Feeling Pull Ups in Biceps Not Back

You’re doing pull-ups to build a wider, stronger back, but all you feel is a deep burn in your arms. It’s frustrating. You end the set because your biceps give out, while your back muscles feel like they barely did anything. This is the single most common roadblock to mastering the pull-up, and it’s why so many people get stuck.

Key Takeaways

• Feeling pull ups in your biceps not back is a sign of poor lat engagement, not weak lats. You are initiating the movement with your arms instead of your back.
• The fix is to start every single rep by pulling your shoulder blades down and back *before* you bend your elbows. This is called scapular retraction.
• Think of your hands as simple hooks and focus on driving your elbows down towards your hips. This mental cue forces your lats to do the work.
• Using a thumbless grip (false grip) can reduce bicep activation by up to 15%, making it easier to focus on your back.
• Master scapular pull-ups (3 sets of 10-15 reps) to build the mind-muscle connection required to perform the full movement correctly.
• If you cannot do a pull-up, use band-assisted pull-ups or negative pull-ups (a 3-5 second descent) to build foundational strength in the right muscles.

Why You Feel Pull-Ups in Your Biceps (The Core Problem)

The reason you're feeling pull ups in your biceps not back is simple: you are starting the movement by bending your elbows. Your brain defaults to the path of least resistance, and for most people, that means initiating a pull with the biceps.

Your biceps' primary job is elbow flexion (bending your arm). Your lats' (latissimus dorsi) primary job is shoulder adduction and extension (pulling your upper arm down and in towards your body). When you hang from the bar and immediately bend your arms, you are telling your biceps to take over. They are smaller and weaker than your lats, so they fatigue quickly, ending your set prematurely.

This isn't a strength problem. Your back is almost certainly strong enough. This is a neuromuscular problem-a disconnect between your brain and your back muscles. You haven't taught your body how to fire your lats first.

Think of it like this: your lats are the giant engine, and your biceps are the small steering motor. You're trying to power a freight train with a motor designed for a go-kart. It's not going to work. The goal is to get the big engine online first, and let the smaller muscles assist.

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The Fix: How to Activate Your Lats Before You Pull

To stop your biceps from hijacking the movement, you must change the first 10% of the exercise. The setup is everything. Before your arms bend even one degree, you need to engage your back.

Here’s how you do it. Hang from the pull-up bar in a dead hang, with your arms fully extended and your body relaxed. From this position, perform one single action:

Pull your shoulder blades down and back.

Imagine trying to squeeze an orange between the lower part of your shoulder blades. Your body should rise an inch or two without any bend in your elbows. This small movement is scapular retraction and depression. It is the on-switch for your lats.

Once you feel that tension in your upper back, and only then, you can begin the pull.

Here are two mental cues that make this click:

1. Hands are Hooks: Stop thinking about gripping the bar. Imagine your hands are just meat hooks. Their only job is to connect your arms to the bar. Your arms are just ropes. The pull does not come from your hands or forearms; it comes from your back.
2. Elbows to Pockets: Instead of thinking “get my chin over the bar,” think “drive my elbows down into my back pockets.” This cue forces your lats to engage to pull your arms down and back, which is their primary function. Your chin will naturally clear the bar as a result of this movement.

Practice this. Hang from the bar and just perform the scapular pull. Feel your lats tighten. Relax. Repeat 10 times. This drill alone will build the mind-muscle connection you're missing.

The 3-Step Progression to Master the Lat-Focused Pull-Up

Knowing the theory is one thing, but you need a physical progression to make it automatic. Follow these three steps to rebuild your pull-up from the ground up. Do not skip a step.

Step 1: Master the Scapular Pull-Up

This is the drill mentioned above, but now it's your main exercise. The goal is to perfect the first phase of the pull-up.

• How to do it: Start from a dead hang. Without bending your arms, pull your shoulder blades down and back, lifting your body 1-3 inches. Hold the top position for one full second, feeling the squeeze in your lats. Lower back to the dead hang under control. That's one rep.
• The Plan: Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Rest 60 seconds between sets. Do this at the start of every back workout until you can do all sets with perfect form. This is non-negotiable.

Step 2: Use Regressions to Learn the Full Motion

Once you can feel your lats firing with scapular pulls, it's time to apply it to the full range of motion. If you can't do 5+ perfect bodyweight pull-ups yet, you must use regressions.

• Option A: Band-Assisted Pull-Ups: Loop a resistance band around the bar and place one knee in the loop. The band gives you the most help at the bottom (the hardest part) and less at the top. Focus on initiating with the scapular pull, then drive your elbows down. Perform 3 sets of 6-10 reps.
• Option B: Negative Pull-Ups: If you don't have bands, use a box or bench to jump to the top position of the pull-up (chin over bar, chest up). Hold for a second, squeezing your back. Then, lower yourself down as slowly as possible, aiming for a 3 to 5-second descent. This builds eccentric strength in the exact muscles you need. Perform 3 sets of 4-6 reps.

Step 3: Implement Paused Reps

Once you can perform 5 or more bodyweight pull-ups using the correct form, it's time to lock in the pattern with paused reps. Pausing eliminates momentum and forces your muscles to hold tension.

• How to do it: Initiate with the scapular pull. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Hold this top position for 2 full seconds, actively squeezing your back muscles. Lower yourself down under control over 2-3 seconds.
• The Plan: Aim for 3-4 sets of as many perfect paused reps as you can. When you can hit 8 reps per set, you're ready to add weight.

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Common Mistakes and Grip Variations

Even with the right progression, a few bad habits can creep in and shift the focus back to your biceps. Watch out for these.

Mistake 1: The Rushed, Bouncy Rep

Using momentum or “kipping” to bounce out of the bottom of the rep completely bypasses the scapular retraction. Each rep must start from a dead-stop dead hang. This ensures your lats, not momentum, are doing the work.

Mistake 2: The Turtle Shell Back

This happens when you shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and round your upper back as you pull. It feels like you're getting higher, but you're just disengaging your lats and putting stress on your shoulders. Keep your chest up and proud throughout the entire movement. Think “show your chest to the bar.”

Grip Width Matters

A grip that is slightly wider than your shoulders is the sweet spot for lat activation. Going too wide can limit your range of motion and put your shoulder joint in a vulnerable position. A narrow, underhand grip (a chin-up) intentionally shifts more focus to the biceps, so save that for an arm exercise.

Try a Thumbless Grip

Also known as a “false grip,” this involves placing your thumb over the bar alongside your fingers instead of wrapping it underneath. By removing the thumb from the equation, you reduce your ability to “squeeze” the bar, which can decrease bicep involvement and reinforce the “hands as hooks” feeling. It can feel weird at first, but many find it dramatically improves their back connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a pull-up and a chin-up?

A pull-up uses an overhand (pronated) grip and primarily targets the lats and lower traps. A chin-up uses an underhand (supinated) grip, which increases bicep activation and is generally considered an easier variation.

How many reps and sets should I do?

For building back strength and muscle, aim for 3-5 sets in the 5-10 rep range with perfect form. If you can't do 5 reps, use the regression exercises. If you can easily do more than 12 reps, it's time to add weight using a dip belt.

Is it better to use an assisted pull-up machine or bands?

Bands are superior for learning the movement. A band's assistance matches the natural strength curve of a pull-up-it helps you most at the bottom where you're weakest. An assisted machine provides uniform help throughout, which doesn't effectively train the hardest part of the lift.

My grip gives out before my back. What should I do?

This is common. To improve grip strength, finish your workouts with 2-3 sets of dead hangs, holding on for as long as possible (aim for 30-60 seconds). For your heaviest back sets, you can use lifting straps to ensure your grip isn't the limiting factor preventing back growth.

Conclusion

Feeling pull-ups in your biceps is a technique problem, not a strength deficit. Stop starting the pull by bending your arms. Instead, initiate every single rep by pulling your shoulder blades down and back, and the rest will follow. Go to a bar right now, hang, and perform a single scapular pull-you will immediately feel the difference.