Bodybuilding Wizard

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Tennis Elbow in Weightlifters: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
    • Principle of Specificity in Athletic Training
    • Does strength training increase bone mineral density?
    • Breaking Weight-Loss Plateau
    • Hitting and Overcoming Weightlifting Plateau
    • The Importance of Focus When Strength-Training
    • Health Benefits of Improved Flexibility
    • Calisthenics Equipment That’s Worth Your Money
    RSS Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube Pinterest Instagram
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Training
      • Weight training basics
      • Advanced bodybuilding
      • Workout programs
      • Home weight training programs
      • Cardio workout
      • Bodybuilding glossary
      • Exercise equipment
      • Weight training accessories
      • Weight lifting injuries
      • Fitness calculators & tests
    • Exercises
      • Chest exercises
        • Middle chest exercises
        • Upper chest exercises
        • Lower chest exercises
      • Back exercises
        • Middle back (latissimus dorsi)
        • Upper back (trapezius)
        • Lower back (erector spinae)
      • Bicep exercises
      • Tricep exercises
      • Shoulder exercises
        • Front deltoid
        • Side deltoid
        • Rear deltoid
        • Rotator Cuff
      • Neck strengthening exercises
      • Quadricep exercises
      • Hamstring exercises
      • Calf exercises
      • Tibialis anterior exercises
      • Abdominal exercises
        • Upper abdominal exercises
        • Lower abdominal exercise
        • Oblique exercises
      • Core exercises
      • Forearm exercises
      • Glute & Hip exercises
      • Kettlebell exercises
      • Foam rolling & Stretching
      • Explosive (dynamic) lifts
    • Motivation
      • Videos
        • Funny gym reels
        • Motivational videos
        • Funny workout videos
      • Pictures
      • Quotes
      • Funny Fitness
      • Transformations
    • Diet
    • Supplements
    • Anatomy
    • FAQ
    • Health
    Login
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    You are at:Home»Exercises»Back exercises»Middle back (latissimus dorsi)»Assisted Pull-Up
    Machine Pull-Up Exercise
    Machine Pull-Up Exercise

    Assisted Pull-Up

    0
    By krunoslav on January 1, 2015 Middle back (latissimus dorsi)
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Tumblr WhatsApp Telegram

    Assisted Pull-Up Exercise Guide

    This is a great way to work your big back muscles and practice the movement of the regular pull-up if you lack the strength to lift your whole body weight. Remember that adding weight to the stack makes exercise easier. The weight you select is subtracted from body weight when you perform the exercise. Therefore, the more weight you select, the easier the exercise.

    If you can’t do enough pull-ups or chin-ups with your body weight to complete the workouts as written, you have several options. (a) One is to use an assisted pull-up machine, a staple of newer gyms, which allows you to replicate the body weight exercise. If you have access to one and need to use it, push yourself to reduce the amount of assistance you get from the machine, with the goal of working with your own body weight as soon as possible. (b) Without access to that machine, you can use an advanced technique called rest-pause – you will get on the bar and do two or three reps, drop off, catch your breath, then jump back up and do the next. (c) You can also use resistance bands (tube) for pull-ups. The resistance band helps you to rebound and therefore adds momentum to the upward phase of the exercise. That extra bit of assistance can turn the elusive pull-up into an actual achievement. Loop both ends of the resistance band around the bar, and tie each in a secure knot. Test the band to make sure it is secure by pulling it down. Than all you have to do is to place the center of your dominant foot into the bottom of the band. Slightly bend your nonworking leg and cross it behind the dominant leg.

    How to Perform Assisted Pull-Ups?

    STARTING POSITION (SETUP): Select the weight from the stack and then kneel on the plate (depending on the design) with the rest of your body in the same position as for basic pull-ups. Keep your back straight and use an overhand grip with your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart.

    Assisted Pull-Ups
    Assisted Pull-Ups

    EXECUTION (ACTION): Pull your body up (until your chin is above the line of the hand grips) while arching your back slightly to expand your chest and leaning your body backwards a little. Your elbows should come down vertically and parallel to your sides. Pause, then lower your body by reversing the movement until your arms are fully straight.

    Muscles Involved in Assisted Pull-Up

    The external and upper parts of the latissimus dorsi are the areas most used, and assisted pull-ups are very effective if your aim is to broaden your back.

    • Main muscles: latissimus dorsi, biceps (short head), teres major
    • Secondary muscles: pectoralis major (lower and outside), triceps (long head), teres minor, rhomboids, brachioradialis, biceps (long head), deltoid (front and rear)
    • Antagonists: deltoid, pectoralis major (upper), triceps

    Assisted Pull-Up Variations

    • Assisted pull-ups with neutral grip. If the machine is designed to allow a neutral grip (palms facing), this can be used to vary the exercise.
    • Assisted pull-ups with narrow grip (either overhand or underhand).
    • Assisted chin-ups.

    Replacement Exercises (Substitutes)

    There are plenty of other alternative exercises that do the same thing. Choose any other of the following middle back exercise (latissimus dorsi exercise) for building a wide back (broaden your back):

    • Wide-grip pull-ups
    • Chin-ups
    • Wide-grip lat pulldowns
    • Machine lat pulldowns
    • Behind-the-neck pull-ups (rear pull-ups)

    Advanced Tip

    • Combine body-weight pull-ups with assisted pull-ups by doing body-weight pull-ups to failure, then shift immediately to assisted pull-ups to reach a higher rep count. Eventually, you should be able to do more body-weight pull-ups.
    • The exercise can be very demanding if you want it to be (e.g., by reducing the counterweight used) because it eliminates swinging and other forms of cheating.

    Closing Thoughts

    This is an excellent middle back exercise suitable for users at all levels.

    You simply stand or kneel on a pad and add weight to the assisting stack. Unlike other machines, with this one your goal is to use less and less weight until you can lift your body weight.

    Assisted pull-up is very useful exercise for those wanting to progress to full body weight pull-ups as it uses the same muscle groups. It’s a similar movement to the regular pull-up requiring the same muscles, but is easier to perform as you’re not lifting all of your body weight and have assistance with the feet on the machine pad.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
    krunoslav
    • X (Twitter)

    Hey! My name is Kruno, and I'm the owner and author of Bodybuilding Wizard. I started this website back in late 2014, and it has been my pet project ever since. My goal is to help you learn proper weight training and nutrition principles so that you can get strong and build the physique of your dreams!

    Related Posts

    Rock-Climber Pull-Up Guide

    The L-sit pull-ups (L-sit chin-ups)

    Negative Chin-Ups: Exercise Guide

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    WE ARE SOCIAL
    • Facebook 3.6K
    • Twitter
    • YouTube 107
    • Instagram
    RECENT POSTS
    September 25, 2023

    Tennis Elbow in Weightlifters: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

    September 21, 2023

    Principle of Specificity in Athletic Training

    September 19, 2023

    Does strength training increase bone mineral density?

    September 15, 2023

    Breaking Weight-Loss Plateau

    September 13, 2023

    Hitting and Overcoming Weightlifting Plateau

    RECENT COMMENTS
    • Justin Dew on Designing your own home gym
    • krunoslav on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • Christina on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • jack on Types Of Whey Protein
    • igtropin on Stiff-Leg Deadlift Technique
    LATEST GALLERIES

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    ABOUT
    ABOUT

    We are a group of bodybuilding enthusiasts and this is our effort to have all the details about bodybuilding on a single website. We strive to educate and inform our visitors so that they can make the correct training, nutrition, and supplement decisions on their own. Bodybuilding Wizard will make your dream body your reality and take you to a whole new level!

    POPULAR POSTS
    April 2, 2014

    Lying Leg Curl Exercise Guide

    February 18, 2019

    Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?

    March 30, 2014

    Workout Frequency

    BODYBUILDING WIZARD
    Bodybuilding Wizard Footer Logo
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    • About
    • Write for us
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Friends
    • Advertising
    Copyright © 2014-2023 BodybuildingWizard. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress. Made with love and lots of caffeine.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?