differences.
Suffolk punch has a good answer above but if your not worried about where to target the shoulder width palms away grip is a pretty standard way to do pull ups.
If your really trying to just get more back work in i would use a neutral/parallel grip also the use of straps can help to lessen the grip you have to use thus taking some arm out of the movement.
Ideally you should think upper arm moving and the lower arms as hooks and cables if that makes sense.
We must remember though the pull up is basically a compound movement the uses many muscles to get the chin over the bar so you will never totally eliminate their involvement.
This is again why you have to have your own decision on how it feels to you.
Good luck.

[TolerantLactose]

Well i tried the wider ones where arms are pulling down to my sides, but it really hurts my elbows. Im not professional, but classic trainee, so i dont work like for upper and lower fibers, i mean for general lats development, will i be okay even with just shoulder width ?

Not sure what you mean with your differentiation of trainees but any variation that doesn't blow up your elbows would probably be your better option.

You're also probably better off not overthinking.

[ECGordyn]

You're also probably better off not overthinking.

^
This. It doesn't matter. Your lats will develop fine doing any kind of vertical pull on a balanced program. Horizontal pulls also work the lats to a degree

[MIKES3]

If I go wide on pull ups I feel it hits much harder on the Lat muscles. It gives me wings

[EliKoehn]

^
This. It doesn't matter. Your lats will develop fine doing any kind of vertical pull on a balanced program. Horizontal pulls also work the lats to a degree

Do you think the standard "vertical pulls for width, rows for thickness" is generally true? For instance, I do more vertical pulls than rows and my back appears to be thicker than it is wide.

[BeginnerGainz]

Do you think the standard "vertical pulls for width, rows for thickness" is generally true? For instance, I do more vertical pulls than rows and my back appears to be thicker than it is wide.

Width=lats
Thickness= traps

Generally speaking....

[Ironface]

@OP don’t overthink it. Just pick one.

Do you think the standard "vertical pulls for width, rows for thickness" is generally true? For instance, I do more vertical pulls than rows and my back appears to be thicker than it is wide.

Probably because you deadlift, which thickens the hell out of the back.

Vertical for width and horizontal for thickness is true though, due to the muscles they emphasise. However, vertical pulls can still thicken and horizontal pulls can still widen your back. It merely shifts the emphasis.

[MIKES3]

Width=lats
Thickness= traps

Generally speaking....

I've always followed this thought process as well.

[SicilianPower]

I think body mechanics contributes a lot to pull ups/chin-ups in particular. Seems like most people feel their lats get hit more from pull ups and a wider grip. For me I feel that I get a much better stretch and range of motion doing chin ups at a moderate or close grip. Plus it hits the biceps more which is always nice and it puts them in a stronger position.

I recently read an article where Dorian Yates basically says the same thing about doing lat pulldowns underhand, and when I read it, I was in agreement.

[GeneralSerpant]

I think body mechanics contributes a lot to pull ups/chin-ups in particular. Seems like most people feel their lats get hit more from pull ups and a wider grip. For me I feel that I get a much better stretch and range of motion doing chin ups at a moderate or close grip. Plus it hits the biceps more which is always nice and it puts them in a stronger position.

I recently read an article where Dorian Yates basically says the same thing about doing lat pulldowns underhand, and when I read it, I was in agreement.

My take is that underhand is stronger in the isolinear path while pronated you have to train more for mobility control. If you're climbing rock faces then it helps to be able to move yourself on a planed movement path, but if you're descending or ascending on to a branch then you can just use supinated or neutral.