Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Scapular Pull-Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The scapular pull-up is a bodyweight exercise that targets the trapezius muscles and helps improve scapular control and shoulder stability. It is performed by hanging from a pull-up bar and retracting the shoulder blades without bending the elbows.

Primary muscles
Traps
Secondary muscles
Shoulders , Biceps
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the scapular pull-up
Front view: muscles worked by the scapular pull-up. Primary: traps. Secondary: shoulders and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the scapular pull-up. Primary: traps. Secondary: shoulders and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the scapular pull-up

  1. Step 1: Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
  2. Step 2: Retract your shoulder blades by pulling them down and back.
  3. Step 3: Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the scapular pull-up 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.

Scapular Pull-Up alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

More traps exercises

See the best trap exercises, ranked →

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.