Pull-Ups Times Four

Get a wider, thicker back with this workout that kicks off with four different variations of pull-up: wide-grip pull-ups, close-grip pull-ups, chin-ups and negative pull-ups.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated June 9, 2022

Interested in a wider, thicker back with no messing around and no frills? You've come to the right place!

I shot a video recently at The JYM showing you a few different variations of pull-ups and how to do them (the video is posted below). Now, I want to offer you a workout utilizing this advice and taking it to the next level for a complete workout that will develop both width and thickness in your back by hitting this large muscle group from all angles.

The workout starts, of course, with pull-ups. Not only are pull-ups one of the best exercises for developing overall size and strength in the back, but because pulling your bodyweight up to a bar is such a challenging thing for most people, it's a good move to start with while your muscles are fresh.

In the video, I demonstrated wide-grip overhand pull-ups, close-grip overhand pull-ups and negative rep pull-ups. Perhaps you'd typically pick one such variation and stick with it for all sets, but not this time. On each of four pull-up sets, you'll do a different variation. (There's one variation not covered in the video that I'm adding.) Here's how it breaks down:

Set 1: Wide-Grip Pull-Up – This will target the upper lats and overall back width. Make sure your grip is outside of shoulder-width.

Set 2: Close-Grip Pull-Up – This version will emphasize the lower lats. Don't go too narrow on these; right at shoulder-width is fine.

Set 3: Chin-Up (not shown in the video) – Here, you'll flip your hands around to a reverse grip (palms facing you) to target the lower lats again, albeit from a slightly different angle, while also hitting the biceps a little bit more.

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