Pull up Alternatives
Are you looking for pull up alternatives?
Pull ups are a great exercise. They hit many muscle groups together and help you add muscle and strength to your back, biceps and forearms. They can also improve your grip strength, kinesthetic awareness and body composition. And pull ups are impressive, especially if you can do them correctly.
Despite all these benefits, you do not have to do pull ups to get great results in the gym. You can do a myriad of other exercises to achieve a similar benefit.
This article is a guide to ten pull up alternatives to use instead of regular old pull ups. Here are the pull up alternatives.
- Bent Over Row
- One Arm Half Kneeling Pulldown
- Inverted Row
- Rack Chin up
- Band Assisted Pull up
- Spotter Assisted Pull up
- Lat Pulldown
- Chin up
- Rope Climb
- Weighted Pull up
- Ring Pull up
Let’s discuss each of these exercises in more detail below.
Bent Over Row
The bent over row is a great alternative to pull ups. It strengthens the lats, rhomboids, biceps and more, just like the pull up.
To perform this exercise, perform a hip hinge with a staggered stance. Place one hand on a bench. Hold onto a weight with your other hand, with arm straight and hand right under your shoulder. Bend your arm and pull your weight to your ribcage. Hold one count and then return weight to start position. Repeat for desired reps and switch sides.
One Arm Half Kneeling Cable Pulldown
This exercise combines core stabilization with a upper body strengthening. Although you will train each side independently, you will strengthen the prime movers involved in the pull up exercise.
To perform this exercise, set a cable handle at the top of a cable pulley and set an appropriate weight for your strength. Get into a half kneeling position facing the handle. Grab the weight in one hand. Bend your arm while pulling your hand towards your chest. Squeeze your back, pause and then return arm to straight. Repeat for desired reps and then switch sides.
Inverted Row
This exercise is so awesome, I wrote a whole blog post about it.
The inverted row strengthens the lats, rhomboids, teres minor and major, infraspinatus, upper and lower traps, and grip muscles.
You can also progress this exercise as you get stronger by dropping your bar height, elevating your feet or adding weight to your chest. Please keep this exercise in your program for your entire training career.
Set a bar on a squat rack about chest level. Position hands at shoulder width with an overhand or underhand grip. Place feet in front of you at a 45 degree angle. Make sure your core is tight and body line is straight. Start with straight arms. Pull your chest to the bar by squeezing your back muscles and bending your arms. Pause and then return to straight arms.
Rack Chin Up
This underrated exercise lets you train the pull up pattern directly. You will build strong lats, bicep and forearms with this move.
Position a bar at about chest height. Then Sit down underneath bar with straight arms. Extend your legs straight out in front of you. You can put your feet on the floor or on a bench about one foot off the ground. Keeping your butt off the ground, pull your chest to the bar by bending your arms and squeezing your back muscles. Then return to start.
Band Assisted Pull up
Band assisted pull ups are another similar substitute for traditional pull ups and I wrote an entire blog post about them.
Although the resistance curve is slightly different than the traditional pull up, they are still a good regression to build the strength for the full pull up.
To perform this exercise, loop a resistance band around a bar. Hang from a pull up bar with an overhand, shoulder width grip. Place one foot or knee in the resistance band. Pull your chest to bar by bending your arms and squeezing your back.
Pause and then slowly reverse to the start.
Spotter Assisted Pull up
Contrary to the band assisted pull up, your spotter can only help you where you need it instead of more so at the bottom of the rep.
This exercise is simple to perform. Hang from a pull up bar with an overhand shoulder width grip. Pull up to the bar by squeezing your back. Your partner can give you a little boost to get your shoulders over the bar. Pause and then return to the start position.
Lat Pulldown
This classic exercise builds the strength and size of your lats, forearms and biceps.
Simply position your hands wider than shoulder width on a bar and sit down with good posture. Pull the bar down to your chest and then return to start.
Chin up
The chin up is slightly easier than the pull up. This exercise is great for building the biceps and lower lats.
Position your hands in an underhand grip at shoulder width on a bar. Pull your chest to the bar by squeezing your back and bending your arms. Pause and then return to start.
Rope Climb
Rope climbs are a great exercise for upper body and grip strength.
Start at bottom of rope in hand over hand position. Perform one staggered hand pull up, wrapping feet and legs around the rope. Continue pulling hand over hand until you get to the top of the rope. Descend down the rope in a hand under hand fashion, keeping legs wrapped around the rope.
Weighted Pull up
Technically, this exercise differs from the traditional pull up.
While simple, this exercise is anything but easy. You can start with 5-10 pounds and add more weight as you progress with this exercise.
Attach weight via a belt or hold a dumbbell between your legs. Hang down from bar with an overhand grip. Pull your chest to the bar by squeezing your back and bending your arms. Pause at the top and then return to the bottom position.
Ring Pull up
This exercise is more shoulder-joint friendly than the traditional pull up because it allows you to use a more natural, neutral grip throughout.
To perform this exercise, hang from rings with an overhand grip. Pull up while allowing yourself to transition to a neutral grip. Pause at the top and then slowly return to start.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this article gave you some exercise suggestions if you are tired of the traditional pull up. Let me know how you like these exercises in the comment section below.
