Australian Pull-Up
A horizontal pulling exercise performed under a low bar. Perfect for beginners building toward vertical pull-ups.
Short answer
Australian Pull-Up: a beginner bodyweight exercise for the back and biceps. You need a low bar. A typical target: 3 sets of 10-20 reps. If it is still too hard, start with the easier variation, “Bent Knee Australian”. Once it feels easy, “Feet Elevated Australian” is the next step.
Benefits
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps for perfect form
Position under a low bar.
Grip the bar and extend legs.
Pull chest to the bar.
Lower with control.
Pro Tips
Common Mistakes
Target Muscles
What muscles does the australian pull-up work?
A horizontal pull, which loads the back differently from a pull-up. The rhomboids and mid-traps do far more, retracting the shoulder blades, and the rear deltoids work hard throughout. The lats contribute but are not the star. The biceps flex the elbow. Because your feet stay on the ground, you choose the load by changing body angle, which makes this the most scalable pulling movement available. The core holds a plank the whole time - horizontal pulls are an anti-sag exercise as much as a back exercise.
Primary Muscles
Secondary Muscles
How to train it
Three sets of 10 to 20 reps, two or three times a week. Adjust difficulty with body angle: the more horizontal your body, the harder the rep. This is the best starting point for anyone who cannot yet do a pull-up, and it stays useful afterwards as a horizontal counterpart to vertical pulling, which most calisthenics programmes are short of. Progress by lowering the bar, then elevating the feet, then moving to one arm.
If you are stuck
Sagging hips is the fault that turns a full-body pull into an arm exercise. Squeeze the glutes and hold a straight line from heels to shoulders. Bending at the hips to make the rep easier is the same problem in a more obvious form. Not pulling the chest all the way to the bar is the third issue - stopping short keeps the shoulder blades from fully retracting, which is the main reason to do the exercise at all.
Progressions
Level up your training
Australian Pull-Up questions
Are Australian pull-ups good for beginners?
Yes, Australian pull-ups are excellent for beginners. They build the back and arm strength needed for full pull-ups while being adjustable in difficulty by changing your body angle.
What muscles do Australian pull-ups work?
Australian pull-ups work the mid-back (rhomboids, middle traps), lats, rear delts, and biceps. The horizontal angle emphasizes the mid-back more than vertical pull-ups.
Related Exercises
More Pull exercises
Pull-Up
The king of upper body pulling movements. Targets the lats, biceps, and rear deltoids. A fundamental calisthenics exercise.
Chin-Up
A pull-up variation with supinated (underhand) grip that places more emphasis on the biceps while still working the back.
Wide Grip Pull-Up
A pull-up variation with wider grip that emphasizes lat width and upper back development.
Ready to Practice Australian Pull-Up?
Find a calisthenics park with low bar near you and start training.