12 Highly Effective Pull Up Alternatives For All Levels

The pull up is a well-loved exercise and although it is done by many, it is mastered by few. It is a challenging exercise that requires a lot of upper body strength as well as good range of movement. Without these two factors, it is difficult to yield beneficial results from it.

In this article, I will be listing and explaining the top 12 alternative exercises to pull ups. So, whether you’re looking for that training variation for the muscles trained by pull ups, or you’re unable to do pull ups yet and need some exercises to help get you there – this article is a worthwhile read for you.

What Muscles Do Pull Ups Target?

It makes sense to have a good understanding of what the pull up consists of and which muscles it works to understand what makes the exercises provided in this article good alternatives. The pull up is a compound pull exercise that concentrates on the upper body.

Pull ups involve lifting your body weight with a pronated grip through the retraction of your scapular, flexion of the elbow joint and support from a range of muscles in your upper body mechanics. The main muscles worked are your latissimus dorsi, though pull ups also work your biceps, triceps and even your core.

The biomechanics of a pull up are great for increasing functional strength and creating that ‘V’ shape through the upper body that many of us aspire to have.

12 Exercises That Work Similar to Pull Ups

Read on to see which exercises you can add into your weekly workouts as well as, or in place of pull ups! I’ve included pull up alternatives to suit all fitness and strength levels. So, whether you’re just starting out or you’re the master of pull ups – there is something here for you.

You’ll find the exercises suitable for all levels first, followed by intermediate exercises and finishing off with the advanced (not for the faint-hearted) exercises!

1. Inverted Rows

Difficulty: suitable for all levels

This alternative to the pull up works all your pull muscles in unison – your back, biceps, traps, and stabilizers in and around these muscles! You’ll even get to put your core to the test! The inverted row provides a lot of progressions, so you can make it as easy or as hard as you need to.

How to:

1. Rack a barbell at waist height. You can also use a smith machine for this exercise.
2. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, over shoulder-width apart.
3. Position yourself underneath the bar. Your heels should be on the ground and your body in a strong, straight line with your arms in a straight line, fully extended, from your chest to the barbell.
4. Flex your elbows and pull your chest towards the bar, retracting your scapular.
5. Hold for a second at the top of the movement and then lower back to starting position over a few seconds.

Suggested reps: 10 to 15

Pro tip: The more horizontal your body positioning, the harder the exercise will be. The more on an incline your body is, the easier it will be.

2. Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs

Difficulty: suitable for all levels

This exercise offers beginners a good starting point to develop baseline strength through their lats, and the more advanced lifters a stable place to maximize the amount of weight they’re pulling.

Don’t have access to a lat pulldown machine? You may also try these lat pulldown alternatives with dumbbells.

How to:

1. Hold the bar with a wide grip.
2. Extend through the chest and pull shoulders back throughout the exercise.
3. Engage through your lats and pull the bar down to just above your chest.
4. Hold for a second and return to starting position over 2 to 3 seconds.

Suggested reps: 12 to 15

3. Half Kneeling Resistance Band Pull Downs

Difficulty: suitable for all levels

This is a variation of the pull down that requires more core stability and equal effort through your left and right sides.

How to:

1. Loop a resistance band around a pull up bar or something fixed overhead.
2. Go into a half kneeling position, with your front knee bent at 90-degrees.
3. Grab each side of the resistance band, palms facing away from you.
4. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
5. Pull the bands down so your hands come towards your chest and your shoulder blades squeeze together.
6. Release back to starting position far enough to allow a slight stretch through your rear delts.

Suggested reps: 12 to 15

Pro Tip: Don’t let your torso move while you are performing the pull down – stabilize through your core.

4. Wide Grip Seated Row

Difficulty: suitable for all levels

This alternative to the pull up is a variation of the standard seated cable row which requires a wider grip. The wider grip hits your lats harder, as opposed to your middle back like in the standard row.

How to:

1. Attach a straight bar handle to the seated row machine.
2. Have a slight bend in your knees and lean back slightly through the hips whilst maintaining a neutral spine.
3. Hold the bar with an underhand grip, with your hands over shoulder-width apart.
4. Pull the bar back towards your stomach, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
5. Hold for a second and return to starting position over a few seconds.

Suggested reps: 8 to 12

5. Half Kneeling Single Arm Cable Lat Pull Down

Difficulty: suitable for all levels

This single-arm cable pull down is a great unilateral exercise for creating balance through your left and right lats and biceps. It contains a twist during the pull down which allows your muscles to be hit from different angles too, making it unique from the other pull-down alternatives.

How to:

1. Attach a single handle to the cable tower above your head.
2. Go into a half kneeling position with your front knee bent at 90-degrees, giving you a stable grounding.
3. Start with your weaker arm.
4. Grab the handle with your palm facing away from you/towards the cable machine.
5. Engage through your lats and pull the cable down towards your shoulder, twisting 90-degrees as you pull.
6. Your hand should end up by your shoulder with your palm facing your body, your elbow tucked in and your shoulder blade on that side fully retracted.
7. Allow your arm to go back to starting position slowly.
8. Do all reps on one side before repeating on the other side.

Suggested reps: 12 to 15

6. Supine Lat Pull Downs

Difficulty: suitable for all levels

Not to be confused with the wide grip lat pull down, this exercise requires an underhand grip that isn’t particularly wide. The main difference between the supine pull down and the wide grip pull down is the work it requires your biceps to do in addition to your lats.

How to:

1. Sit in the lat pull down machine with your knees tucked under the knee pads and feet flat on the floor.
2. Hold the bar with an underhand grip, roughly shoulder-width apart and extend through the chest.
3. Engage through the lats and pull the bar down to your chest at which point your biceps should be fully flexed and your elbows tucked in with your scapular pinched together.
4. Aim for a slow and steady eccentric phase back to starting position.

Suggested reps: 10 to 15

7. Hammer Strength Rows

Difficulty: intermediate

The hammer strength row machine provides an opportunity to perform a seated row but with equal effort required from your left and right sides. The handles on this machine also rotate/it has a variety of different handles. This means you can change your hand positioning to hit your lats and biceps in different ways.

How to:

1. Sit in the hammer strength row machine. Make sure the chest plate is set up appropriately for you – you should have to stretch to reach the handles. This will ensure you have a full range when you row.
2. Place your feet on the foot plates.
3. Hold a handle in each hand and rotate your hands 45-degrees outwards (if your machine allows you to do so).
4. Whilst maintaining constant contact with the chest plate, pull both handles back as far as you can and imagine trying to get your elbows to touch behind your back (obviously this won’t happen – but imagine!).
5. Allow your arms to go all the way back to a stretch on the return before going into your next rep.

Suggested reps: 8 to 12

Pro tip: Do one arm at a time.

8. Pull Up Negatives

Difficulty: intermediate

Think pull-ups, but in reverse! If you’re unable to do a pull up on your own, this exercise is the quickest way of getting there!

How to:

1. Place a bench next to the pull up bar so you can have your starting position at the top of the pull up bar without having to jump up. Jumping up created a lot of swing which will hinder your performance.
2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip, with your hands over shoulder-width apart.
3. Start with your upper chest at the bar, lats fully contracted and scapular drawn back and down.
4. Lower yourself down over as many seconds as you can until your arms are fully extended.
5. Let go of the bars and position yourself at the top again before commencing your next rep.

Suggested reps: 5 to 8

Pro tip: Keep your core engaged to avoid swinging which will allow you to lower yourself down over more time.

9. TRX Table Top Row

Difficulty: intermediate

This exercise is like the inverted row but provides you with many more options for grip and loading which allows you to reap further benefits from this movement. For this reason, the TRX version is more of an intermediate exercise than one for beginners.

Don’t have TRX straps? Check out these alternatives

How to:

1. Attach a pair of TRX cables to a pull up bar. Hold the TRX cables, one side in each hand, palms facing the ground.
2. Position yourself underneath the cables on extended arms. Your knees should be bent at 90-degrees, your feet flat on the floor and your body parallel to the floor.
3. Start with your arms fully extended and then flex through the elbows and retract your shoulder blades to pull yourself upwards until your scapular is fully squeezed together.
4. Lower yourself down slowly, without letting your hips sag at any stage.

Suggested reps: 10 to 15

Pro tip: Mix up your grips to keep adjusting the width of your row, therefore hitting your lats and biceps from different angles. In terms of pull up alternatives, the wider the row, the better!

10. Isometric Hold

Difficulty: intermediate

The isometric hold requires you to hold yourself in the top position of the pull up without lowering your body downwards at all. This allows you to focus on the retraction of your shoulder blades, fully.

How to:

1. Place a bench next to the pull up bar so you can have your starting position at the top of the pull up bar without having to jump up.
2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip, over shoulder-width apart.
3. Start with your upper chest at the bar, lats fully contracted and scapular drawn back and down.
4. Hold this position for the desired amount of time concentrating on keeping your shoulders back and down, elbows tucked in and scapular retracted.

Suggested amount of time: 20 to 40 seconds

11. Straight Arm Pull Downs

Difficulty: intermediate

The straight position of your arms throughout this exercise allows you to isolate your lats in the initial pull phase of the movement, without recruiting your biceps. You may feel your triceps kick in at the end of the movement, but this exercise predominantly works your lats, and is killer!

How to:

1. Attach a straight handle to the cable machine, above your head.
2. Hold the handles wide with an overhand grip.
3. Walk the cable out a bit, and whilst maintaining a neutral spine, push your hips backwards creating a 45-degree angle at the hips.
4. Start with your arms fully extended upwards towards the cable, and your head in between your shoulders.
5. Engage your core to avoid hyperflexion through your lower back as you pull.
6. Initiate the pull by engaging through the lats, and while keeping your arms straight, pull the bar down to be touching your legs – hold here for at least 2 seconds.
7. Slowly return to starting position, allowing yourself to feel a slight stretch through your lats.

Suggested reps: 12 to 15

12. Elbow Push Ups

Difficulty: advanced

I love this variation of the push up. It’s unique and a bit “out there” and will work your lats, as well as your shoulders and core, like you’ve never known before! This makes it a superb alternative, albeit an unsuspecting one, to the pull up.

How to:

1. Start in the plank position with your elbows on the ground about an inch in front of your shoulders.
2. From here, simply push up to be on extended arms, using both arms at the same time.
3. Lower yourself back onto your elbows.
4. Keep your core tight and body in a straight line throughout this movement.

Suggested reps: 1 to 10 – this will really depend on where your upper body strength is at.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of exercises that you can do as well as, or in place of, the pull up. Whether you’re just bored of pull ups, or maybe can’t do a pull up and need a good starting place to be able to do them – there are exercises here that will cater to your needs.

The pull up and its variations and alternatives are all very functional exercises which should be a part of any gym goers workout regime. They build pull strength, build overall strength, improve posture, enhance aesthetics and reduce back pain… to name a few!

So, what are you waiting for? Get onto it!