Assisted Pull-Ups Exercise Guide: How to Do an Assisted Pull-Up

An assisted pull-up is a bodyweight exercise that helps you work your way up to performing a full unassisted pull-up, an advanced upper-body exercise. Assisted pull-ups are an excellent strength-training exercise that targets your chest, shoulders, arms, abdominal, and back muscles. Pull-up assistance can come in various forms, including an assisted pull-up machine, pull-up bands, a chair, or a partner.

For the assisted pull-up, begin by performing 2–3 sets of 8–15 repetitions. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Stand on a plyometric box or a secure flat bench.
2. 2. Loop the appropriately sized resistance band around the pull-up bar to create a hanging loop.
3. 3. Step into the band, placing one of your feet directly in the center of the band. Use the opposite foot to anchor the band securely on your foot.
   
4. 4. Grab the pull-up bar with a full overhand grip. Your grip should be shoulder-width or slightly wider than your shoulders.
5. 5. Step off of the box and allow your legs to hang in the jump band. Your arms and legs should be long, and your elbows should be slightly bent.
6. 6. Squeeze your glutes and quads, and engage your core. Your ribs should be down, and your pelvis should be slightly tucked.
7. 7. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats. Your shoulder blades should be upwardly rotated away from your spine. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
8. 8. Initiate the upward movement by simultaneously pulling your shoulder blades down and pulling your elbows towards your body, allowing the band to assist your pull.
9. 9. Continue to pull your shoulder blades toward your spine and squeeze your upper back and lat muscles until your collar bone reaches the pull-up bar.
10. 10. Pause for a second at the top of the movement
11. 11. Begin the downward movement by simultaneously straightening your arms and allowing your shoulder blades to rotate and move away from your spine upwardly.
12. 12. Slowly lower your body back to the starting position. Your arms should be long with a slight bend in your elbow, and your shoulder blades should be away from your spine.
13. 13. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.

Assisted pull-ups are one of the best upper body workouts for building muscle in your back, arms, and shoulders.

• Lats: Your latissimus dorsi, or "lats" for short, is a large, flat muscle in your back below your shoulder blades. This muscle is responsible for shoulder adduction and is the primary muscle worked in a pull-up.
• Arms: The pulling motion of an assisted pull-up engages your biceps brachii—the large, bulging muscle on top of your arm—as well as your triceps.
• Shoulders: The primary muscle worked in your shoulders during an assisted pull-up is the posterior deltoid. This muscle is on the rear side of your shoulders and connects the collar bone, shoulder, and shoulder blades to your upper arm.

There are numerous benefits of adding assisted pull-up exercises to your workout routine:

1. 1. Assisted pull-ups help you perform unassisted pull-ups. Assisted pull-ups help you build strength and get comfortable with the range of motion necessary to complete a standard pull-up.
2. 2. Assisted pull-ups strengthen your core. Assisted pull-ups help build core strength by engaging stabilizing muscles in your neck, back, shoulders, and abdomen. Having a strong core gives you better balance and increases your mobility.
3. 3. Assisted pull-ups build grip strength. Assisted pull-ups enhance your grip strength, preparing you for other strength-training exercises that require a firm grip, like weightlifting.

There are several ways to practice an assisted pull-up.

1. 1. Assisted pull-up machine: Some gyms have an assisted pull-up machine that uses weights as a counterbalance to offer assistance. You can adjust the weights for more or less assistance.
2. 2. Negative pull-ups: Negative pull-ups reverse the movement pattern of a conventional pull-up. Use support to hold yourself in the top position, then slowly lower yourself down.
3. 3. Weighted pull-ups: This advanced variation adds weight by attaching a dumbbell, kettlebell, or weight plate to your body with a weight belt.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a MasterClass Annual Membership, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.