10 Best Lever Pullover Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Ranked Lever Pullover Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Lever Pullover on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

1. Best match

   Play demonstration

   1. Lever Front Pulldown

   88% match

   • Lats
   • Lever
   • Beginner
   • Compound

   Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the lats.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
   2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   3. Sit upright with your chest lifted and your shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
   4. Engage your lats and pull the handles down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
   5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back 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

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover
2. Play demonstration

   2. Lever Reverse Grip Lateral Pulldown

   86% match

   • Lats
   • Lever
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   It uses the same equipment and still works the lats.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
   2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   3. Sit upright with your chest out and shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
   4. Pull the handles down towards your chest, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
   5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back 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

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover
3. Play demonstration

   3. Reverse Grip Machine Lat Pulldown

   85% match

   • Lats
   • Machine
   • Beginner
   • Compound

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

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
   2. Grasp the handles with an underhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   3. Sit upright with your chest out and shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
   4. Pull the handles down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
   5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back 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

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover
4. 

   4. Straight-arm Pulldown

   81% match

   • Lats
   • Cable
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

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

   How to perform this exercise

   1. You will start by grabbing the wide bar from the top pulley of a pulldown machine and using a wider than shoulder-width pronated (palms down) grip. Step backwards two feet or so.
   2. Bend your torso forward at the waist by around 30-degrees with your arms fully extended in front of you and a slight bend at the elbows. If your arms are not fully extended then you need to step a bit more backwards until they are. Once your arms are fully extended and your torso is slightly bent at the waist, tighten the lats and then you are ready to begin.
   3. While keeping the arms straight, pull the bar down by contracting the lats until your hands are next to the side of the thighs. Breathe out as you perform this step.
   4. While keeping the arms straight, go back to the starting position while breathing in.
   5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
   • Body position: standing, not seated
5. Play demonstration

   5. Assisted Standing Pull-up

   81% match

   • Lats
   • Lever
   • Beginner
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the machine to your desired weight and height settings.
   2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
   3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   4. Engage your lats and biceps, and pull yourself up towards the handles.
   5. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your back muscles.
   6. Slowly lower yourself 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

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Body position: standing, not seated
6. Play demonstration

   6. Lever One Arm Lateral Wide Pulldown

   80% match

   • Lats
   • Lever
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   Pick this when you want to work the lats one side at a time.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
   2. Grasp the handle with an overhand grip and fully extend your arm, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
   3. Pull the handle down and across your body towards your opposite hip, squeezing your lat muscle at the bottom of the movement.
   4. Slowly return the handle to the starting position, fully extending your arm.
   5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

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

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover
7. 

   7. Wide-grip Lat Pulldown

   77% match

   • Lats
   • Cable
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Make sure that you adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
   2. Grab the bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
   3. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
   4. As you breathe out, bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the bar; therefore do not try to pull down the bar using the forearms.
   5. After a second at the contracted position squeezing your shoulder blades together, slowly raise the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched. Inhale during this portion of the movement.
   6. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

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

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover
8. Play demonstration

   8. Assisted Standing Chin-up

   77% match

   • Lats
   • Lever
   • Beginner
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the machine to your desired assistance level.
   2. Stand on the foot platform and grip the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   3. Keep your chest up and shoulders back, engage your core, and slightly bend your knees.
   4. Pull your body up by flexing your elbows and driving your elbows down towards your sides.
   5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
   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

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Body position: standing, not seated
9. Play demonstration

   9. Cable Lat Pulldown Full Range Of Motion

   77% match

   • Lats
   • Cable
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Sit on the lat pulldown machine with your knees positioned under the pads.
   2. Grasp the cable bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   3. Lean back slightly and keep your chest up, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
   4. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
   5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back 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

   • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
   • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
   • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover
10. 

    10. Full Range-of-motion Lat Pulldown

    77% match

    • Lats
    • Cable
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    How to perform this exercise

    1. Either standing or seated on a high bench, grasp two stirrup cables that are attached to the high pulleys. Grab with the opposing hand so your arms are crisscrossed about you and your palms are facing forward.
    2. Keeping your chest up and maintaining a slight arch in your lower back, pull the handles down as if you were doing a regular pulldown. The range of motion will be more of an arc. During the movement, rotate your hands so that in the bottom position your palms face each other rather than forward. Return slowly to the starting position and repeat.

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

    Why this matches

    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Lever Pullover
    • Equipment: a cable, not a machine
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Lever Pullover