I Replaced Pullups With These 3 Strongman Exercises

Building Pulling Strength Without Pull-Ups

The video follows a frustrated trainee—the “monkey” in the narration—who has spent four months trying to complete a pull-up. It argues that a pull-up bar is not the only way to build back and grip strength, and demonstrates three pulling exercises using a table, a towel, and a rope.

Exercises

1. Horizontal Rows

Lie beneath a sturdy table, hold its edge, and pull your chest toward it while keeping your body straight. Bend your legs and keep your body more upright to make the movement easier; straighten your legs to make it harder.

Lower yourself over three seconds. Once 12–15 clean reps feel easy, raise your feet onto a chair.

2. Towel Rows

Set up as you would for a horizontal row, but loop a folded towel over the table and hold its ends. Pull toward the towel, squeezing it throughout the movement. The video explains that the towel’s unstable, grippable surface makes the hands and forearms work harder alongside the back.

To increase the difficulty, move your legs forward and your body closer to horizontal.

3. Rope Pulls

Tie a thick rope to a weighted bag or another heavy object. Sit 2–2.5 meters away and pull the rope toward yourself hand over hand. Then return the object and repeat. Keep the movement controlled rather than turning it into a frantic tug-of-war.

The video presents this as an endurance exercise: begin with 20–30 seconds, build gradually, and eventually aim for five continuous 60-second sets.

Suggested Weekly Routine

• Monday: Three sets of horizontal rows. Do as many quality reps as possible, using a three-second lowering phase. Rest 60 seconds between sets.
• Wednesday: Three sets of 8–10 towel rows. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.
• Friday: Three sets of continuous rope pulls for 30–45 seconds. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

As an optional finisher, walk for 30 seconds while holding something heavy in one hand, switch hands, and repeat.

The video says each workout should take about 15 minutes.

Closing Message

Progress can begin without mastering a pull-up: adjustable rows build pulling strength, towel rows challenge grip, and rope pulls help sustain effort. The video also suggests these exercises may suit people who find overhead pulling uncomfortable.

Presenters and Sources

No individual presenter is named; the narration is attributed to Mighty Monkey. The video refers generally to research on muscle activation and cites a review in the British Medical Journal, but gives no study or researcher names.