Box Single Leg Assisted Pull-up

How to do the Box Single Leg Assisted Pull-up

1. 1Place a sturdy box under a pull-up bar so that standing on it puts the bar within easy reach overhead.
2. 2Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with an overhand grip, wrapping your thumbs around it.
3. 3Stand on the box with one foot, letting your other foot hang or rest lightly; keep your core braced and shoulders set down and back.
4. 4Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down toward your ribs, using only as much leg push from the box as you need to clear the sticking point.
5. 5Continue until your chin clears the bar, squeezing your lats and upper back at the top.
6. 6Lower yourself under control through a full range of motion until your arms are nearly straight.
7. 7Complete your reps, then step both feet onto the box and release the bar safely.

Form tips

• Use the leg on the box only to assist, not to do the work — let your back and arms pull as much as they can before pushing.
• Initiate each rep by depressing your shoulder blades, then pulling your elbows down, to keep tension on the lats.
• Control the lowering phase fully; the eccentric is where much of the pulling strength is built.
• As you get stronger, reduce how hard you push off the box so more load shifts onto your back.

Common mistakes

• Driving hard with the leg on every rep, which turns it into a box jump and removes the pulling stimulus from your back.
• Stopping short of full lockout at the bottom, which shortens the range of motion and limits lat development.
• Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears instead of pulling the blades down, which loads the traps and strains the neck.
• Swinging or kipping to gain momentum, which cheats the rep and reduces tension on the target muscles.

Frequently asked questions