Australian Pull-ups

Down Under the Bar

The Australian pull-up (or bodyweight row as it’s sometimes known) is a great exercise
for someone who is working their way up to a standard pull-up. The Australian involves
getting “down under” a bar that is a little above waist height, with your feet resting on the
ground. Keep a straight line from your heels to the back of your head as you squeeze your
shoulder blades together and pull your chest to the bar.

 Novices may choose to bend their knees and push gently with their heels in order to give 
 their arms assistance if needed.

When you get a little more comfortable with this exercise you can angle your heels to the
floor with your feet pointed up and your legs straight. Like a standard pull-up, the
Australian tends to be a bit easier with an underhand grip, though I believe there is more
benefit for beginners to practice the overhand version once they are strong enough.

Just like the dead hang, be sure that you are not shrugging your shoulders up when performing
Australians. You want to pull your shoulder blades down and back - never up.
This is the case for all pull-ups. Start getting in the habit of doing this right away - it’s the
most common error I see people make when performing these moves.