10 Best Pull-up Alternatives for Building Lats Without a Bar

The Pull-up is done hanging. Ranked closest by our scoring: Bench Pull-ups, Pullups and the Rocky Pull-up Pulldown.

Pull-upWatch the Pull-up

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

How to Do the Pull-up

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

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Bodyweight · Advanced · Compound

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you 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 bringing your chest towards the bar.
  4. Pause at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Pull-up Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the 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.

  1. Bench Pull-upsPlay demonstration

    1. Bench Pull-ups

    99% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Position yourself under a bar or a sturdy horizontal surface that is at chest height.
    2. Grab the bar or surface with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    4. Pull your chest towards the bar or surface by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bending your elbows.
    5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar or surface.
    6. Lower yourself back down to the starting position with control.
    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 Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Pull-up

  2. 2. Pullups

    99% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

  3. Rocky Pull-up PulldownPlay demonstration

    3. Rocky Pull-up Pulldown

    99% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Stand in front of a pull-up bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    2. Reach up and grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    4. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body 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 Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Pull-up
  7. Weighted Pull Ups

    7. Weighted Pull Ups

    99% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    A straight swap when you want to keep working the lats.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Attach a weight to a dip belt and secure it around your waist. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms of your hands facing forward. For a medium grip, your hands should be spaced at shoulder width. Both arms should be extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip.
    2. You'll want to bring your torso back about 30 degrees while creating a curvature in your lower back and sticking your chest out. This will be your starting position.
    3. Now, exhale and pull your torso up until your head is above your hands. Concentrate on squeezing yourshoulder blades back and down as you reach the top contracted position.
    4. After a brief moment at the top contracted position, inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position with your arms extended and your lats fully stretched.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: pull-up, the same as the Pull-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Pull-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Pull-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Pull-up

Why You Might Need a Pull-up Alternative

You might substitute pull-ups for several practical reasons: limited access to a bar, insufficient concentric strength, shoulder or elbow irritation, or a need for targeted progression. Alternatives let you isolate and strengthen key movement components, scapular upward/downward rotation, scapular retraction/depression, and the eccentric portion of the pull, while reducing load or change grip mechanics. Using rows or assisted vertical pulls preserves lat recruitment but decreases shear at the shoulder or stress on tendons. Planned substitution also accelerates motor learning by letting you control tempo, range of motion, and grip variations to address weak links before returning to full pull-ups.

Pull-up FAQ

What muscles does pull-up work?

Pull-ups primarily target the latissimus dorsi while heavily involving the teres major, posterior deltoids, and the rhomboids for scapular retraction. The biceps, brachialis, and forearms assist with elbow flexion and grip, and the core and lower back stabilize the torso during the movement.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

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