Band-assisted pull-up
A strict pull-up with a band looped under a knee or foot to take some weight.
Practises the whole strict movement, starting from a still hang, with less than full body weight.
Starting dose: 3 × 3–6, resting 120 seconds between sets.
You need a bar or a light resistance band.
Step 6 of the pull-up progression, from a hang to a strict pull-up (7 steps).
How to do it
- Loop a band over the bar and put a knee or foot in it.
- Start from a still, straight-arm hang. Set the shoulders down first.
- Pull until your chin is over the bar, without swinging.
- Lower with control to straight arms. Pause before the next one.
Think about
- Still hang first
- Shoulders, then elbows
- Legs quiet
Watch for
- Using the band to bounce out of the bottom
- A kick or hip swing to start the pull
Easier: A stronger band.
Harder: A lighter band, then a strict pull-up.
What it works
See all of them on the body model →
Checking it on camera
From the front or a little to the side, two to three metres away, whole body and bar in frame. See it in the filming guide.
The pain rule
- 0–3 out of 10 during the drill: fine, carry on.
- 4–5: do less — a smaller range, fewer reps, or the easier version.
- 6 or more: stop that drill for today.
- Worse the next morning than before the session: that session was too much. Step back.
- 6 or more on waking, any morning: rest the shoulder that day.
Sharp or catching pain, or pins and needles, means stop regardless of the number.
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Where it is used
- Phase 3 — Strict again — Shoulder: kipping works, strict pull-ups do not