- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Reps5 to 15 reps
- Joint loadShoulder
Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and straight arms.
First cueThe arms stay straight.
How to do the Scapular Pull-Up
Set up. Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and straight arms.
- Without bending your elbows, pull your shoulder blades down and back so your body rises slightly.
- Hold for a moment.
- Let your shoulders rise back to a full hang under control.
Form cues
- The arms stay straight.
- Think of putting your shoulder blades in your back pockets.
- Move slowly.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows.
- Swinging the legs.
Muscles worked
Main target: Lats. The latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back, running from the lower spine and pelvis up under the arm to the upper arm bone. It pulls the arm down and back: pull-ups, pulldowns and the start of a deadlift.
On the way: Traps and Forearms.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Side delts and Triceps, in the overhead press and pull pattern.
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Dumbbell Pullover
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Lat Pulldown
Cable
Less load on the shoulder
Lat Pulldown
The Scapular Pull-Up loads the shoulder by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Pull-Up.
Other variations of the Pull-Up: Chin-Up, Lat Pulldown, Assisted Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up and Negative Pull-Up.
Do before it: Dead Hang (same movement, lighter), Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades), Scapular Pull-Up (shoulder blades) and Inverted Row (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Scapular Pull-Up is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Scapular Pull-Up?
Set up: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and straight arms. Steps: 1. Without bending your elbows, pull your shoulder blades down and back so your body rises slightly. 2. Hold for a moment. 3. Let your shoulders rise back to a full hang under control. Form cues: The arms stay straight. Think of putting your shoulder blades in your back pockets. Move slowly. Common mistakes: Bending the elbows. Swinging the legs.
What muscles does the Scapular Pull-Up work?
It trains the lats as its main target and works the traps and forearms on the way.
What can I do instead of the Scapular Pull-Up?
At home: Dumbbell Pullover. In a gym: Lat Pulldown. With less load on the shoulder: Lat Pulldown. Each trains the same main muscle.