Assisted pullups are my preferred way to build toward your first unassisted pullup.
The basic idea is simple: use enough assistance to perform the complete pullup movement, then gradually reduce that assistance as you get stronger.
I prefer this approach over building an entire beginner program around negatives, partial repetitions, or static holds. If you can train the actual pullup through a full range of motion, I think that should usually be the foundation of your pullup training.
The two most useful options are an assisted pullup machine and resistance bands.
Neither is automatically better for everyone.
For someone who is completely new to strength training, I usually recommend the assisted machine. For someone who already understands gym equipment and mainly needs help because their bodyweight makes pullups difficult, bands can be an excellent option.
Assisted Pullups: Quick Answers
Are assisted pullups good for beginners?
Yes. I think they are one of the best ways to train for your first pullup because they let you practice the complete movement while adjusting the difficulty to your current strength.
Should beginners use a machine or resistance bands?
For someone who is very new to strength training, I usually recommend an assisted pullup machine because it is easier to set up and easier to measure. Bands are a great choice for someone who is already comfortable using gym equipment.
How many reps should you do?
I generally keep assisted pullup working sets in the 3–10 rep range.
When should you reduce the assistance?
Once you reach 10 clean reps, make the next set harder by reducing the assistance.
How many sets should you do?
About five main pullup sets is a good starting point.
How often should you train assisted pullups?
Roughly twice per week works well for most beginners.
Are assisted pullups better than negatives?
When assisted full-range pullups are available, I prefer them because you practice the entire movement rather than only the lowering portion.
What if the machine or bands cannot provide enough assistance?
Use exercises such as lat pulldowns and rows to build more pulling strength, then come back to assisted pullups when you are strong enough to perform clean reps.
The Goal Is Not to Use as Little Assistance as Possible
A common mistake is treating assistance like something to be embarrassed about.
The goal is not to use the smallest assistance number you can survive.
The goal is to use an amount of assistance that lets you perform productive, measurable sets.
For most of your harder working sets, I want you somewhere between 3 and 10 clean repetitions.
If you can only perform one ugly rep, use more assistance.
If you can easily perform 10 clean reps, reduce the assistance.
That gives you a clear progression system.
How to Choose Your Starting Assistance
You do not need to test the absolute minimum amount of assistance that lets you perform one repetition.
Finding a load that puts you somewhere in the 3–10 rep range is more useful.
Suppose you try 70 pounds of assistance and get eight clean reps.
That is a perfectly good starting point.
You now have a number you can try to beat.
Maybe next workout you get nine.
Then 10.
Once you reach 10, reduce the assistance.
How I Progress the Assisted Pullup Machine
The progression is basically the reverse of weighted pullups.
With weighted pullups, getting stronger means adding more external weight.
With assisted pullups, getting stronger means using less assistance.
Suppose you begin with:
70 pounds assistance × 10 reps
I would normally reduce the assistance on the very next set.
Maybe the next available setting is 55 pounds.
If you then get:
55 pounds assistance × 6 reps
great. Stay there and continue.
But suppose you get:
55 pounds assistance × 2 reps
What happens next depends partly on where you are in the workout.
If those were your first two sets, I would probably go back to 70 pounds rather than spending the rest of the workout grinding out singles at 55.
The main goal is productive training volume.
And the guiding principle remains the same:
Try to do better than last time.
What Progress Actually Looks Like
You do not need to reduce assistance every workout.
Progress can show up in smaller ways.
If last time you performed:
70 × 8
and this time you perform:
70 × 9
you got stronger.
If you previously performed:
70 × 10, 55 × 4
and now you perform:
70 × 10, 55 × 5
you got stronger.
This is one of the main reasons I like assisted pullups.
They let us measure smaller strength improvements than simply waiting for your maximum unassisted pullups to jump from zero to one or from three to four.
Why I Recommend Machines for Complete Beginners
Resistance bands are excellent tools, but they introduce more variables.
A beginner has to figure out which band to use, how to attach it, how to get into position safely, and how the band behaves throughout the repetition.
Bands can also slip, become damaged, or simply be confusing to someone who is already trying to learn a new exercise.
An assisted pullup machine removes much of that complexity.
You select an assistance weight, get into position, and pull.
That makes it especially useful for someone who is new not only to pullups, but to strength training in general.
The machine also gives you very clean data.
If you did 80 pounds of assistance last week and 70 this week, you know exactly what changed.
When I Prefer Resistance Bands
If someone already understands basic exercise equipment and simply needs assistance because they cannot yet lift their full bodyweight, I really like bands.
Bands have one particularly useful characteristic: they provide the most help near the bottom of the pullup and progressively less help as you rise.
That means you receive the most assistance in the portion where beginners often struggle to get moving, while the top of the pullup requires more of your own strength.
I also like the fact that band-assisted pullups require you to stabilize your own body rather than having the machine guide your position.
They feel more like an actual pullup.
The tradeoff is that progression is less precise.
How to Progress Resistance Bands
With bands, your basic progression is from more assistance to less assistance.
Suppose you have a large band, medium band, and small band.
At the very extreme, you could progress through combinations such as:
large + medium → large + small → large → medium → small → bodyweight
That does not mean every combination is perfectly ordered.
For example, you may not know whether a medium band plus a small band provides more assistance than one large band.
Band thickness, length, brand, and how much the band stretches can all affect the result.
That makes band progression less precise than the assisted machine.
But it does not have to be perfect.
You simply need enough consistency to tell whether you are generally moving toward less assistance.
Foot or Knee?
I put the band under my foot.
I usually train in athletic shoes and position the band around the middle of the sole.
I prefer this because it lets me keep a more upright body position.
Putting the band under the knee tends to encourage a more bent, almost chair-like position.
That is not how I prefer to perform pullups.
I want my assisted reps to resemble my eventual unassisted reps as closely as reasonably possible.
Do You Need to Worry About the Band Snapping?
People are often more afraid of resistance bands than they need to be.
A quality band in good condition is designed to stretch substantially.
That does not mean you should ignore safety.
Inspect bands before using them. If you see obvious cracking, cuts, significant wear, or other damage, replace them rather than hoping for the best.
You should also make sure the band is securely positioned before putting your full weight into it.
But fear that every properly used band is about to snap should not stop you from using bands altogether.
Why I Prefer Full-Range Assisted Pullups Over Negatives
Negatives can make you stronger.
So can partial reps, dead hangs, and other pullup-related exercises.
I simply do not think they should normally replace full-range assisted pullups when good assistance is available.
If your goal is to perform a pullup, I want you practicing:
the bottom, the middle, the top, and the transition between all of them.
Assistance lets you train the actual movement.
That is why my basic preference for a beginner is:
more assistance with complete reps rather than less assistance with incomplete reps.
What Counts as a Good Assisted Rep?
My assisted pullup standard is essentially the same as my normal pullup standard.
Start from a dead hang.
Do not deliberately kick or swing yourself upward.
Finish with your chin clearly above the bar or handles.
If the assistance is so low that you have to shorten the range of motion or create momentum, increase the assistance.
The goal is not to prove you can use a harder setting.
The goal is to build strength.
How Many Sets Should You Do?
I generally like about five main pullup sets.
For a beginner using an assisted machine, a workout might look something like:
85 pounds assistance × 10
70 × 8
70 × 7
70 × 6
70 × 5
That is a productive workout.
Once a set reaches 10, you can reduce the assistance.
Over time, the numbers should gradually move downward.
That is exactly what you want.
How Often Should You Train Assisted Pullups?
For most beginners, I like roughly two pullup workouts per week.
That gives you regular practice while still leaving time to recover.
I also normally put pullups near the beginning of the workout.
If improving your pullups is an important goal, train them while you are fresh rather than after exhausting your back and arms with several other exercises.
When Should You Try an Unassisted Pullup?
You do not need to wait for some magical assistance number.
As your assisted pullups improve, try an unassisted rep occasionally.
I often like doing this at the end of the workout.
There is a psychological benefit to knowing that if you can perform your first pullup while already tired, you can probably do it reliably when fresh.
There is nothing wrong with testing while fresh either.
The larger point is simply that you should eventually test the skill you are training for.
For the complete zero-to-one progression, see How to Get Your First Pullup.
What If You Can Only Do a Few Assisted Pullups?
That is fine.
If you can perform clean assisted pullups at all, I generally prefer keeping them in the program.
You may only have a few reps at first.
Build from there.
You do not need to abandon pullups simply because the assistance is large.
What If Maximum Assistance Still Is Not Enough?
Sometimes an assisted pullup machine does not provide enough assistance.
This is particularly possible for heavier beginners.
If you cannot perform a clean full-range assisted pullup even with the maximum available assistance, use other pulling exercises temporarily.
Lat pulldowns and rows are good choices.
Build your pulling strength, then periodically return to assisted pullups and see whether you can now perform them.
As soon as assisted pullups become practical, I prefer bringing the actual movement back into the program.
When Can You Stop Using Assistance?
Once you get your first pullup, you do not necessarily need to abandon assisted work immediately.
If your maximum is only one, two, or three reps, assistance is still useful for accumulating volume.
For example, someone with a three-rep maximum might perform:
3, 3, 2 unassisted
and then:
8 and 7 reps assisted
Once you can perform at least three unassisted reps across roughly five working sets, I am comfortable dropping assistance from the main program.
From there, continue with the broader Pullup Training Programs progression.
Assisted Pullups Are a Tool, Not a Crutch
Assistance is not something you need to escape as quickly as possible.
It is simply a way to make the exercise match your current strength.
A beginner may need a large amount of assistance.
Later they need less.
Eventually they need none.
And if they continue getting stronger, they may reach the point where they need to add external weight instead.
That is the whole progression:
More assistance → less assistance → bodyweight → added weight
Keep the reps clean, track what you do, and make the movement slightly harder whenever your performance shows that you are ready.
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