Behind-the-Neck Pull-Up

A wide-grip pull-up pulled high enough that the bar passes behind the head at the top instead of under the chin, which forces the shoulders into end-range external rotation.

How to do it

1. Grip the pull-up bar with an overhand grip wider than shoulder-width and hang at full arm extension with your legs together.
2. Keep your torso vertical rather than leaning back, and pull your elbows down and out to the sides.
3. Continue pulling until the bar passes behind your head and the back of your neck comes level with it, without letting the bar touch your neck.
4. Lower yourself under control back to a full dead hang, keeping your head still rather than letting it snap forward.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• This variation is widely discouraged. Finishing behind the head loads the shoulder at the end of its external rotation, where the joint has the least capacity to protect itself, and any contact between the bar and the neck puts that load through the cervical spine.
• A standard or wide-grip pull-up trains the same muscles through the same shoulder range — nothing about back development requires the bar to travel behind the head, so there is no benefit here to trade the risk against.
• If you perform it anyway, stop well short of touching the bar to your neck and leave it out entirely if you lack full pain-free overhead shoulder mobility or have any history of shoulder or neck problems.

Muscles

Primary: Lats

Secondary: Biceps, Rear deltoid, Rhomboids, Traps