Reps Only exercise

Scapular Pull-up form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The scapular pull-up is a short-range hanging exercise in which the arms stay straight and only the shoulder blades depress and retract, targeting the lower trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and scapular stabilizers. Lifters use it to build the scapular control that initiates a strong pull-up and to bulletproof the shoulders, making it a common first progression toward full pull-ups.

Scapular Pull-up illustration

How to do Scapular Pull-up

  1. 1Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, arms completely straight, and feet off the floor.
  2. 2Let your shoulders rise toward your ears into a relaxed dead hang.
  3. 3Exhale as you pull your shoulder blades down and together, lifting your chest slightly without bending your elbows.
  4. 4Avoid turning the movement into a partial pull-up by breaking at the elbows.
  5. 5Hold the depressed position for a second, then inhale as you return to the relaxed hang and repeat.

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Track Scapular Pull-up in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.