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Exercises

Pull-up alternatives: what to do when you can't do one, or have no bar

Published October 23, 2026

The best pull-up alternative is the lat pulldown: the same overhead pull, with a weight you can set below your bodyweight and raise in small steps. If you want to build up to the real thing, use the assisted pull-up machine or a band on the bar; at home with no bar, the one-arm dumbbell row and inverted or strap rows train the same lats and upper back. If pull-ups bother your shoulders, try a neutral grip.

What a pull-up alternative has to replace

The pull-up trains your lats most, with your upper back, rear delts, biceps and grip working hard too. It loads them hardest at the bottom, where your arms are straight overhead and the lats are stretched, which is also where most people fail. The load is your whole bodyweight, so it cannot be made lighter without help.

A replacement should pull from overhead or toward your torso against a load you can adjust, through a full range.

How to do the pull-up

Gym machines and cables

In a gym, a pulldown or an assisted machine copies the pull-up most closely, with a load you can set lighter than your bodyweight.

Closest gym swap

Lat Pulldown

Lats

The same overhand pull from overhead, seated, with a pin you can set to any weight. It trains the same muscles through the same overhead pull, and it is the easiest of these swaps to progress in small steps.

How to do it

  1. Set the knee pad so your thighs are locked under it with your feet flat, then stand up and take the bar with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Sit down with the bar overhead and your arms fully straight, letting your shoulders rise toward your ears so your lats start stretched.
  3. Lift your chest and lean back only slightly, enough that the bar can pass your face.
  4. Pull your shoulder blades down first, then drive your elbows down toward your ribs until the bar touches your upper chest.
  5. Let the bar rise under control until your arms are straight and your shoulders reach up again, then start the next rep.

Cues

  • Elbows into your back pockets
  • Chest up to meet the bar
  • Straight arms at the top, every rep

Common mistakes

  • Swinging your torso back to move the stack: if you lean past about a hand's tilt, the weight is too heavy, so drop a plate and stay nearly upright.
  • Stopping the bar short of straight arms at the top: let your shoulders rise fully so the lat gets its stretch, or the hardest part of the rep is missing.
  • Pulling the bar behind your neck: bring it to your upper chest, where your shoulders can move freely and your lats do the work.
  • Shrugging as you pull: start each rep by pulling your shoulders down away from your ears before your elbows bend.
Build a session with Lat Pulldown

The real pull-up, made lighter

Assisted Pull-Up

Lats

The machine takes off part of your bodyweight, so you do the exact pull-up movement at a load you can handle. Lower the assistance as you get stronger until you need none.

How to do it

  1. Set the machine's assistance, step onto the platform or kneel on the pad, and take the handles overhead with your palms facing away.
  2. Hang with your arms straight and your shoulders pulled slightly down.
  3. Pull your chest toward the handles until your chin passes them, driving your elbows down to your sides.
  4. Lower all the way back to straight arms under control, then repeat.

Cues

  • Shoulders down before you pull
  • Chin over the handles
  • All the way down each rep

Common mistakes

  • Choosing so much assistance that you could do 20 easy reps: set it so 6 to 10 reps leaves 1 to 2 in reserve.
  • Stopping with bent arms at the bottom: a full hang between reps is what builds the strength for a real pull-up.
Build a session with Assisted Pull-Up

One side at a time

Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Lats

Pulling one arm at a time gives each lat a longer stretch at the top and shows you which side is weaker. Use it as a second exercise after a two-arm pull.

How to do it

  1. Clip a single D-handle to the high pulley, set the thigh pad snug, and sit facing the stack.
  2. Reach up and take the handle with one hand, letting your arm go fully straight and your shoulder rise so you feel your lat stretch.
  3. Hold the pad or seat with your free hand, then start by pulling your shoulder down before your elbow bends.
  4. Drive your elbow down and slightly back toward your hip until your hand is near your shoulder, keeping your chest facing forward.
  5. Let the handle rise slowly until your arm is straight and the stretch is back, then finish all reps before switching sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to back pocket
  • Chest stays facing forward
  • Full stretch at the top

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your torso to drag the weight down: hold the seat with your free hand and lower the weight until your chest stays square.
  • Pulling with your biceps: think of your hand as a hook and move your elbow, not your fist, toward your hip.
  • Shortening the top: let the arm go fully straight and the shoulder rise every rep, since that stretch is the reason to do the one-arm version.
Build a session with Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Lats only, no biceps

Straight-Arm Pulldown

Lats

Your arms stay straight, so the lats do the job without your biceps helping. Good for feeling your lats before pull-ups, or as a finisher.

How to do it

  1. Set a straight bar on the high pulley and stand a step or two back, feet about hip width.
  2. Take the bar with straight arms at about shoulder height, tip your chest a little forward from the hips and feel the stretch under your armpits.
  3. Lock in a small bend at the elbows, tuck your ribs down and keep your chest still.
  4. Sweep your hands down in an arc until they reach your thighs, squeezing your armpits toward your sides.
  5. Let the bar rise back along the same arc under control until your arms are at shoulder height again.

Cues

  • Long arms, soft elbows
  • Hands to pockets
  • Ribs down, chest still

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows to push the bar down: that turns it into a triceps pushdown; lighten the stack and keep the elbow angle fixed.
  • Rocking the torso to finish the rep: keep your hip angle the same from top to bottom so the lats, not your body weight, move the cable.
  • Cutting the top short: let your arms travel back up until you feel the stretch, since that is the part the lats work hardest in.
Build a session with Straight-Arm Pulldown

On the pull-up bar

Have a bar but cannot do many pull-ups, or they bother your shoulders? Change the help or the grip.

Pull-up bar plus a band

Band-Assisted Pull-Up

Lats

A loop band under your foot or knee takes some of your weight at the bottom, where the pull-up is hardest. It is the home version of the assisted machine.

How to do it

  1. Wrap a loop band over the bar and feed it through itself so it is anchored.
  2. Grab the bar overhand, then place one foot or knee into the hanging loop.
  3. Hang with straight arms, band stretched under you.
  4. Pull until your chin passes the bar, then lower slowly back to straight arms.
  5. Step out of the band carefully after the last rep.

Cues

  • Band under one foot or knee
  • Same form as a real pull-up
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing out of the bottom on the band: the stretch shoots you up and your back does little. Pause for a second at the bottom.
  • Staying on the same band for months: move to a thinner band once you hit 10 clean reps.
Build a session with Band-Assisted Pull-Up

Easier grip on the same bar

Chin-Up

Lats

Turning your palms toward you brings your biceps in, so most people get more reps of chin-ups than pull-ups. Use it to build volume on the bar while your pull-ups catch up.

How to do it

  1. Take the bar with your palms facing you, hands about shoulder-width apart, thumbs wrapped around it.
  2. Hang with your arms fully straight, legs still and slightly bent or crossed behind you.
  3. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears before your elbows start to bend.
  4. Drive your elbows down to your sides until your chin is over the bar and your chest is near it.
  5. Take about two seconds to lower back to straight arms, then begin the next rep from a dead stop.

Cues

  • Shoulders down, then elbows to your sides
  • Chest up to the bar
  • Straight arms between every rep

Common mistakes

  • Stopping with bent elbows at the bottom: only count reps that start from a full hang, or your rep count hides how strong you are.
  • Shrugging up into your ears at the top: keep your shoulders pulled down so your lats finish the rep, not your neck.
  • Kicking or swinging for the last reps: keep your legs still and end the set when you need momentum.
  • Dropping out of the top: the lowering half trains your biceps and lats too, so take two seconds every rep.
Build a session with Chin-Up

Swap when pull-ups bother your shoulders

Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

Lats

Palms facing each other on parallel handles puts your shoulders in a position many lifters find easier than an overhand grip. Same muscles, same bodyweight load.

How to do it

  1. Take the narrow parallel handles, palms turned in and hands close together, and hang with your arms straight.
  2. Draw your shoulder blades down, then pull your elbows straight down beside your body.
  3. Rise until your chin passes the handles and your upper chest nearly touches them.
  4. Lower slowly to a full hang and repeat.

Cues

  • Elbows close to your ribs
  • Lead with the chest
  • Full hang at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Pulling your knees up toward your chest to help: keep your legs still, slightly bent or crossed behind you.
  • Rushing the lowering: take two seconds down so the lats work on every inch of the rep.
Build a session with Neutral-Grip Pull-Up

Bodyweight rows

Rows lift only part of your bodyweight, so they are the swap you can do today, and they build the back strength pull-ups need.

Bodyweight swap you can do now

Inverted Row

Upper Back, Lats

Lying under a bar at hip height, you pull your chest up to it with your feet on the floor. You lift only part of your bodyweight, so beginners can do sets of 8 to 15 while they build up to a pull-up.

How to do it

  1. Set a bar in a rack or Smith machine at about hip height and lock it in place.
  2. Sit under it, take an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders, and hang with straight arms.
  3. Walk your feet out until your heels rest on the floor, then squeeze your glutes so your body forms one straight line.
  4. Pull your shoulder blades back, then drive your elbows past your ribs until your lower chest touches the bar.
  5. Lower under control until your arms are fully straight, keeping your hips level the whole way.

Cues

  • Body straight from heels to head
  • Chest to the bar
  • Shoulder blades squeeze at the top

Common mistakes

  • Letting your hips sag: squeeze your glutes and brace so your body stays straight.
  • Stopping short of the bar: raise the bar or bend your knees until you can touch it on every rep.
  • Reaching your chin toward the bar: keep your neck long and lead with your chest, or the last inches come from your head instead of your back.
  • Dropping out of the bottom: lower yourself slowly to straight arms, since a bounce takes the stretch out of your upper back.
Build a session with Inverted Row

Home swap with suspension straps

TRX Row

Upper Back, Lats

Straps over a door or beam let you row your bodyweight with no bar at all. Walk your feet forward to make it harder, back to make it easier.

How to do it

  1. Anchor the suspension straps above a closed door or a beam, take a handle in each hand, and sit back, knees bent, both soles planted.
  2. Lean back until your arms are straight and your body forms a line from knees to shoulders.
  3. Pull your chest up to the handles by driving your elbows back past your ribs.
  4. Lower back to straight arms under control and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips stay up in line
  • Elbows past the ribs
  • Walk the feet forward to make it harder

Common mistakes

  • Letting your hips sag as you tire: squeeze your glutes and end the set when the line breaks.
  • Pulling only with the arms and stopping short: the handles should finish beside your chest every rep.
Build a session with TRX Row

Dumbbells and bands, no bar

No bar at home: rows and pullovers with dumbbells or a band train the same lats and upper back.

Best swap with dumbbells, no bar

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

One hand and knee on a bench, you row a heavy dumbbell with your lats doing most of the work. With no bar at home, this is the row that loads your back the most.

How to do it

  1. Stand next to a flat bench, brace your left shin and left palm on it, and step your right foot back and out for balance.
  2. Pick up the dumbbell with your right hand and let it hang straight below your shoulder, back flat and roughly level with the floor.
  3. Pull your elbow back and up toward your hip, brushing it past your ribs, until the dumbbell reaches your lower ribs.
  4. Pause for a beat with your shoulder blade pulled back, without twisting your chest toward the ceiling.
  5. Lower the dumbbell slowly until your arm is straight and your shoulder blade drifts forward, then row again. Finish the set, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your back pocket
  • Hand is just a hook
  • Chest stays square to the floor

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your torso open to heave the weight up: keep your shoulders level with the bench and lighten the dumbbell if you need to rotate to finish.
  • Pulling the dumbbell straight up to your chest with the elbow flared: aim the elbow toward your hip for more lat and less upper trap.
  • Stopping short at the bottom: let the arm straighten and the shoulder blade move forward each rep so your back works through its full range.
Build a session with One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Two dumbbells, no bench

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Upper Back, Lats

Hinge over and row a pair of dumbbells to your ribs. It trains the same back muscles as the pull-up from a different angle and needs no setup.

How to do it

  1. Take one dumbbell per hand, feet about hip-width apart, and hinge forward from the hips with soft knees until your torso is nearly level with the floor.
  2. Let the dumbbells hang straight down under your shoulders, palms turned in.
  3. Pull both dumbbells up to your lower ribs, keeping the elbows close, and hold the top for a beat.
  4. Lower to straight arms without letting your torso rise and repeat.

Cues

  • Torso angle stays locked
  • Pull to the ribs
  • Squeeze, then lower

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hinge rise until you are rowing upright: keep a mirror or phone camera to the side and stop the set when your chest climbs.
  • Yanking the dumbbells with your hips: the legs stay still and the elbows do the work.
Build a session with Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Overhead lat work with one dumbbell

Dumbbell Lat Pullover

Lats

Lying on a bench, you bring a dumbbell from behind your head to over your chest, which loads your lats from the same overhead position a pull-up starts in.

How to do it

  1. Lie lengthwise on a flat bench with your head near one end and your feet flat on the floor, or lie flat on the floor with your knees bent.
  2. Cup one dumbbell with both hands under the top plate and hold it straight over your chest.
  3. Soften your elbows, lock that bend in place, and pull your ribs down toward your hips.
  4. Let the dumbbell travel back behind your head in a wide arc until your upper arms are level with your torso, or until it nears the floor if you are lying down.
  5. Drive your upper arms back toward your hips along the same arc until the dumbbell is over your chest again, then start the next rep.

Cues

  • Ribs down, no arching
  • Pull with your armpits
  • Stop when upper arms line up with your torso

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows more as the dumbbell goes back, which turns it into a triceps extension: fix the elbow angle and lighten the load.
  • Letting your ribcage flare to go deeper: brace your abs and stop at the point where your back wants to arch.
  • Bringing the dumbbell all the way up until it sits over your face: stop when it reaches your chest line, where the lats still have work to do, and go straight into the next rep.
Build a session with Dumbbell Lat Pullover

Swap with only a band

Band Bent-Over Row

Lats, Upper Back

Stand on a band and row it from a hinge. With no bar, no dumbbells and no straps, it still trains your back hard if you take sets close to failure.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the middle of a long band with your feet hip-width apart and hold an end in each hand.
  2. Hinge forward from the hips with soft knees until your torso is at about 45 degrees, back flat.
  3. Row both handles toward your lower ribs, elbows close, and pause with your shoulder blades pulled together.
  4. Let the band pull your arms back to straight slowly and repeat.

Cues

  • Hold the squeeze for a second
  • Slow on the way back
  • Shorten your grip to add tension

Common mistakes

  • Letting the band snap your arms back down: resist it all the way, because the lowering counts.
  • Using a band so light the set never gets close to failure: choke up on the band or switch to a heavier one.
Build a session with Band Bent-Over Row

To pair with them

If your hands give out before your back, finish the session with a grip hold on the bar.

Grip for your first pull-up

Dead Hang

Forearms

Hanging from the bar trains the grip and shoulder position every pull-up starts from. Add it at the end of a session if your hands give out before your back.

How to do it

  1. Grab the bar overhand with your hands about shoulder width.
  2. Lift your feet so you hang with straight arms.
  3. Let your shoulders relax without shrugging them toward your ears, and breathe steadily.
  4. Hold for the target time, then step down.

Cues

  • Squeeze the bar hard
  • Breathe, don't brace
  • Quiet legs

Common mistakes

  • Letting go as soon as it burns: hold until your grip really fails, since that is what trains it.
  • Using straps or hooks: they remove the grip work, which is the point here.
Build a session with Dead Hang

Example sessions without the pull-up

Session 1

Gym, can't do a pull-up yet

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentAssisted Machine, Lat Pulldown, Barbells

You train in a gym and cannot do a full pull-up, or only one or two.

The assisted pull-up trains the exact movement at a weight you can lift, and the lat pulldown builds the same muscles with a pin you can raise in small steps. Inverted rows and straight-arm pulldowns add back and lat work without needing a pull-up. 12 working sets.

Back
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Assisted Pull-Up1 warm-up set first 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Inverted Row 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Straight-Arm Pulldown 2 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week on non-consecutive days. Once a week, try one unassisted pull-up at the start, after your warm-up.
How to progress
On the assisted pull-up, when all four sets reach 10 reps, take off one step of assistance. On the pulldown and rows, add weight or raise your feet when every set reaches the top of its range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home, dumbbells but no bar

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with dumbbells and a bench and have nowhere to hang a pull-up bar.

With no bar, the one-arm row takes the pull-up's place as the heavy back lift, the pullover trains the lats from overhead, and two-dumbbell rows add volume at higher reps. 11 working sets.

Back
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
One-Arm Dumbbell Row1 warm-up set firstSets are per arm. 4 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Lat Pullover 4 × 10–15 1 75 s
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week on non-consecutive days.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of its range, then go up a dumbbell. At your heaviest pair, pause two seconds at the top of each row.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Home, a bar and a band

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Resistance Bands

You have a doorway or wall-mounted pull-up bar and a loop band, and can do a few pull-ups or none.

Band-assisted pull-ups give you real reps on the bar, chin-ups add a few unassisted reps with the easier grip, and a band row trains the back from a second angle. Pull-up work is heavy for bodyweight, so rests run long and reps stay low. 10 working sets.

Back
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Band-Assisted Pull-Up 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Chin-UpStop each set one rep short. 3 × 2–6 1 2:30 min
Band Bent-Over Row 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
How to run it
Two or three times a week, never on back-to-back days.
How to progress
Every time you get 10 reps on all band-assisted sets, switch to a thinner band. Add one chin-up rep per set each week; once you can do 5 per set, start doing pull-ups in their place.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What can I replace pull-ups with?

Lat pulldowns are the closest replacement. Assisted pull-ups and band-assisted pull-ups train the exact movement, and rows with dumbbells, a bar, straps or a band train the same back muscles.

What can I do if I can't do a pull-up yet?

Do assisted pull-ups on a machine or with a band, plus inverted rows and lat pulldowns, twice a week. Lower the assistance each time you reach 10 reps until you need none.

Where can I do pull-ups if I don't have a bar?

A doorway pull-up bar, a playground bar or a sturdy tree branch all work. With nothing to hang from, do one-arm dumbbell rows, strap rows or band rows instead.

Is it true that 70% of men can't do pull-ups?

Don't worry about the number. Plenty of people cannot do one yet, and the assisted versions and rows here are how you get there.

Are lat pulldowns as good as pull-ups?

For building muscle, yes. They train the same lats through the same range, and you can pick any weight. Pull-ups take less equipment and also train your trunk to stay still.

What are some good pull-up exercises?

Chin-ups, neutral-grip pull-ups, band-assisted pull-ups and the assisted machine. For strong lifters, archer pull-ups and commando pull-ups make the bar harder.