How to Make Pull-Ups Easier
The journey from zero to one chin-up is long, arduous, and at times can seem overwhelming. And once you get there, victory is fleeting: every set you take contains one pitiful repetition. Either way, you will need ways to bring this sublime exercise to earth.
The exercises on this list are easier than the strict pull-ups, but they work some or all of the same muscles. Pick something that sounds challenging but doable, and even if you don’t make it to a full pull-up by the end of our challenge , you will at least be closer.
We’ll arrange them in rough order from easiest to most difficult, but feel free to navigate through the list whichever works best for you.
- Pull-ups with an exercise machine such as the Gravitron (see above) that removes as much weight as you need.
- Row to the top , another exercise machine. This is the same movement as the pull-up, but you are sitting, so it’s more about the arms than the body and everything else. You can also adjust the weight on them.
- Inverted Rows are an exercise you can do on the lower plank. Set the forging bar to any height or do it on a suspension machine .
- Weighted Pull-Ups with Resistance Bands . You need to hang one of these large elastic bands over the bar so you can put one leg or knee in it, and then this tape will help you pull up.
- Drawer pull-ups are easy to do if you have a crossbar in the doorway: just place a chair in the doorway and place one foot on it while you pull up. Push with your foot as much as you need. In the gym, instead of a dining room chair, you can use a box or whatever feels right (and safe) for you.
- Negative reps build strength quickly. Jump or climb to the top of a pull-up position and then slowly lower yourself down.
- Dangling on a bent arm involves hanging from a pull-up bar in a high position without trying to move up and down. They work the same muscles, and you can measure progress by how long you can hang.
- Scrap pull-ups (top) work out the bottom of the pull-up. Start with a dead hang and then imagine pushing the bar towards the waist with your straight arms. This activates the muscles in the back and shoulders. (The word “shoulder blade” in the name refers to your shoulder blade, that large shoulder blade on your back.)
- Pull-ups and neutral-grip pull-ups are just variations on the vise: with the chin up, your palms facing you, not to the side. They allow more of the muscles in your forearm to engage themselves, so it’s a little easier for them.
As you become a pull-up beast, remember that you can use these same exercises, especially assisted pull-ups, to practice more complex movements such as one-arm pull-ups, finger-only pull-ups, or whatever pull-up you dream of.