Assisted Chin-up (squat position)
- Músculo objetivo
- —
- Equipamiento
- Body weight
- Parte del cuerpo
- Back
- Tipo
- Strength
The assisted chin-up (squat position) is a bodyweight back exercise that builds upper-body pulling strength while your legs take part of the load. Set up at a low bar with your feet on the floor in a partial squat so you can press through your legs to assist each rep, training the back (lats and upper back) and biceps. It's a scalable, beginner-friendly progression toward a full unassisted chin-up.
Cómo hacer el Assisted Chin-up (squat position)
- 1Set a bar at roughly chest-to-head height — low enough that you can reach it with your feet still on the floor.
- 2Stand under the bar and take an underhand (supinated) grip, hands about shoulder-width apart, palms facing you.
- 3Walk your feet slightly forward and lower into a partial squat so your arms are extended and your bodyweight is shared between your arms and legs.
- 4Brace your core, pull your shoulder blades down and back, and keep your chest up.
- 5Pull with your back and arms while pushing lightly through your legs, driving your chest toward the bar until your chin clears it.
- 6Pause briefly at the top with your elbows down and your shoulders away from your ears.
- 7Lower under control until your arms are fully extended, using your legs only as much as needed.
- 8Complete your reps, then stand up and release the bar.
Consejos de técnica
- Use only as much leg drive as you need — the goal is to let your back and arms do as much of the work as possible while your legs cover the gap.
- Lead the pull with your elbows driving down toward your hips rather than yanking with your hands.
- Keep your shoulder blades pulled down throughout the set so the load stays on your back instead of your neck and traps.
- As you get stronger, place your feet further forward or use less leg push to make each rep harder and progress toward an unassisted chin-up.
- Move at a controlled tempo and avoid bouncing out of the bottom position.
Errores comunes
- Pushing too hard with the legs so they do most of the work, which means your back and arms barely train and you stall instead of progressing.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears, which shifts tension off the lats and onto the traps and strains the neck.
- Cutting the range short by not extending the arms at the bottom, which limits back development and builds a partial-rep habit.
- Yanking explosively and bouncing at the bottom, which uses momentum instead of muscle and risks straining the elbows and shoulders.
- Flaring the elbows wide instead of driving them down, which weakens the pull and stresses the shoulder joint.
Preguntas frecuentes
What muscles does the assisted chin-up (squat position) work?
It's an upper-body pulling exercise for the back — mainly the lats and upper back — with the biceps assisting. Your legs share the load to make the movement easier, but the training focus stays on the back and arms.
Is the assisted chin-up (squat position) good for beginners?
Yes. Because your legs carry part of your bodyweight, it lets you train the chin-up pattern with less load, making it a scalable progression for anyone who can't yet do a full unassisted chin-up.
How do I make the assisted chin-up harder?
Use less leg drive, place your feet further forward so more of your bodyweight hangs from your arms, or slow down the lowering phase. As you get stronger, reduce the assistance until you can perform a full chin-up.
How many sets and reps should I do?
For building pulling strength, 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps is a sensible default. Use enough leg assistance to keep your form clean and aim to do a little less assisting each week.
Should my palms face toward me or away?
Toward you. A chin-up uses an underhand (supinated) grip with your palms facing you, which involves the biceps more. Turning the palms away makes it a pull-up, a different grip variation.
