Assisted Wide-Grip Pull-Up
A wide overhand grip on the assisted machine shifts emphasis toward the lats and the mid and lower traps while giving the arms less leverage to take over. Because the wide grip is more demanding at the top, the counterweight lets you train it through a full, controlled range. Use it to build the width-focused pull before attempting unassisted wide pull-ups.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Browse by movement
- Vertical Pull
- Target
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Secondary
- Trapezius Lower, Trapezius Middle, Biceps Brachii Long Head
- Tertiary
- Deltoid Posterior, Infraspinatus
How to do it
- 1
Set the assist weight and step or kneel onto the machine's platform.
- 2
Grip the bar wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip.
- 3
Depress and set your shoulder blades before initiating the pull.
- 4
Pull your chest up toward the bar, driving the elbows down and out toward your sides.
- 5
Lower under control to a full hang without losing shoulder position.
- 6
Trim the assistance over time as you get stronger.
Tips
- Do not shrug; keep the shoulders down as you pull.
- Think about pulling the elbows to your ribs to bias the lats.
- Keep the range honest, all the way to a straight-arm hang.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Machine assistance is constant through the range, so the sticking point a few inches below the bar stays a sticking point; if the last inches stall, the answer is one more assist plate, not a shorter rep.
- Hands set at the very ends of the fixed bar, where it angles down toward the floor, roll the wrists back under load; take the grip where the bar is still straight so the forearms line up with the pull.
- The assist number gets written down as though it were weight lifted, which reads like progress while nothing changes; on this machine the number you want is the one going down.
- Elbows drift forward of the chest as the reps get hard, so the movement turns into a shrug against the counterweight instead of a wide pull toward the bar.
- The counterweight lifts as well as assists, and it will happily carry you back to the top; take three seconds on the way down or half of every rep is given away.
Frequently asked
- How much assistance should I use on the assisted wide-grip pull-up?
- Set the assist so you finish 8 reps with two left in the tank, then do 3 or 4 sets, twice a week. Progress here is the assist number falling, not the reps rising: when 10 clean reps feel steady, take one plate off and expect to drop back to 7 or 8. The checkpoint worth watching for is the day the assistance is lighter than a quarter of your bodyweight, which is usually when a strict wide-grip rep is within reach.
- What can I do instead of the assisted pull-up machine for wide-grip pull-ups?
- A long band over the bar with one knee in the loop is the closest home version, though the help fades as you rise rather than staying constant, so the top stays hard. In a gym, a wide-grip lat pulldown loaded under your bodyweight trains the same grip and elbow path with a stack you can fine-tune. Slow negatives from the top of a wide-grip pull-up, five seconds each, cover the same range with nothing but a bar and a box to step off.
- Is the assisted wide-grip pull-up worth doing if I can already do normal pull-ups?
- Yes, as a way to train the wide grip through a full range before you own it unassisted, which is what the counterweight is for. It suits intermediates building width and anyone whose wide-grip reps run out at three or four. It stops earning its place if the assistance never comes down, and it is the wrong tool for maximum strength: past six strict wide-grip reps, added load or extra sets do more. It also holds the shoulder at a wide angle, so if the bottom of the hang pinches, move to a neutral or shoulder-width bar.
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