Close-Grip Pull-Ups

Close-grip pull-ups place the hands slightly inside shoulder width with the palms facing away. The narrower position allows the elbows to travel in front of and beside the torso, often producing a long range of motion. It is different from a chin-up, which turns the palms toward you.

How to do close-grip pull-ups

Take an overhand grip a little narrower than your shoulders, leaving enough room for comfortable wrists.
Set a quiet hang with straight elbows, ribs controlled and feet together or slightly forward.
Start by depressing the shoulder blades, then pull the elbows down toward your sides.
Bring your upper chest toward the bar and finish with the chin clearly above it.
Lower slowly until the elbows straighten; avoid losing shoulder control at the bottom.

What it trains

The lats and upper back drive the upper arms down, with substantial assistance from the biceps, brachialis and forearms. The close position does not turn the exercise into an arm-only movement. It mainly gives you another comfortable grip and a long pulling path while your trunk resists swinging.

Common mistakes

Hands touching. An extreme grip can irritate the wrists and does not provide an extra benefit.
Elbows flaring suddenly. Let them track naturally down and slightly forward.
Reaching with the neck. Keep the back working until the body, not only the chin, reaches the top.
Relaxing into a fast drop. Own the descent and return to the same bottom position.

How to program it

Close-grip pull-ups work well as a strict-rep variation when the standard grip becomes repetitive. Begin with the same total volume you can perform cleanly in ordinary pull-ups, not your absolute maximum. To change the wrist position while keeping a narrow path, try neutral-grip pull-ups. To increase difficulty later, use controlled pauses or modest added load rather than making the hands narrower.

Explore all pull-up variations, practise proper pull-up form, and use the 50 pull-ups programme to build your strict-rep base.