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Exercise guide

V-Bar Pullup

How to do the V-Bar Pullup with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundBody OnlyBeginnerPull
Primary muscles

Lats

Secondary

Biceps, Mid Back, Shoulders

Equipment

Body Only

Step by step

How to do the V-Bar Pullup

  1. 1

    Start by placing the middle of the V-bar in the middle of the pull-up bar (assuming that the pull-up station you are using does not have neutral grip handles). The V-Bar handles will be facing down so that you can hang from the pull-up bar through the use of the handles.

  2. 2

    Once you securely place the V-bar, take a hold of the bar from each side and hang from it. Stick your chest out and lean yourself back slightly in order to better engage the lats. This will be your starting position.

  3. 3

    Using your lats, pull your torso up while leaning your head back slightly so that you do not hit yourself with the chin-up bar. Continue until your chest nearly touches the V-bar. Exhale as you execute this motion.

  4. 4

    After a second hold on the contracted position, slowly lower your body back to the starting position as you breathe in.

  5. 5

    Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every V-Bar Pullup set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your lats volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More lats exercises

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