The primary muscle targeted during a pullup is the latissimus dorsi muscle, but it is not the only muscle worked when performing this exercise. The pullup is a body weight, compound exercise suitable for building muscular strength and endurance in your back. Pullups require a hanging bar, which can be found at many gyms and is relatively inexpensive to buy and easy to install in your own home.
How to Perform
Pullups are performed by placing a chair, step or bench next to the high, suspended bar. Step onto the chair and grab the pullup bar with an overhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your body, and when your arms are fully extended, pull yourself toward the bar. Keep pulling until your chin is above the bar, and repeat. If you have long legs or the bar isn't high enough, bend at your knees so that your feet don't touch the ground.
Lats
The latissimus dorsi muscle, or lats, is the largest muscle group of your back. It originates at your illium, the posterior of your sacrum or hip bone, your vertebral column and ribs. It then spans the rest of your back and connects into your upper arm bone, the humerus. The lats primary function is shoulder adduction and extension, but it also assists with shoulder-blade depression and adduction.
Other Muscles Worked
The pullup also works several other major muscle groups of the back. As you pull up, your shoulder blades move closer together. The rhomboid and middle trap muscles are responsible for helping with this portion of the exercise. Your arms will also come closer together during the upward lift. This causes your biceps muscles to contract as well.
Pullup Variations
There are many variations to the pullup that change which muscles are worked. If you widen your hand spacing, the exercise becomes a wide-grip pullup. This places more emphasis on your lat muscles. If you narrow your grip, it changes the focus from the lats to the biceps. You can also use an underhand grip, and it changes the name of the exercise to a chinup. This exercise also places more emphasis on biceps strength.
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