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.
మూలం·Published exercise references·PATTERN ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION, NOT BY EQUIPMENT·జూలై 2026న సమీక్షించాం
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.
మూలం·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·జూలై 2026న సమీక్షించాం
Every pull movement
| Exercise | Primary muscle | Equipment | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band External Rotation | Rotator cuff | రెసిస్టెన్స్ బ్యాండ్ | Beginner |
| Band Face Pull | Rear deltoid | రెసిస్టెన్స్ బ్యాండ్ | Beginner |
| Band Lat Pulldown | Lats | రెసిస్టెన్స్ బ్యాండ్ | Beginner |
| Cable External Rotation | Rotator cuff | కేబుల్ మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| Close-Grip Lat Pulldown | Lats | Cable machine + Machine | Beginner |
| Lat Pulldown | Lats | Cable machine + Machine | Beginner |
| Machine Pulldown | Lats | మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| Machine Row | వీపు పైభాగం | మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown | Lats | Cable machine + Machine | Beginner |
| Resistance Band Row | వీపు పైభాగం | రెసిస్టెన్స్ బ్యాండ్ | Beginner |
| Scapular Pull-Up | Trapezius | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Beginner |
| Seated Cable Row | వీపు పైభాగం | Cable machine + Machine | Beginner |
| Assisted Pull-Up Machine | Lats | మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| బ్యాండ్ సాయంతో పుల్-అప్ | Lats | Pull-up bar + Resistance band | Beginner |
| Cable Face Pull | Rear deltoid | కేబుల్ మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| Cable Upright Row | Side deltoid | కేబుల్ మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row | వీపు పైభాగం | డంబెల్స్ + బెంచ్ | Beginner |
| Dumbbell Upright Row | Side deltoid | Dumbbells | Beginner |
| Incline Dumbbell Row | వీపు పైభాగం | డంబెల్స్ + బెంచ్ | Beginner |
| ఇన్వర్టెడ్ రో | వీపు పైభాగం | Bodyweight + Barbell | Beginner |
| Kettlebell Row | Lats | Kettlebell | Beginner |
| Negative Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Beginner |
| Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown | Lats | Cable machine + Machine | Beginner |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | Lats | డంబెల్స్ + బెంచ్ | Beginner |
| Single-Arm Lat Pulldown | Lats | కేబుల్ మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| Smith Machine Row | వీపు పైభాగం | స్మిత్ మెషీన్ | Beginner |
| TRX Row | వీపు పైభాగం | Suspension trainer + Bodyweight | Beginner |
| Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row | వీపు పైభాగం | Cable machine + Machine | Beginner |
| Barbell Upright Row | Side deltoid | బార్బెల్ | Intermediate |
| Chin-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Intermediate |
| Landmine Row | వీపు పైభాగం | Landmine + Barbell | Intermediate |
| Neutral-Grip Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Intermediate |
| T-Bar Row | వీపు పైభాగం | Barbell + Machine | Intermediate |
| Underhand Barbell Row | Lats | బార్బెల్ | Intermediate |
| Barbell Bent-Over Row | వీపు పైభాగం | బార్బెల్ | Advanced |
| Commando Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Advanced |
| Meadows Row | Lats | Landmine + Barbell | Advanced |
| Pendlay Row | వీపు పైభాగం | బార్బెల్ | Advanced |
| Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Advanced |
| Renegade Row | వీపు పైభాగం | Dumbbells | Advanced |
| Wide-Grip Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Advanced |
| Archer Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Advanced |
| L-Sit Pull-Up | Lats | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Advanced |
| Towel Pull-Up | Forearms | పుల్-అప్ బార్ + బాడీవెయిట్ | Advanced |
| Weighted Pull-Up | Lats | Pull-up bar + Weight plate | Advanced |
The other patterns
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.
మూలం·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·జూలై 2026న సమీక్షించాం
The people behind these sites
Follow the build
This site and nine others like it are built and photographed by two people: Amit Sharma — behind the build; Geeta Patel — the poses, demonstrated. New work goes up on Instagram and Facebook before it reaches a page here.
Following changes nothing here — every page stays open, with no account and no wall.