What you'll gain

• Assistance is set in small weight increments, so progress stays measurable.

• Keeps the full pull-up range available before bodyweight strength exists.

• Fixed handles and platform make the movement easy to coach.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Select a counterweight on the stack; more weight means more assistance.

2. 2

   Step onto the platform and take the overhead handles with an overhand grip.

3. 3

   Kneel or stand on the assist pad and let your arms straighten.

4. 4

   Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades down.

5. 5

   Drive your elbows down and back until your chin clears the handles.

6. 6

   Lower yourself under control to a full hang and repeat.

Common Mistakes

• Selecting so much assistance that the pad lifts you, which removes the training effect.

• Pushing down through the legs on the pad, which hides how much you are actually pulling.

• Stopping halfway up, so the lats never reach a shortened position.

• Riding the pad back down quickly, which throws away the eccentric.

About This Exercise

On an assisted pull-up machine you kneel or stand on a platform linked to a selectorized counterweight, so the weight you choose subtracts from the bodyweight you have to lift. The pull itself is unchanged: overhand grip outside the shoulders, shoulder blades depressed, elbows driven down and back until the chin clears the bar. The latissimus dorsi and rhomboids do the work with the biceps, mid trapezius and rear delts assisting, exactly as in an unassisted pull-up. The station exists as a graded step in the strength progression toward unassisted work. This clip earns its place as the gym-equipment version of a pull-up regression, which most libraries cover only with bands. Use it in machine equipment filters, beginner vertical pull progressions, and onboarding flows for new users.

Looking for an exercise animation collection for your app, coaching platform, or content workflow? MoveKit gives you consistent quality across every movement so your product feels cohesive from first launch through scale.

Build faster with related MoveKit resources