Grasp the pull-up bar with a pronated grip (palms facing away) slightly wider than shoulder-width and kneel on the assistance pad, allowing your arms to fully extend
2
Pull your body upward by driving your elbows down and back, focusing on engaging your lats and squeezing your shoulder blades together
3
Continue pulling until your chin clears the bar or chest approaches bar level, maintaining a tight core throughout the movement
4
Lower yourself back down with control to the fully extended starting position, resisting the machine assistance on the descent
The assisted pull-up is an essential vertical pulling exercise that allows individuals to build back width and strength without needing to lift their entire body weight. By resting the knees on a counter-weighted pad, lifters can perfectly replicate the mechanics of a strict pull-up. This exercise is unparalleled for developing the latissimus dorsi, and it serves as the ultimate stepping stone for achieving your first unassisted bodyweight pull-up.
Benefits
• Builds a wide, V-taper physique by heavily targeting the lats.
• Strengthens the biceps and mid-back musculature.
• Allows beginners to train the pull-up motor pattern with perfect form.
• Highly scalable resistance for progressive overload.
Common Mistakes
• Relying too heavily on the biceps rather than pulling with the back.
• Not achieving a full dead-hang stretch at the bottom of the movement.
• Swinging or using momentum to get over the bar.
• Rounding the shoulders forward at the top of the contraction.
Pro Tips
Imagine pulling your elbows down to your front pockets rather than pulling your chin over the bar. This mental cue drastically increases lat activation.
Muscle Anatomy
The latissimus dorsi is the primary mover. The biceps brachii assist heavily in elbow flexion, while the rhomboids and lower traps retract and depress the scapula.
Exercise Variations
Assisted chin-ups, lat pulldowns, or resistance band pull-ups.
Beginner Tips
Start with a heavy counter-weight to master the form. Ensure your shoulder blades slide down and back before your arms begin to bend.
