Dual Grip Pull Up

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand beneath a multi-grip pull-up bar and grasp the parallel handles with your palms facing each other.
2. Hang with your arms fully extended, feet off the floor, and legs either straight or crossed at the ankles.
3. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back into their sockets to create a stable pulling base.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you pull your body upward by driving your elbows down toward your ribcage and pulling your chest toward the handles.
2. Continue the movement until your chin clears the bar or your upper chest is level with your hands.
3. Inhale as you lower your body back to the starting dead-hang position with a controlled 3-second eccentric tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep your chest up and shoulders back throughout the entire movement.
• Avoid using momentum or 'kipping' with your legs to get over the bar.
• Ensure a full range of motion by reaching full elbow extension at the bottom.
• Keep your neck in a neutral position rather than reaching upward with your chin.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'elbow drive'—imagine trying to put your elbows into your back pockets to maximize lat engagement.
• Pause for one second at the top of the rep to emphasize the squeeze in your trapezius and rhomboids.

Make it harder

• Perform the exercise with a weighted vest or a dip belt to increase resistance.
• Incorporate 'L-sit' positioning by holding your legs straight out in front of you at a 90-degree angle during the set.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the dual grip pull up work?

The dual grip pull up primarily targets the lats and trapezius, and also works the abs and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the dual grip pull up?

The dual grip pull up uses pull up bar.

Is the dual grip pull up good for beginners?

The dual grip pull up is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Alternating Dead HangAdvanced · lats and trapezius
• Back LeverAdvanced · erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, pectorals, and trapezius
• Band Assisted Pull-UpBeginner · lats and trapezius
• Band Bent Over Lat PulldownIntermediate · lats, rhomboids, and trapezius