Assisted Pull-Up

How to Perform the Assisted Pull-Up

Set the counterweight on the assisted pull-up machine — a higher weight provides more assistance.
Step onto the knee pad or platform and grip the handles with an overhand (pronated) grip, slightly wider than shoulder width.
Begin in a full hang with arms extended, shoulders packed down and away from your ears.
Pull yourself upward by driving your elbows down toward your hips, engaging your lats as the primary mover.
Continue pulling until your chin clears the bar or handles.
Hold briefly at the top, then lower yourself under control back to the full hang position.
Repeat for the prescribed number of reps, maintaining strict form throughout the set.

Gripping too wide or too narrow

Use a grip slightly wider than shoulder width for optimal lat engagement and comfortable range of motion.

Not achieving full range of motion

Fully extend your arms at the bottom and pull your chin above the bar at the top for maximum muscle activation.

Using momentum and swinging

Keep your body stable and core tight; if you need to swing, increase the counterweight and focus on strict form.

●Think about pulling your elbows to your back pockets to better engage the lats.
●Reduce the counterweight by small increments each week to steadily progress.
●Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for 2-3 seconds to build strength and muscle.

Strength

4-5 sets of 4-6 reps with minimal assistance

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at moderate assistance

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at higher assistance

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