By Lauren Bedosky |
The standard pull-up grip is “double-overhand,” meaning both hands face away from you. There are, however, a variety of alternative options worth trying so you can determine which is best suited for your unique physiology, strength, and mobility.
It’s common to begin with a chin-up grip, then to progress to a neutral grip and finally a standard pull-up grip — but that may not necessarily be the ideal pull-up journey for you. Experiment with the different grips below to find the ones you can perform with relative ease and no pain. You can vary the grips from workout to workout while still building overall strength to reach your goal of doing your first pull-up.
Pull-Up Grip
Palms face away from you as your hands wrap around the bar.
Chin-Up Grip
Palms face toward you as your hands grip the bar.
Neutral Grip
Palms face each other as your hands wrap around a set of handles.
Mixed Grip
Palms face in opposite directions (one away and one toward you).
Ring Grip
Palm orientation will vary through the range of motion.
This article originally appeared as part of “Expert Answers: 4 Steps to Your First Pull-Up” from the March 2017 issue of
