Pull-up with Bent Knee between Chairs

Cómo hacer el Pull-up with Bent Knee between Chairs

1. 1Position two sturdy, heavy chairs back-to-back or side by side with a gap between them wide enough to fit your torso. The chair backs or seats you grip must be at a height that allows your arms to be fully extended when you hang below them with bent knees.
2. 2Stand between the chairs and grip the top of each chair back (or the seat edges) with an overhand grip, hands roughly shoulder-width apart. Test that both chairs are stable and will not slide before loading your full bodyweight.
3. 3Lower yourself until your arms are fully extended and lift your feet off the floor by bending your knees to roughly 90 degrees, crossing your ankles if that helps keep your legs tucked.
4. 4Brace your core, depress your shoulder blades, and pull yourself upward by driving your elbows down and back toward your hips.
5. 5Continue pulling until your chin clears the level of your hands or your chest approaches the grip point — whichever range your shoulder mobility and chair height allow.
6. 6Pause briefly at the top with your shoulder blades fully retracted and depressed.
7. 7Lower yourself with control over 2–3 seconds until your arms are fully extended again.
8. 8That is one repetition. Keep your knees bent and feet off the floor for the entire set.
9. 9Complete the desired number of repetitions, then carefully place your feet back on the floor before releasing the chairs.

Consejos de técnica

• Before each set, push down hard on the chairs and shift your weight slightly to confirm they will not tip or slide — chair stability is the main safety variable in this exercise.
• Initiate every rep by depressing and retracting your shoulder blades before you bend your elbows; this recruits the latissimus dorsi from the start rather than letting the biceps dominate.
• Keep your elbows tracking close to your sides and slightly behind your torso on the way up — flaring them forward shifts stress away from the lats and onto the anterior shoulder.
• Avoid kipping or swinging your knees to generate momentum; the bent-knee position is for clearance, not assistance, so keep the legs still throughout.
• If your grip fatigues before your back muscles do, focus on pulling through the elbows rather than squeezing the hands tighter, which wastes forearm energy.

Errores comunes

• Using unstable or light chairs — chairs that tip or slide mid-rep create a fall risk; only use heavy, stable chairs with a solid base and non-slip feet or place them against a wall.
• Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears at the start of the pull — this blocks proper lat engagement and loads the upper trapezius instead; consciously pull the shoulders down before initiating the pull.
• Cutting the range of motion short at the bottom — stopping before full elbow extension reduces the stretch on the latissimus dorsi and limits the stimulus; always return to a dead-hang position between reps.
• Letting the hips swing forward on the way up — anterior hip drift turns the movement into a partial lever row rather than a vertical pull; keep your body in a straight line from knees to shoulders.
• Gripping the very edge of a chair seat on a plastic or smooth surface — the grip point can slip; use rubberized chair backs, wrap a towel over the surface, or confirm the contact point is secure before hanging.

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