Pullups work all of your major back muscles at once, plus your shoulders and arms. Unfortunately, you can only do pullups when you have access to a pullup bar or a reasonable alternative. Most gyms have regular pullup bars and assisted pullup machines, which can give you a boost if you're not quite strong enough to do pullups on your own. But if you don't have gym access, you can use a number of other equipment options to work your back.
Monkey Bars
If you live near a playground, the monkey bars usually make a perfect substitute pullup bar. Some playgrounds even have horizontal bars you can use for pullups.
Fitness Stations
Look for fitness stations near some public parks and major trails; they almost always have pullup bars at several heights, or gymnastic rings dangling on chains, which you can also use for doing pullups.
Gymnastics Rings
You can purchase your own gymnastics-style rings to suspend from a sturdy ceiling crossbeam or any other solid horizontal support. Your body benefits from the extra challenge of stabilizing the unstable rings.
Finger Boards
Climbers often do pullups on finger boards, sculpted panels meant to simulate the variety of holds and hand positions you may find yourself using as you climb. Some climbing-hold manufacturers also make dangling holds that hang from a piece of rope. Much like gymnastics rings, you can use this equipment to introduce instability into your pullup workout.
Dip Bars
You can use dip bars, or any parallel bars, to do modified pullups. Squat down between the bars, reach up and grasp the bars, then pull yourself up. You can use your legs to help push yourself up, or extend them straight in front of you for a more intense upper-body workout.
Roman Chair
The Roman chair, sometimes known as a captain's chair, is often used to perform hanging leg and knee raises. But the horizontal "arms" on the chair often double as dip bars, so you can put them to use for modified pullups, too.
Smith Machine
Smith machines essentially consist of a barbell trapped in a vertical track, with a hook on each end of the barbell. You can use the hooks to latch onto any of a series of safety pegs spaced along the track, fixing the bar at almost any height. If you set the bar at about chest height, then lean back with your entire body flat like a board, you can pull your chest up to the bar in a modified "trap" pullup or inverted row. You can also squat directly beneath the bar and use it for self-assisted pullups.



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