Lats
Assisted Pull-Up
Beginner
Machine
Compound
Lats
How to do it
-
Set the assistance weight; the higher the number, the lighter your bodyweight feels.
-
Step up, place your knees or feet on the pad, and grip the bar just outside shoulder width.
-
Straighten the arms, press the shoulders down, and brace the abs.
-
Pull the elbows toward your hips until your chin clears the bar without bouncing off the pad.
-
Lower under control for 3 seconds until the arms are fully straight.
-
Drop the assistance by 2-5 kg every time you can hit 10 clean reps.
Common mistakes
-
Bouncing off the knee pad to launch each rep.
-
Setting so much assistance that no rep is ever challenging.
-
Pushing off the pad with the legs instead of pulling with the back.
-
Never reducing the assistance number for months on end.
Tips
-
Log the assistance number every session; that is your progress marker toward a strict pull-up.
-
Finish the last set with unassisted negatives to speed things up.
Secondary muscles
Alternatives
Log this exercise and watch yourself progress
Sign up free to log sets & weights, save favorite moves, add your own, and see your strength chart climb week after week.