Pull ups aren’t easy. You’re pulling your entire weight up to a bar, after all, which requires strength, good grip, and proper technique!
And if you’re eager to achieve your first pull up, the assisted pull up machine is one of the best ways to get you there.
So what does it do?
The assisted pull up machine reduces the weight you’re pulling, making it easier to get the feel of pull ups while building strength and muscle.
If you’ve seen an assisted pull up machine in your gym, but don’t know how to use it, this guide’s here to help.
Below we run through how to use an assisted pull up machine with step-by-step instructions, how to use good pull up form, assisted pull up machine vs lat down pull down machine, and more.
How To Use Assisted Pull Up Machine – Step By Step
Assisted pull up machines have a pull up bar, a cushioned platform for your knees, and a weight setting.
It’s important to know that the higher the weight setting on the assisted pull up machine, the easier pull ups will be. The lower the weight setting, the harder pull ups will be.
How To Use An Assisted Pull Up Machine In 3 Steps:
- Set your desired weight (start with a high weight setting if you’re a beginner)
- Use the step to grab the bar with both hands, then place both knees on the platform
- Pull yourself to the bar, making sure to push your chest out and bring your elbows back
If the pull up felt easy, lower the weight setting on the machine. If you couldn’t pull yourself up, increase the weight setting on the machine.
That’s it!
Assisted Pull Up Machine – How Many Sets And Reps?
To build strength and muscle, you ideally want to perform at least 3 sets of 8 reps on the assisted pull up machine with about one minute of rest in between each set.
So the next step is to find a weight setting on the assisted pull up machine that lets you perform 3 sets of 8 reps (with about one minute of rest between each set) while still feeling like a challenge.
One 8 reps becomes comfortable, you can increase the challenge by doing 3 sets of 9 reps, 3 sets of 10 reps, 3 sets of 11 reps, then 3 sets of 12 reps.
Once 3 sets of 12 becomes comfortable, you can then increase the weight on the assisted pull up machine, starting the process again with 3 sets of 8 reps.
This process is called progressive overload and it’s a proven method for building strength and muscle simultaneously through hypertrophy.
What Is Good Pull Up Form?
Good form is important for pull ups as it will increase the effectiveness of the exercise and reduce the risk of injury.
For those reasons alone, it’s worth practicing good pull up form right from the beginning – even if you’re using an assisted pull up machine!
Good pull up form involves:
- Retracting your shoulders (keeping your shoulders pulled down) throughout the exercise
- Protracting your chest (pushing your chest out) and pulling the bar to your chestline
- Bringing your elbows back with each rep to fully contract the back muscles
- Engaging your core to maintain stability
- Keeping your legs, knees, and feet together
Assisted Pull Up Machine Muscles Worked
No matter whether you’re doing full pull ups or assisted pull ups on an assisted pull up machine, the muscles worked are the same.
Just make sure to use good pull up form to engage and strengthen your muscles effectively!
The muscles worked using an assisted pull up machine include:
- Lat muscles
- Rhomboid muscles
- Trap muscles
- Lower back muscles
- Bicep muscles
- Forearm muscles
- Core muscles
Pull ups are predominantly a back exercise, so the primary muscles worked are the lats, rhomboids, traps, and lower back. The secondary muscles worked are the biceps, forearm muscles, and core.
Exercises To Achieve Your First Pull Up
In addition to doing pull ups on an assisted pull up machine, there are other effective exercises you can do to help you achieve your first pull up.
These include:
- Lat pulldowns on a lat pull down machine
- Band assisted pull ups using a resistance band
- Australian pull ups
Chin ups are also effective at building pull up strength, and are considered easier than pull ups due to how chin ups involve the bicep muscles more, helping you to pull yourself up easier.
Assisted Pull Up Machine VS Lat Pull Down Machine
The assisted pull up machine and lat pull down machine are both effective for increasing your pulling strength, building back muscles, and helping you to achieve your first pull up.
So what’s the difference?
The big difference is that the assisted pull up machine replicates the feel of a pull up more accurately, since you are pulling your body up.
The lat pull down machine, on the other hand, involves pulling a bar down to your chest. This replicates the muscle movement of a pull up, but does not involve pulling your body weight.
Overall, the assisted pull up machine is better for improving pull up form and strength while the lat pull down machine is better for increasing strength in general, as the weight (resistance) on a lat pull down machine can be increased higher.
Summary
To summarize, assisted pull up machines are one of the ways to help you build strength and muscle for achieving your first pull up.
They’re easy to use too: simply set the weight, use the step to place your knees on the platform, then pull your chest to the bar.
Remember: the higher the weight setting on the assisted pull up machine, the easier the pull ups will be. The lower the weight setting, the harder pull ups will be.
Make sure to practice good form by lowering your shoulders, protracting your chest, and bringing your elbows back to fully engage your back muscles!