High Pull Exercise Guide: Build Stronger Shoulders
Master the high pull with our step-by-step guide. Learn proper form, common mistakes to avoid, and how to use explosive power to build shoulder mass.
How to Perform
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Hinge at the hips and slightly bend your knees to lower the bar to just above your knees while keeping your back flat.
- Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles simultaneously to drive the bar upward using your lower body momentum.
- Pull the barbell toward your upper chest by outward-flaring your elbows and keeping the bar close to your body.
- Guide the bar to its peak height around mid-chest level before the momentum dissipates.
- Control the bar as you lower it back to the starting position in a smooth, rhythmic motion.
Common Mistakes
- Pulling primarily with the arms instead of using lower body power
- Allowing the barbell to drift too far away from the torso
- Rounding the lower back during the initial hinge
- Excessively shrugging the shoulders toward the ears at the top
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Shoulders
Stabilizers
- Trapezius
- Upper Back
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
Related Guides
- Arm Raises (T/Y/I) — Shoulders
- Arnold Press — Shoulders
- Australian pull-ups — Shoulders
Shoulders · Shoulders