If I may interject ... Yes, a pull-up is a tall order for someone who is overweight or for most females - and even if you can do one or two pullups, that's not

If I may interject ... Yes, a pull-up is a tall order for someone who is overweight or for most females - and even if you can do one or two pullups, that's not a good basis for working out that part of your body. You should be shooting for 10-12 reps, etc. However, a "pull-up" can really be though of as any compound exercise that requires you to use your lats and biceps to pull yourself up OR pull something down to you. So look for the "lat pulldown" machine and adjust the weight accordingly. It's the same thing.