Arnie’s Son Joseph Baena Uses Behind-the-Neck Pull-Ups to Build His Back – But Here’s the Catch

You probably weren’t expecting one of the internet’s most controversial pull-up variations to be endorsed by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son. But in a recent Instagram post, Joseph Baena labelled the behind-the-neck pull-up a ‘fundamental movement’, telling his followers not to ‘sleep on them’. For some coaches, that’s probably enough to trigger an aneurysm.

Despite being an old-school staple, behind-the-neck pull-ups have spent years on the fitness blacklist, lumped in with upright rows and behind-the-neck presses as exercises supposedly destined to destroy your shoulders. Ask around most commercial gyms and you’ll hear some version of the same horror story: awkward position, unnecessary risk, no added benefit, accident waiting to happen, etc.

But as with most controversial exercises, the truth probably isn’t quite that dramatic. Done badly, overloaded and forced through discomfort? Probably not a winning formula. Done deliberately, with the mobility to support it and a bit of common sense? There’s at least an argument to be made.

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At a glance, they look like regular pull-ups performed with an uncomfortable neck position. Mechanically, though, there are some differences.

By pulling behind the head, you’re generally forced into a wider elbow path and greater shoulder external rotation, which tends to reduce how much assistance you get from the biceps, upper back and even the chest, while increasing the demand on the shoulders to stabilise.

You’ll work:

• Lats: still the primary driver of the pull
• Upper back (traps, rhomboids): control scapular movement
• Rear delts: assist shoulder positioning
• Biceps and forearms: support elbow flexion and grip
• Rotator cuff: stabilises the shoulder joint through a larger range

The main criticism is fairly reasonable: to get your head in front of the bar, your shoulders need to tolerate a significant amount of abduction and external rotation – a position that, for many people, is simply uncomfortable, if not inaccessible, thanks to years of desk posture, heavy pressing and poor thoracic mobility.

If you don’t have that mobility, you’ll compensate to force the range of motion. Usually, that looks like forward-head posture, shrugging, excessive spinal extension, or simply grinding through tightness in the shoulder joint itself. That’s where the ‘dangerous’ reputation comes from. And in a rare moment of agreement with the critics: a lot of people performing behind-the-neck pull-ups in gyms do look exactly like that.

The argument in favour is broadly the same as the case for behind-the-neck pressing. You’re exposing the shoulders to a fuller range of motion under control. For athletes or lifters with good mobility, that can help build strength and stability in positions most people avoid. We generally like that idea.

Some coaches also argue they encourage stricter scapular mechanics and reduce the temptation to kip, crane the neck, or otherwise cheat through reps. But if we’re being honest, many people probably like them because they feel ‘old school’ and ‘hardcore’.

Baena’s ‘fundamental movement’ comment likely sits closer to that traditional bodybuilding mentality than anything particularly performance-driven. Like father, like son.

• Use a grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
• Before you even pull, depress the shoulders and brace the trunk.
• Pull yourself upwards while keeping the neck neutral, aiming to bring the upper traps or rear of the shoulders towards the bar – not aggressively forcing your head forwards or jamming your chin into your chest.
• Lower under control and stop well before your form breaks down.
• If the movement feels pinchy, awkward or forces you into compromised positions, stop.

Probably not. Or, to be slightly more charitable: you probably don’t need to.

If your goal is bigger lats, stronger pulling strength and healthier shoulders, a strict chest-to-bar pull-up will achieve almost everything you want while allowing for better mechanics and a stronger range of motion. You’ll likely get more lat involvement, easier progression and less risk of forcing yourself into positions you haven’t earned.

Behind-the-neck pull-ups aren’t inherently evil. They’re just a very high-mobility variation. And for the vast majority of lifters, regular pull-ups performed properly will get you 90% of the benefits with far less risk.

Unfortunately, we can’t all have Schwarzenegger genetics.