Mastering the Scapular Pull Up

Before you jump straight into heavy rows or standard pull-ups, there is one foundational movement you need to master: the scapular pull-up.

Many lifters struggle to grow their back because their nervous system forgets how to properly move the shoulder blades (scapulae).

If your shoulder blades remain locked in place, your biceps and shoulders take over the lift, leaving your lats completely unmitigated.

The scapular pull-up fixes this instantly by building a powerful mind-muscle connection.

How to Perform It:

The Hang: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width. Let your body hang completely dead with your arms straight.

The Initiation: Without bending your elbows or using your arms, depress and retract your shoulder blades. Think about pulling your shoulders down away from your ears and squeezing them together.

The Lift: Your body will naturally rise a few inches. Hold this tight, squeezed position at the top for a full 1-second count.

The Controlled Descent: Slowly lower yourself back down to the dead-hang position under complete control.

Adding just 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps to your warm-up routine will prime your lats to fire perfectly during your heavy working sets.