10 Best Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up Alternatives for Lat Development

The Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up is done hanging with a lever machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Assisted Pull-up, the Pull Up (Neutral Grip) and the V-bar Pullup.

Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-upWatch the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up

The steps for the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Lever · Beginner · Compound

  1. Adjust the machine to your desired weight and height.
  2. Place your hands on the parallel bars with a close grip, palms facing each other.
  3. Hang from the bars with your arms fully extended and your feet off the ground.
  4. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bars, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bars.
  6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Assisted Pull-upPlay demonstration

    1. Assisted Pull-up

    96% match

    Lats · Beginner · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Lever
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the machine to your desired weight and height settings.
    2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang with your arms fully extended and your feet off the ground.
    4. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the handles, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the handles.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
  2. Pull Up (Neutral Grip)Play demonstration

    2. Pull Up (Neutral Grip)

    84% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the lats with bodyweight alone.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms fully extended.
    2. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
    3. Pull your body up towards the bar by bending your elbows and driving your elbows down towards your hips.
    4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position with control.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
  4. Band Assisted Pull-upPlay demonstration

    4. Band Assisted Pull-up

    80% match

    Lats · Beginner · Compound

    A good swap when you have a band to work with, and it still works the lats.

    • Band
    How to perform it
    1. Attach the band to a pull-up bar or sturdy anchor point.
    2. Step onto the band and grip the bar with your palms facing away from you, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang with your arms fully extended, keeping your core engaged and your shoulders down and back.
    4. Pull your body up towards the bar by squeezing your shoulder blades together and driving your elbows down towards your hips.
    5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up
    • Equipment: a band, not a machine
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up

  8. 8. Pullups

    80% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

Why You Might Need an Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up Alternative

You may substitute this exercise for several reasons: limited access to a lever machine, shoulder or elbow pain with vertical pulling, or a need for different loading and progression options. Replacing it can reduce compressive shoulder stress by shifting to horizontal rows or controlled pulldowns that allow varied load and tempo. Choose movements that still load humeral extension and scapular retraction so the lats remain primary movers. For rehab or pain, prioritize exercises you can perform with pain-free range of motion and ample eccentric control; cue a slow 3–4 second lowering phase and a full lat squeeze at peak contraction.

Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up FAQ

What muscles does Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-up work?

The exercise primarily targets the latissimus dorsi through humeral extension and shoulder adduction, with secondary loading of the biceps brachii, brachialis, posterior deltoid, and mid-traps. Good technique, scapular retraction then elbow-driven pulling, maximizes lat recruitment and minimizes shoulder impingement.

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