Close Grip Pull-Up
A pull-up with hands placed close together, emphasizing the lower lats and increasing bicep involvement.
Short answer
Close Grip Pull-Up: an intermediate bodyweight exercise for the lats and biceps. You need a pull-up bar. A typical target: 3 sets of 6-12 reps. Once it feels easy, “Weighted Close Grip Pull-Up” is the next step.
Benefits
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps for perfect form
Grip the bar with hands 6-12 inches apart.
Hang with arms extended.
Pull up until chin clears bar.
Lower with control.
Pro Tips
Common Mistakes
Target Muscles
What muscles does the close grip pull-up work?
With the hands close together the pull becomes almost purely vertical, which emphasises the lower fibres of the lats and lets the elbow travel through a long range - so the biceps work hard too. The long range is the point: your chest can travel further towards the bar than in any wide variation, and the lats end the rep in a fully shortened position. Forearms and grip work throughout, and the core resists the tendency to swing that a narrow grip encourages.
Primary Muscles
Secondary Muscles
How to train it
Three sets of 6 to 12 reps, two or three times a week. This pairs well with wide pull-ups: one builds width, the other builds thickness and lower-lat development. Progress to 12 reps then add weight. The narrow grip is also gentler on the shoulder than a wide one, so it is a sensible substitute if wide pull-ups cause discomfort.
If you are stuck
Shrugging the shoulders is the main fault. The narrow grip makes it easy to start the pull with the traps rather than the lats, which turns the exercise into a shoulder shrug with bent elbows. Depress the shoulder blades first, then pull. Momentum and incomplete extension are the usual companions - reset to a dead hang each rep. Aim to touch your upper chest to the bar rather than your chin, which is the range this variation makes available.
Progressions
Level up your training
Close Grip Pull-Up questions
Do close grip pull-ups work biceps more?
Yes, the narrow grip allows greater bicep involvement and elbow flexion. Combined with an underhand grip, close grip chin-ups provide maximum bicep activation.
How close should hands be for close grip pull-ups?
Hands should be 6-12 inches apart, or touching for the narrowest variation. A neutral grip (palms facing each other) is also effective and easier on the wrists.
Related Exercises
More Pull exercises
Pull-Up
The king of upper body pulling movements. Targets the lats, biceps, and rear deltoids. A fundamental calisthenics exercise.
Chin-Up
A pull-up variation with supinated (underhand) grip that places more emphasis on the biceps while still working the back.
Wide Grip Pull-Up
A pull-up variation with wider grip that emphasizes lat width and upper back development.
Ready to Practice Close Grip Pull-Up?
Find a calisthenics park with pull-up bar near you and start training.