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Australian Pull-up

Difficulty: ⭐ Beginnerpull

Home Setup

Use a sturdy table, desk, or even a broomstick placed between two chairs at the same height

Sturdy tableDeskTwo chairs with broomstickBedframe

💡 Pro tip: Test the stability of your setup with your hands before committing your full body weight, and place something soft underneath in case of equipment failure

Gym Setup

Smith machine bar set at waist height, squat rack with bar, or dedicated pull-up station with low bar

Safety: Ensure the bar is securely locked in place and won't roll or shift during the movement

💪 Muscles Worked

Latissimus DorsiRhomboidsTrapeziusRear DeltoidsBiceps

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Australian pull-ups are an excellent entry point for building pulling strength and developing the back muscles needed for full pull-ups. This exercise allows you to adjust difficulty by changing body angle, making it accessible for beginners while still challenging for advanced athletes when performed with elevated feet or added resistance.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Bent Knee Australian Pull-up

low bar

Reduces the amount of body weight being pulled by bending the knees and placing feet flat on the ground

2. Elevated Australian Pull-up

adjustable bar + high table

Raising the bar height creates a more vertical body position, reducing leverage and making the pull easier

3. Negative Australian Pull-up

low bar

Focus only on the lowering phase to build eccentric strength before performing full reps

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Feet Elevated Australian Pull-up

low bar + box or bench

Elevating feet creates a more horizontal body position, increasing resistance and difficulty

2. Single Arm Australian Pull-up

low bar

Performing the movement with one arm dramatically increases strength requirements and unilateral development

3. Weighted Australian Pull-up

low bar + weight vest or plates

Adding external weight via weight vest or plate on chest increases total resistance

↕️ Similar Movements

Regular Pull-up
Vertical pulling progression that Australian pull-ups build toward
Bent Over Row
Similar horizontal pulling pattern with external weight instead of bodyweight
TRX Row
Suspension trainer variation with similar movement pattern and adjustable difficulty
Ring Row
Gymnastics rings version that adds instability and grip challenge
Inverted Row
Alternative name for the same exercise, emphasizing the inverted body position

Form Checklist

✓Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels throughout the movement
✓Pull your chest to the bar, not your neck or chin
✓Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement
✓Keep your core engaged to prevent hips from sagging
✓Control the descent for 2-3 seconds rather than dropping quickly

Common Mistakes

  • •Allowing hips to sag or pike up, breaking the straight body line
  • •Pulling with arms only instead of initiating the movement with the back muscles
  • •Not achieving full range of motion by stopping short of chest-to-bar contact
  • •Shrugging shoulders up toward ears instead of keeping them depressed and retracted
  • •Using momentum or kipping instead of controlled, strict repetitions

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can perform 3 sets of 12-15 strict repetitions with perfect form, maintaining a straight body line and achieving chest-to-bar contact on each rep