Best Pull-up Alternatives: With or without the gym

Why pull ups are the best

The beauty of pull-ups and pull up alternatives lie in their simplicity and adaptability. Usually no fancy equipment, no convoluted techniques—just you, a door/wall mounted pull up bar, and gravity.

Pull-ups are versatile, effective, and brutally honest about your strength. Want a back that looks like a map of mountain ranges? Go wide grip. Prefer to torch your arms? Narrow it down. Abs? Throw your legs into an L-position. 

You also have assisted one-arm pull-ups. Chin-ups, on the other hand, are the bicep’s best friend, blending compound movement with serious bicep activation. And let’s not forget posture—pull-ups are like a secret weapon for standing taller and straighter.

Versatile muscle training with pull-ups

Nothing quite matches the pull-up. Some exercises can get you close—maybe 80% of the way there—but if you’re serious about building strength, pull-ups are a must. Not everyone has a pull-up bar lying around, though. But here’s the thing: you don’t need a bulky gym setup. A wall-mounted pull-up bar is your answer. It’s space-saving, sturdy enough to handle serious weight, and offers multiple grips to switch up your routine. And the best part? You’re not sacrificing floor space or dealing with clunky equipment. 

If you’re hesitating because you think pull-ups are too hard, don’t sweat it. Start with assisted variations or negatives. Progress takes time.

When are pull up alternatives useful?

If you don’t have access to a gym or a pull up bar, or you can’t do them properly yet, having alternatives to pull-ups is a great way to stay in shape. A set of resistance bands will make your life so much easier and open up many different exercises. Most of these exercises will become easier with time, so eventually you will reach the pull up. But they are perfect as a starting point

4 pull up alternatives for at home

If you want some pull up alternatives at home, you will surely have to get creative. You’ll have to use tables, your own door, resistance bands, towels and backpacks with books. But it surely can be done. Here are my favorite and most creative exercises.

These alternatives might not be perfect replicas, but they’ll keep you progressing until you can hit the bar again. Just remember, safety first—no one’s impressed by a broken table or a runaway backpack.

1. Rowing on the table – best pull up alternative

You should not leave any gains on the table with this one ;). This move targets your back, arms, and even your core, making it a solid alternative to pull-ups. It’s best if you have 0 equipment available, but don’t worry, I have some unorthodox ways of making it harder.

Grab the edge of the table, lean back, and pull yourself up. If it feels too easy, straighten your legs or elevate your feet for an extra challenge. If it feels too tough, bend your knees to 90 degrees and adjust the difficulty. Some other ways to make it harder are to throw on a backpack filled with books or a weighted vest, try a wider grip or go full one-arm mode.

2. Resistance band Lat pull-down

Start by securing your resistance band to a sturdy door or a pull-up bar. If you’re using a door, double-check that the band is tightly anchored—nobody wants a surprise slip mid-rep. For an extra challenge, stack multiple bands together; it’s like turning up the dial on your workout intensity.

This setup isn’t just for lat pull downs, though. You can also crank out face pulls, making it a versatile addition to your home gym arsenal. The motion is simple: grab the bands, sit or kneel, and pull downward, squeezing those lats like you’re trying to crack a walnut with your back muscles. It’s low-impact but high-reward, perfect for building strength without wrecking your joints.

Pro tip: keep your movements controlled. Jerking the bands might make you feel like a superhero, but slow and steady wins the muscle-building race.

3. Australian pull-ups on rings

Australian pull-ups on rings are a fantastic exercise because they scale with your strength level. The more horizontal your body is, the tougher it gets. This is a general rule of thumb that applies to most ring exercises, that’s why I rank them as the best piece of calisthenics equipment. If you’re using rings hung on a door, you might feel a bit restricted in your range of motion. You can push your legs forward, but that’s about it. Swap those rings for a pull-up bar, though, and suddenly you’ve got room to move, making the exercise far more dynamic.

What makes this move so versatile? It’s all about progression. Start with your body at a slight incline, and as you get stronger, lower yourself closer to the ground. Rings add an extra challenge by forcing your stabilizer muscles to work overtime. Plus, they’re kinder on your joints compared to traditional pull-ups, making them a solid choice if you’re easing into upper-body training.

Pro tip: Keep your core tight and your movements controlled.

4. Door lat pull-down

You’ve got a door, a towel, and some resistance bands or ropes. Sounds like the start of a weird DIY project, right? Well, it kind of is—but it’s also a genius way to make your own lat pull-down machine. Here’s how it works: duck tape a towel across the top of your door (this protects the door from scratches). Then, attach something heavy (like a bag of books or weights) to one side of the bands, and the other side? That’s where you come in and start pulling.

You can adjust the weight by adding or removing items, making it as easy or challenging as you want. Plus, this setup isn’t just for lat pull downs. You can also do face pulls or even mimic pull-ups. But—and this is a big but—make sure your door can handle the weight. No one wants to explain to their landlord why their door is now a pile of splinters.

Here is a badly designed illustration of how this should look

4 pull up alternatives for the gym

Calisthenics & weight lifting go well together if you have the time to do both, so here are 4 more exercise that you can do at the gym.

5. Lat pull-down

If pull-ups feel like climbing Mount Everest or, on the flip side, too easy to break a sweat, the lat pull-down targets the same muscles—lats, biceps, and shoulders. But they let you adjust the weight to match your strength level. Perfect for beginners or those looking to level up, you can start light and gradually add resistance, tracking your progress pound by pound. Plus, you can switch up your grip—wide, narrow, or even neutral—to keep things fresh and challenge different parts of your back.

They are way less intimidating than hanging from a bar, especially if you’re still building confidence. The machine does most of the stabilizing work, so you can focus on form and strength without worrying about your core giving out mid-rep. If you want to read why & how pull up bar exercises work your core, click here

6. Barbell rowing

Ah, the barbell row—a classic move that’s as effective as it is humbling. Sure, you could try rigging something up at home with a broomstick and some weights, but let’s be real: that’s a one-way ticket to Snap City. Safety first, folks. 

When it comes to barbell rows, your back position is everything. Slouch or arch too much, and you’re flirting with injury, especially when the weights get heavy. Trust me, your ego won’t thank you for pushing too hard, but your spine will thank you for keeping it light and proper.

The key here is control. Grip the bar, hinge at the hips, and pull with your back—not your arms. Think of it as a handshake with gravity. If you’re new to this, start with lighter weights. It’s better to nail the form now than to spend weeks nursing a tweaked muscle later.

7. Single-arm rowing with dumbbells

Technically, you can do this at home as well if you have the dumbbells or something heavy. 

Single-arm rowing is a solid alternative to pull-ups, especially if you prefer isolated movements. It’s straightforward: one hand on the bench for support, the other pulling the weight up. 

Your lower back and abs don’t have to stabilize your body as much, which can make it feel more like a strength move than a balancing act. Personally, I lean toward compound exercises that pack a bigger punch in less time. Still, if you’re after a focused back workout and enjoy the challenge of isolation, this one’s worth a shot. 

8. Rows on the rowing machine

I love this exercise. Rows are a killer pull-up alternative that works your back, arms, and core all at once. Sit down and pull that handle like you’re trying to win a race against your own ego. The beauty here is the resistance—you control how hard you pull, so it’s perfect for beginners and seasoned lifters alike. Plus, it’s low-impact, so your joints will thank you.

Conclusion: pull-up alternatives as a contribution to varied training

I can sit here and talk about how those exercises are good if you want to add variety in your training, but if you ended up here it’s either because pull-ups are too hard for you yet, or you don’t have a pull up bar (and I recommend you get one, with or without screwing). I want to congratulate you for the steps you take to make your body stronger, and I hope those exercises will keep you busy for the next couple of months.