The 21 Best Pull Up Bar Exercises

1. 1. Pull Up

   

   4,343,343 SETS LOGGED93.2 mSCORE

   Pull Ups are compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily target the back, but also hits the shoulders and biceps. While this exercise does have a decently high barrier to entry, it can be easily adapted to match your current conditioning with weighted or assisted variations. This is an excellent exercise for building functional strength and body control.

   • Intermediate
   • Back

2. 2. Chin Up

   

   2,164,015 SETS LOGGED88.4 mSCORE

   Chin Ups are a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your back, but also hits your biceps. It’s similar to a Pull Up, but uses an underhand grip. This is a great exercise for getting more comfortable on a pull up bar, and is great for building strength, and muscle mass.

   • Intermediate
   • Back

3. 3. Hanging Leg Raise

   

   1,228,387 SETS LOGGED60.2 mSCORE

   Hanging Leg Raise is a bodyweight core exercise that primarily targets the abdominals and hip flexors. By hanging from a pull-up bar and raising your legs, you add instability, forcing greater muscle engagement. This is a more challenging variation than Vertical Knee Raises, increasing the demand on your core and possibly the quadriceps, providing excellent strength and muscle-conditioning benefits.

   • Advanced
   • Abs

4. 4. Hanging Knee Raise

   

   999,051 SETS LOGGED73.4 mSCORE

   Hanging Knee Raise is a variation of Vertical Knee Raise. Like Vertical Knee Raise, this is a bodyweight core exercise that involves suspending yourself and raising your knees to your chest. By hanging from a pull up bar, you add more instability to the movement, which causes you to further recruit your core for stability.

   • Beginner
   • Abs

5. 5. Neutral Grip Pull Up

   

   959,795 SETS LOGGED63 mSCORE

   Targets the lats, biceps, and forearms using a grip where palms face each other. This variation is gentler on the shoulders and wrists, making it a suitable choice for those with joint concerns or looking to add variety to their pull-up routine.

   • Intermediate
   • Back

6. 6. Dead Hang

   

   889,746 SETS LOGGED7 mSCORE

   The Dead Hang involves hanging from a pull-up bar with straight arms and relaxed shoulders for as long as possible. It is an excellent exercise for improving grip strength, decompressing the spine, and enhancing shoulder stability. Regular practice can also help in increasing endurance for other pull-up bar exercises.

   • Beginner
   • Back
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8. 7. Wide Grip Pull Up

   

   797,193 SETS LOGGED59.4 mSCORE

   Focuses on the upper back, lats, and biceps, emphasizing the outer lats for improved back width. This challenging variation is suited for individuals looking to increase their upper body strength and achieve a more V-shaped torso.

   • Intermediate
   • Back

9. 8. Scapular Pull Up

   

   278,237 SETS LOGGED27.3 mSCORE

   A bodyweight exercise focusing on shoulder stability and scapular retraction. It targets the upper back and improves posture. Unlike traditional pull-ups, the emphasis is on engaging the shoulder blades rather than pulling the body up.

   • Beginner
   • Trapezius

10. 9. V-Bar Pull Up

    

    217,586 SETS LOGGED50.2 mSCORE

    Targets the middle back, biceps, and lats by using a V-bar grip, which allows for a neutral or slightly supinated grip. This exercise is excellent for those wanting to emphasize the middle to lower lats and improve overall back strength.

    • Intermediate
    • Back

11. 10. Mixed Grip Pull Up

    

    208,465 SETS LOGGED23.9 mSCORE

    Combines one palm facing forward and one palm facing the body, challenging the lats, biceps, and grip strength unevenly. This variation helps in overcoming strength imbalances and enhances grip variation for improved muscular development.

    • Intermediate
    • Back

1. 11. Hanging Oblique Knee Raise

   

   133,498 SETS LOGGED22.8 mSCORE

   Hanging Oblique Knee Raise is a variation on the standard Hanging Knee Raise. Similar to the original exercise, this bodyweight movement primarily targets the core. By twisting your torso and bringing your knees towards your elbows, you also engage your obliques. This is a great variation for adding more complexity and targeting the sides of your core.

   • Intermediate
   • Abs

2. 12. Toes to Bar

   

   126,811 SETS LOGGED30.8 mSCORE

   Toes to Bar is a challenging core exercise performed by hanging from a pull-up bar and lifting the toes to touch the bar, engaging the abs, hip flexors, and shoulders. It requires significant core strength and flexibility, making it a staple in gymnastics and functional fitness routines.

   • Intermediate
   • Abs

3. 13. Loop Band Pull Up

   

   120,635 SETS LOGGED22.2 mSCORE

   Similar to other Pull Up variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your back. This is an assisted variation which is great for anyone looking to build the strength needed to perform a full set of Pull Ups. Unlike some other assisted variations, the use of a loop band allows for the assistance to decrease as you move closer and closer to the bar.

   • Beginner
   • Back

4. 14. Archer Pull Up

   

   95,748 SETS LOGGED26 mSCORE

   A dynamic and advanced pull-up variation that involves a circular motion, allowing for faster and more efficient movement. Ideal for athletes looking to increase pull-up speed and efficiency, particularly in competitive settings.

   • Advanced
   • Back

5. 15. Loop Band Chin Up

   

   59,156 SETS LOGGED45 mSCORE

   The Loop Band Chin Up uses a looped resistance band attached to a pull-up bar to assist with the chin-up motion. This variation is perfect for beginners or those working on improving their upper body strength, as the band helps lift some of the body's weight, making the chin-up more accessible.

   • Beginner
   • Back

6. 16. Loop Band Negative Pull Up

   

   39,062 SETS LOGGED26.1 mSCORE

   Similar to the Negative Chin Up but with a wider, overhand grip, the Loop Band Negative Pull Up targets the lats, biceps, and shoulders. The loop band provides assistance, allowing the practitioner to focus on a slow and controlled descent, enhancing muscle endurance and strength.

   • Beginner
   • Back

7. 17. Bar Muscle Up

   

   29,507 SETS LOGGED51.6 mSCORE

   Similar to the standard Muscle Up, the Bar Muscle Up is performed on a pull-up bar and requires pulling oneself up from a hanging position and transitioning into a dip. It focuses on upper body strength, particularly in the shoulders, arms, and back, demanding high levels of power and technique. This variation is often used in gymnastics and cross-training workouts.

   • Advanced
   • Back

8. 18. Loop Band Negative Chin Up

   

   25,443 SETS LOGGED29.5 mSCORE

   Focusing on the eccentric (lowering) phase of the chin-up, the Loop Band Negative Chin Up uses a looped resistance band for assistance. This exercise emphasizes controlled descent, improving strength and muscle growth in the biceps, forearms, and back, and is ideal for building up to unassisted chin-ups.

   • Beginner
   • Back

9. 19. Hanging Windshield Wiper

   

   20,491 SETS LOGGED45.7 mSCORE

   This advanced core exercise is performed by hanging from a pull-up bar and rotating the legs from side to side in a wide arc, resembling a windshield wiper. It targets the obliques, abs, and hip flexors, while also engaging the arms and shoulders. It's excellent for developing core stability, flexibility, and overall body control.

   • Advanced
   • Abs

10. 20. Butterfly Pull Up

    

    18,394 SETS LOGGED50.4 mSCORE

    An advanced and dynamic variation of the traditional pull-up, the Butterfly Pull Up is designed to minimize the movement's time by incorporating a circular motion with the legs and hips. This technique allows for quicker and more efficient repetitions, making it particularly popular in competitive fitness and CrossFit. It targets the upper back, shoulders, and arms, requiring and building significant core strength and coordination. Ideal for athletes looking to increase their pull-up efficiency and endurance, this exercise demands mastery of basic pull-ups and excellent upper body strength before attempting.

    • Advanced
    • Back

11. 21. Toes to Bar Kipping

    

    3,985 SETS LOGGED19.5 mSCORE

    The Kipping version of Toes to Bar introduces momentum into the exercise, making it slightly less focused on pure core strength and more on coordination and timing. This variation is popular in cross-training and functional fitness, providing a cardiovascular challenge while still targeting the core and upper body.

    • Intermediate
    • Abs