Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Bench Pull-Ups: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

Bench pull-ups are a bodyweight exercise targeting the lats, performed by pulling your chest up to a horizontal bar or surface while keeping your body straight. This movement also engages the biceps and forearms.

Primary muscles
Lats
Secondary muscles
Forearms , Biceps
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the bench pull-ups
Front view: muscles worked by the bench pull-ups. Primary: lats. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the bench pull-ups. Primary: lats. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the bench pull-ups

  1. Step 1: Position yourself under a bar or a sturdy horizontal surface that is at chest height.
  2. Step 2: Grab the bar or surface with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Hang with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
  4. Step 4: Pull your chest towards the bar or surface by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bending your elbows.
  5. Step 5: Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar or surface.
  6. Step 6: Lower yourself back down to the starting position with control.
  7. Step 7: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the bench pull-ups by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Bench Pull-Ups alternatives

More exercises that train the lats as their main target:

More lats exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.