Foot-Assisted Pull-Up

Pull vertical · reps · bilateral The bridge to the full pull-up: vertical hang, one foot sharing a fixed part of the load.

The movement

Hang from the bar, one foot resting on a chair or bench under it. Pull the chest up until the chin clears the bar; the foot carries a fixed share of bodyweight (your convention), the same on every rep. Lower to a full hang. This is the first vertical pull of the chain.

Set-up — pick a foot-pressure convention and keep it

• Bar overhead; grip pronated, thumbs wrapped, a little wider than shoulders.
• Chair/bench under the bar, height so the working thigh is ~parallel to the floor when the foot rests on it.
• Foot front of the foot on the edge, quad passive — a load-sharing point, not a motor. → feel that you are not stepping up; the foot just takes a steady part of the weight.
• Other leg crossed behind, or hanging.

The rep — rehearse it before you do it

• Set the blades, then pull the chest toward the bar, elbows back and down, chin clearly above the bar. → feel the lats drive; the foot pressure stays exactly the same as rep one.
• Lower in 2 s to a full hang, arms straight, before the next rep.

Breathing

Exhale on the pull, inhale on the lower. No holding.

Watch for

• Stepping up with the foot → if the quad fires and pushes you, it’s a step-up. Foot stays passive.
• Adding foot push as you tire → breaks the calibration; same pressure rep 1 and rep 10.
• Kipping / swinging → each rep starts from a still hang.
• Chin not clearing → eye-level isn’t enough; chin clearly above.

Within the level

• Harder: lighter foot pressure (your convention reduced); slower lower; top pause.
• Easier: more foot pressure; or a band over the bar for a hand to share load.

Dose

Set your foot-pressure convention on the first session and keep it for max tests and daily sets. Test your max in clean form, then practice at half rounded down, capped at 5 reps per set, spread through the day.