Movement pattern

The pull pattern

Drawing resistance towards the torso — horizontally in a row, vertically in a pull-up or pulldown.

The shape of the movement

45MOVEMENTS

Pulls are elbow flexion plus shoulder extension or horizontal abduction, with the lats leading vertically and the mid-back leading horizontally. Balance your weekly pulling volume against your pushing volume; almost everybody's programme is short on the pulling side.

22 of the 45 run without a gym. A pattern with no home version in it is a pattern you will skip.

SOURCE·Published exercise references·PATTERN ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION, NOT BY EQUIPMENT·REVIEWED JUL 2026

How a movement lands in the pull pattern

Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.

The attribution rules in full →

SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Every pull movement

Pull exercises, easiest first.REVIEWED · JUL 2026
Exercise	Primary muscle	Equipment	Level
Band External Rotation	Rotator cuff	Resistance band	Beginner
Band Face Pull	Rear deltoid	Resistance band	Beginner
Band Lat Pulldown	Lats	Resistance band	Beginner
Cable External Rotation	Rotator cuff	Cable machine	Beginner
Close-Grip Lat Pulldown	Lats	Cable machine + Machine	Beginner
Lat Pulldown	Lats	Cable machine + Machine	Beginner
Machine Pulldown	Lats	Machine	Beginner
Machine Row	Upper back	Machine	Beginner
Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown	Lats	Cable machine + Machine	Beginner
Resistance Band Row	Upper back	Resistance band	Beginner
Scapular Pull-Up	Trapezius	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Beginner
Seated Cable Row	Upper back	Cable machine + Machine	Beginner
Assisted Pull-Up Machine	Lats	Machine	Beginner
Band-Assisted Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Resistance band	Beginner
Cable Face Pull	Rear deltoid	Cable machine	Beginner
Cable Upright Row	Side deltoid	Cable machine	Beginner
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row	Upper back	Dumbbells + Bench	Beginner
Dumbbell Upright Row	Side deltoid	Dumbbells	Beginner
Incline Dumbbell Row	Upper back	Dumbbells + Bench	Beginner
Inverted Row	Upper back	Bodyweight + Barbell	Beginner
Kettlebell Row	Lats	Kettlebell	Beginner
Negative Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Beginner
Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown	Lats	Cable machine + Machine	Beginner
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row	Lats	Dumbbells + Bench	Beginner
Single-Arm Lat Pulldown	Lats	Cable machine	Beginner
Smith Machine Row	Upper back	Smith machine	Beginner
TRX Row	Upper back	Suspension trainer + Bodyweight	Beginner
Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row	Upper back	Cable machine + Machine	Beginner
Barbell Upright Row	Side deltoid	Barbell	Intermediate
Chin-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Intermediate
Landmine Row	Upper back	Landmine + Barbell	Intermediate
Neutral-Grip Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Intermediate
T-Bar Row	Upper back	Barbell + Machine	Intermediate
Underhand Barbell Row	Lats	Barbell	Intermediate
Barbell Bent-Over Row	Upper back	Barbell	Advanced
Commando Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
Meadows Row	Lats	Landmine + Barbell	Advanced
Pendlay Row	Upper back	Barbell	Advanced
Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
Renegade Row	Upper back	Dumbbells	Advanced
Wide-Grip Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
Archer Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
L-Sit Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
Towel Pull-Up	Forearms	Pull-up bar + Bodyweight	Advanced
Weighted Pull-Up	Lats	Pull-up bar + Weight plate	Advanced

The other patterns

PushDriving resistance away from the torso — horizontally in a bench press, vertically in an overhead press.SquatKnee-dominant lower-body work: hips and knees bend together with the torso staying relatively upright.HingeHip-dominant lower-body work: the hips travel back and forward while the knees stay relatively still.ലഞ്ച്Split-stance and single-leg lower-body work, one leg clearly in front of the other.CarryHolding a load and walking with it. Trains grip, trunk and shoulders in one uncomplicated package.RotationTurning the trunk under load, or throwing and swinging across the body.BraceHolding the trunk still while something tries to bend, extend or twist it.IsolationOne joint, one muscle group, no help from anywhere else.

The questions that come up on the floor

What is the pull pattern?

Drawing resistance towards the torso — horizontally in a row, vertically in a pull-up or pulldown. Pulls are elbow flexion plus shoulder extension or horizontal abduction, with the lats leading vertically and the mid-back leading horizontally. Balance your weekly pulling volume against your pushing volume; almost everybody's programme is short on the pulling side.

Which muscles does pulling train?

Across the 45 pull exercises on this site, the prime movers are the lats, upper back, trapezius, side deltoid, rear deltoid, forearms, rotator cuff. Which one leads depends on the angle and the equipment, not on the pattern alone.

How often should I train the pull pattern?

Twice a week is a sensible default for every pattern. A programme built on movement patterns rather than muscles is harder to leave holes in — if every week contains a push, a pull, a squat, a hinge, a carry and some trunk work, very little gets missed.

Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.

SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026

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