Mixed Grip Pull Up
A vertical pulling strength exercise where you hang from a bar with one palm facing away and the other facing toward you. This grip variation increases hold security and allows for high-tension loading while targeting the latissimus dorsi and biceps.
The mixed grip creates asymmetry that can lead to muscle imbalances if not managed carefully. The AI coaching app optimizes this by strictly tracking which hand orientation you used in previous sets to ensure you switch sides equally. By analyzing your daily HRV and recovery status, the system can also determine if your shoulders are ready for this variation or if a neutral grip alternative is safer for the day, reducing the risk of rotational strain.
Form Cues
- Switch your hand position (which hand is over/under) between every set.
- Drive your elbows down toward your back pockets to engage the lats.
- Keep your core braced and glutes squeezed to prevent swinging.
- Pull until your chin clears the top of the bar.
- Lower yourself with control to a full dead hang.
- Don't allow your body to twist or rotate toward the underhand grip.
- Don't use momentum or kick your legs to get upward.
- Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears at the top.
- Don't look excessively up or crane your neck to clear the bar.
Common Mistakes
- Failing to alternate grip orientation between sets
- Helicoptering or twisting the torso during the pull
- Cutting the range of motion short
- Relaxing shoulder tension completely at the bottom
- relying too much on the bicep of the underhand arm
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a potent developer of the latissimus dorsi, utilizing the mixed grip to provide superior bar security often allowing for more reps or weight. It heavily recruits the biceps (particularly on the supinated arm) and the rhomboids, while requiring the core to work overtime to resist the natural tendency of the torso to rotate.
Primary
Secondary
Get Personalized Coaching for Mixed Grip Pull Up
Don't guess your way through weights or workouts. Download Iridium for automatic, AI-powered coaching that adapts to your recovery and goals.