V-Bar Pull Up
The V-Bar Pull Up is a compound upper-body exercise that utilizes a V-handle attachment to target the lats and biceps with a neutral grip. This variation reduces shoulder stress while allowing for a maximal stretch and strong contraction of the back muscles.
Because pull-up performance is highly sensitive to body weight and systemic fatigue, the AI analyzes your daily recovery metrics and recent weight trends to adjust your rep targets in real-time. The system also tracks your RPE specifically for vertical pulling movements, allowing it to recommend regressions like the V-Bar Pulldown if your recovery data suggests your central nervous system isn't ready for high-intensity bodyweight volume.
Form Cues
- Hook the V-bar over a pull-up bar and grip handles with palms facing each other
- Initiate the movement by driving elbows down and back
- Pull until your chest touches the V-bar attachment
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top
- Lower to a full dead hang with controlled tension
- Don't swing your body or kick legs for momentum
- Don't round your shoulders forward at the top
- Don't let your chin jut forward excessively
- Don't perform half-reps; go all the way down
- Don't let your elbows flare out wide
Common Mistakes
- Using momentum or kipping to complete reps
- Not achieving full range of motion
- Internal rotation of shoulders at the top
- Pulling primarily with arms instead of lats
- Relaxing tension completely at the bottom
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the latissimus dorsi through vertical extension, while the neutral grip heavily recruits the biceps brachii and brachialis. The rhomboids and lower traps work as stabilizers to retract the scapula, and the forearms are engaged significantly to maintain the grip on the V-bar.
Primary
Secondary
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