Australian Pull Up
The Australian Pull Up is a bodyweight horizontal pulling exercise performed from underneath a waist-high bar. It primarily strengthens the upper back and lats while teaching scapular retraction and core stability.
Since this is a bodyweight movement where intensity is dictated by body angle rather than external load, the AI analyzes your RPE and rep performance to optimize your positioning. If your recovery metrics or HRV indicate high fatigue, the app may suggest a higher bar setup to reduce the load on your CNS while still activating the rhomboids. Conversely, if you consistently hit RPE targets with ease, the AI will recommend lowering the bar or elevating your feet to ensure progressive overload.
Form Cues
- Maintain a rigid straight line from head to heels
- Initiate the pull by retracting your shoulder blades
- Pull your chest all the way to the bar
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core
- Lower yourself with control to a full arm extension
- Don't let your hips sag towards the floor
- Don't jut your chin forward to reach the bar
- Don't shrug your shoulders up towards your ears
- Don't use momentum or kipping to complete the rep
- Don't flare your elbows out excessively
Common Mistakes
- Sagging hips breaking the plank position
- Leading with the head instead of the chest
- Incomplete range of motion
- Reliance on biceps rather than back muscles
- Rounding the shoulders forward at the top
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for developing the rhomboids, middle trapezius, and latissimus dorsi, crucial for posture and shoulder health. It also heavily recruits the posterior deltoids and biceps, while the isometric hold required to keep the body straight effectively trains the deep core stabilizers.
Primary
Secondary
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