Back · Pulldown and pull-up
Band-Assisted Pull-Up
The Band-Assisted Pull-Up mainly trains your lats. Also working: biceps, upper back and forearms.
Bodyweight with cable assist
Pull-up bar
Pull-up assist band
Stable
How to do it
- Clip the assist band to both top cables, grab the bar, knees or feet in the band
- From a full dead hang: shoulder blades down first
- Chest to the bar, chin over it: the band only gives you a push
- Lower under control until your arms are straight
Coach’s tip
Here the pinned weight is your assistance: the less you pin, the more of your body weight you pull. Unlike a rubber band, the cable helps equally through the whole range: so you can reduce the assistance step by step until you’re pulling unassisted.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the top, assist band between them
Grip
Feet on the band, bar a little wider than shoulder width
Load
Bodyweight with cable assist
Needs two cable towers
You need
Pull-up bar, Pull-up assist band
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (pulldown and pull-up). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Band-Assisted Pull-Up work?
Mainly the lats. The biceps, upper back and forearms help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Band-Assisted Pull-Up?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the top, assist band between them. Grip: Feet on the band, bar a little wider than shoulder width. You also need: Pull-up bar, Pull-up assist band.
Can I do the Band-Assisted Pull-Up on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Band-Assisted Pull-Up needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Pull-Up and One-Cable Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown instead.
What can I do instead of the Band-Assisted Pull-Up?
For the same movement: Pull-Up, Kneeling Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown and One-Cable Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Band-Assisted Pull-Up in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.