10 Best Wide Grip Pull-up Alternatives for Home and Gym

The Wide Grip Pull-up is done hanging. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Wide-grip Rear Pull-up, Bench Pull-ups and the Pull-up.

Wide Grip Pull-upWatch the Wide Grip Pull-up

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Wide Grip Pull-up

The steps for the Wide Grip Pull-up itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Bodyweight · Advanced · Compound

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
  3. Pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar.
  4. Lower your body back down to the starting position with control.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Wide Grip Pull-up Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Wide Grip Pull-up on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Wide-grip Rear Pull-up

    1. Wide-grip Rear Pull-up

    99% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using a wide grip.
    2. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar, bring your torso forward and head so that there is an imaginary line from the pull-up bar to the back of your neck. This is your starting position.
    3. Pull your torso up until the bar is near the back of your neck. To do this, draw the shoulders and upper arms down and back while slightly leaning your head forward. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
    4. After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
    5. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
  2. Bench Pull-upsPlay demonstration

    2. Bench Pull-ups

    98% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the lats.

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

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
  3. Pull-upPlay demonstration

    3. Pull-up

    98% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
    2. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
    3. Pull your body up towards the bar by bending your elbows and bringing your chest towards the bar.
    4. Pause at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Wide Grip Pull-up

  4. 4. Pullups

    98% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

Wide Grip Pull-up FAQ

What muscles does Wide Grip Pull-up work?

The wide grip pull-up primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, emphasizing shoulder adduction and extension. It also recruits teres major, posterior deltoid, rhomboids, and lower traps for scapular control, with the biceps assisting elbow flexion; wider grips reduce biceps contribution and increase lat stretch.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Wide Grip Pull-up?

The best bodyweight alternative is a band-assisted wide-grip pull-up because it preserves the vertical pulling pattern and lat length-tension. Loop a band under your foot or knee, initiate each rep with scapular retraction, then pull elbows down and back to maintain lat activation while reducing load.

Can I build muscle without doing Wide Grip Pull-up?

Yes, build back muscle with progressive overload using lat pulldowns, weighted rows, and single-arm dumbbell rows that replicate the pull mechanics. Focus on starting each rep with a scapular pull and finishing with a hard lat squeeze to ensure high muscle activation without strict pull-ups.

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