Neutral Grip Pull Ups - Do They Count?

[nerddanika]

Do neutral grip pull ups count as "real" pull ups? I'm coming across mixed information. From what I read elsewhere, the average person can do more neutral grip than regular grip pullups. But, it also sounds like they are easier of wrists and shoulders, without sacrificing much of the back's muscle development.

Thoughts?

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

From what I understand, a pull-up is a pull-up, but different grips have different difficulty levels/work different muscles.

[Dan208]

You still have to pull your weight up, so in my book they count.

[weirdquark]

Do neutral grip pull ups count as "real" pull ups? I'm coming across mixed information. From what I read elsewhere, the average person can do more neutral grip than regular grip pullups. But, it also sounds like they are easier of wrists and shoulders, without sacrificing much of the back's muscle development.

Thoughts?

Neutral grip = palms facing each other, yes?

Like with chin-ups, parallel/neutral grip works the biceps a bit more, and I think most people do find them a little easier. The different grips will hit your muscles in slightly different ways but they'll all work your back muscles. I figure that if a particular pull-up grip tweaks your back/shoulders/rotator cuffs/whatever and another one does not, you should use the one that doesn't hurt you or cause you injury.

[Kishi]

Pull ups, from what I can tell, exist on a kind of spectrum: on the one side, you have chin ups, and on the other, you have wide grip pull ups. Any pulling motion is going to work your back and arms. The key differentiating factor, so far as I've been able to tell, is in how much assistance your biceps are able to render to the movement.

Chins are less intense for the back. Pulls are more intense for the back. Neutrals are somewhere in-between: the position still favors the biceps somewhat, but the back is still doing more work than it would with chins.

Bottom line is, they're legit. I've noticed a lot of benefit from training a lot of different pulling motions, and neutrals are definitely a part that I want to keep in the training program. They'll do you some good too, I'm sure.

[Waldo]

Why wouldn't they count?

Neutral grip are probably the most balanced muscle-wise of all.

It a good idea to mix the various pulling forms and not just stick to one unless you are working on specific goals.

I personally don't do many neutral grip pulls, but that is because I lack a specific goal; I'm working bodyweight pullup numbers and working on weighted chinups at the moment. However I use my neutral grips for all rep based horizonal pulls (tuck lever rows) and multiplane pulls (tuck ice cream makers), I find the neutral grips to be the most comfortable and least awkward, important when working more complex motions.

[KAllen]

I do pull ups on A days workout. I do chin ups on B days workout. If you're pulling yourself up multiple times, you're doing good.

[Jkaylor]

you can buy rings to do pull ups on if you are having shoulder or elbow pain. they allow your arms to move just a bit and takes some of the stress off of the joints. you can get climbing rings too and they you can do finger pull ups.

on a side note I recently found out i can do more pull ups then chin ups. I think it might be time to work the beach muscle.

[nerddanika]

Alright. Then I can do pullups. Hooray.

[Raikas]

Why wouldn't they count?

To be fair (although it doesn't seem to be the source of nerddanika's question) sometimes people are working towards job-related fitness tests, so in those cases they might not count if there's no option to take the test using a neutral grip.

Or if you're in a one-upmanship match with a friend who's shouting "Prove it!" and they expect a certain style...