The pull-up is a closed-chain movement where the body is suspended by the hands, gripping a bar or other implement at a distance typically wider than shoulder-width, and pulled up.
Pull-ups build up several muscles of the upper body, including the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and biceps brachii.
[2] Pull-ups are a closed-chain, compound movement involving flexion at the elbow and adduction or extension of the shoulder joint.
A grip that is too wide could increase the injury risk or reduce the number of repetitions able to be completed due to lengthening the lever arm.
[7] Some organizations have allowed women to use a flexed arm hang[clarification needed] as a substitute for a pull up in fitness tests after discovering that few female recruits could complete a pull-up.
According to a 2003 study in college-age women, one third of participants were able to complete a pull-up after a twelve-week full-body strength training program.