No matter how experienced you are, I bet you’ve needed substitutes for pull ups in your gym routine. Sometimes that’s because there isn’t a bar available, or perhaps you’ve got a nagging shoulder injury. Most commonly it’s a lack of upper back, and arm strength that forces us to look for great alternative exercises. In this article I’m going to give you the best 7 exercises to substitute for pull ups. For those athletes that are still in search of their first pull, I will provided a free 6 week program to get you there. Keep reading for more.
As a former level 2 CrossFit Coach I can tell you that pull ups are probably the most commonly scaled exercise there is. It requires a significant amount of strength to do a strict pull up / chin up. Like any bodyweight exercise, pull ups are far easier for athletes with lower body mass. It’s not uncommon to find pro bodybuilders, over 300 pounds, that really struggle with this comparatively simple movement.
In the section below I’ll list the 7 best substitutions for the pull up. I’ll then discuss how to properly integrate them into your workout routine or WOD. This is one of the most common areas I see athletes struggle with. I’ll finish this article with my free 6 week routine to get your first pull up.
7 Best Substitutes for Pull Ups: Full List
- Inverted Barbell Row
- Lat Pull Down
- Pendlay Row
- Single Arm Supported DB Row
- T Bar Row
- Ring Row
- DB Biceps Curl
I think it’s important to spell out that this is really an amalgamation of movements that are good substitutions for pull ups, as well as exercises that help build pull up strength. You’ll notice that I don’t list the most common scaled pull up variant, the resistance band pull up. This is for good reason.
Even though you might think this is one of the best pull-up alternatives, it really limits your ability in the long run. The band provides the most assistance in the bottom, precisely where all athletes are the weakest. If you regularly avoid the challenging part of the movement, you aren’t likely to get a strong back.
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How to Properly Substitute Pull Ups
This is one area that I commonly see coaches and athletes mess up. On the surface it seems like you just pick a movement that’s similar, say banded pull ups, and adjust the difficulty to fit the athlete’s strength level. In my experience this is at best a waste of time, and at worst, an injury waiting to happen. Let me explain.
First, you need to understand the purpose of the pull ups. Are they written as a pure strength movement, designed to build those key back muscle groups? Or are they a component of a metcon / WOD that is designed to keep your heart rate up, by resting other muscle groups?
If the pull ups are intended to build strength and muscle mass, then a smart athlete will choose an alternative exercise that will allow them to build strength in the their back and arms. In this instance, it need not be similar to the original exercise.
When written into a workout of the day, or metcon session, it makes more sense to mimic the time frame, and plane of motion used in the pull up. In this case I tend to recommend the inverted barbell row. You can do it like a ring row, or you can do it in a more vertical plan of motion, like a regular pull up.
In the next section we’ll go over each exercise and I’ll provided some crucial tips to help you perform the movement correctly. I’ll also provide some tips to help build real upper body strength.
7 Best Substitutes for Pull Ups
Remember to appropriately work these subs into your fitness plan. It needs to fill the intended purpose of the pull ups they’re replacing. I’ll give you some tips to do this with each of the exercises.
Just make sure you’re using safe technique and a full range of motion. Now, onto the first movement in this list of substitutes for pull ups.
Inverted Barbell Row
These are the best bodyweight rows for scaling pull ups. It can be used in WODs, and it can also be used for strength building to a lesser extent. In my opinion it’s superior to ring rows because it doesn’t require you to coordinate between two shaky handles. Inverted rows also allow you to orient your hands with the same grip width as you would do on a pull-up bar. Check out this video below.
This video is very detailed, but they did miss one of my favorite versions of the inverted row. You can simply set the bar at roughly wrist height (arms extended overhead), when seated underneath on the ground. You then pull vertically while letting the ground support some of your weight, in an L shape.
This allows you to pull in a very similar fashion to a regular pull up, using similar muscles. Like most exercises on this list, it can really challenge your latissimus dorsi, biceps, and traps to a lesser extent. Give this one a try next time you need a great exercise substitution. Now let’s get to one of my favorite strength builders for pull up power.
Lat Pull Down
The Lat Pull Down is probably one the best strength building exercises that directly translates to the pull up. I often prescribe this for athletes that really want to increase their pull up capacity at any level. Because your legs are anchored by a pad, you can actually pull greater than bodyweight, making them perfect for advanced lifters as well. Check out this video.
Just like the video explains, you need to maintain a reasonable back arch, while pulling the bar to your chest. Use proper form for the majority of your reps, but there’s nothing wrong with a few final reps being done with momentum. Its a great way to really get the most out of each set.
The video also demonstrates one of the most common errors with back training, over reliance on your biceps. While they are used for all pulling movements, they should not initiate the pulling motion. Think of pulling your shoulder blades back and down, before bending your arms. Now lets get on to a great barbell strength movement.
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Pendlay Row
The Pendlay Row is a good exercise. In fact, it’s my go to recommendation for bent-over rows. I like it because you have less of a chance to cheat with your lower back. Moreover, it rewards starting the pull hard, because you can’t carry momentum into the next rep with these barbell rows. Each rep is a dead stop, with maximum effort. Check this video out.
One common mistake I see athletes make is not going heavy enough on this movement, or really on any barbell row. Often times they leave 3 or more reps in the tank on each set. The loading on this should be heavy, only leaving 2-3 reps left in the tank.
Treat it like the bench press. You should spend a good deal of time at a load where you can just maintain form, and still move the weight. Next we’ll go to my favorite strength building movement for regular pull-up strength.
Single Arm Dumbbell Supported Row
This is a strength training movement I always recommend for those who need to build the requisite strength to get better at pull ups. Research reliably shows that you can exert more force when doing single limb training, versus dual limb. I also recommend using straps on the heaviest sets for this movement.
Your body has a natural tendency to limit muscle recruitment if your grip strength starts to fail. Don’t believe me? Try adding straps to things like toes to bar, and see how much longer you can go when your grip isn’t the limiting factor. Check this video out.
The most common mistake I see athletes make, with this movement, is not going heavy enough for women, and going too heavy for men. Even strong female athletes tend to go too light here, which is going to limit their ability to build strength.
Men tend to have the opposite problem. They will go too heavy and use a lot of momentum on almost every rep. Just as before, I don’t mind using a bit of body english to help on the final rep or two, but it shouldn’t be every single rep. Now lets get to a one of my favorite back exercises.
T-Bar Row
The T-Bar row is great because it allows for variable hand position. It also allows you to completely eliminate momentum from the lift, really targeting your back muscles. This is another movement that I would not generally substitute in a WOD. It’s a great option for when pull ups are used for strength building. Check out this video.
A quick note on this movement. Each machine is going to be much different. The length of the arm, and location of the weight, can make one machine feel super easy, and other machines feel incredibly difficult with the same weight. It’s all about leverage. Now let’s get to one of the most common subs for pull ups.
Ring Row
I put the ring row further down the list because it really isn’t much of a direct comparison to a pull up. You have two different grips that move independently, compared to a stable bar. There’s nothing wrong with this, it just adds difficulty.
The other issue is that you can’t really build strength with this movement. Sure you can make it more difficult by elevating your feet or starting with your back close to the ground, but you can’t make it more difficult than that.
The one benefit is that rings can be found in many gyms, or used in more locations than a traditional CrossFit or weight lifting facility with minimal equipment. Check this video out.
Don’t think that ring rows are a bad exercise. I just want you to know that even though they are commonly used as a sub for pull ups, they aren’t really the best option, in my opinion.
They are a decent option for making a substitution in a WOD, as I find that they take about the same amount of time as a normal pull up. They can also be a little easier on the shoulder joint due to a neutral grip. Just make sure that you’re picking a challenging angle, and not standing too upright. Now on to our last option in this list of substitutes for pull ups.
Dumbbell Biceps Curl
CrossFit coaches from 2009 are going to lose their minds over this one, but you need to do these if you want strong pull ups. Remember that there are only two primary muscle groups that contribute to upper body pulling, the lats, and biceps.
I know, I know, forearm extensors, traps, and rear delts contribute as well, but they aren’t the main attraction here. My point is that you can’t just focus on the back muscles to the exclusion of all else. Strong biceps make pull ups easier. Check this video out.
I tend to prefer alternating arms when doing curls. Sure you can curl both arms at once, but you can really focus on moving the weight better, when using one arm at a time.
This is one exercise where you should do the majority of movements with strict form. If you need a little momentum to finish the last reps, there’s nothing wrong with that.
I also recommend treating this like a big strength movement. Don’t just grab the same pair of dumbbells and do the same sets. Try to increase weight over time, provided you can maintain good form. You’d be surprised how often I see really strong athletes use the same weight dumbbells for years.
Now that we’ve covered some of my favorite substitutions for pull ups, lets quickly review my 6 week program to get your first pull-up. Hopefully once you finish this program you won’t need any substitutes for pull ups !
6 Week Free Pull Up Program (PDF)
This program is designed to build your back and arm strength so that you can get your first full pull-up. It also works quite well for athletes that want to be able to do more pull ups. It’s three days per week and should be the only pulling exercises you do.
I wouldn’t recommend trying to combine this with another gym’s program, as you’ll probably overtrain on these movements. Here’s a sample workout week.
You can see it uses several of the movements on this list, and adds in some intensifier methods like negatives, and isometric holds. We’re leaving no stone unturned here! Make sure you follow the link above to the program webpage. You’ll find the free PDF download there, as well as details on proper execution.
If you like awesome fitness programs, and want to build even more strength and conditioning, then check out my most popular program below
Final Thoughts
When deciding the best substitutes for pull ups, keep your goal in mind. If you want to build the strength to get better at pull ups, then you should err on the side of the strength moves. If you simply want to keep up with the group on a WOD, then you can go with inverted rows, or ring rows.
If you have any comments or questions about substitutes for pull ups, put them in the comments section below and I’ll get you an answer. Don’t forget to join the email list. Now get out there and start training!
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