Make The Most Out of Your Pull Exercises

How may pull-ups can you do?
How many assisted pull-ups can you do?
Do you know how to avoid injuries in pulling exercises?

Pulling exercises such as the pull-up, row, and hand-over-hand (as in tug-of-war) are extremely important. Many people are used to pushing, especially males who like to dominate the bench press. The bench press represents only one form of exercise that mainly targets the shoulders and chest. The complete opposite exercise is almost any pulling exercise. Your pulling exercises will challenge your shoulders, chest, back, and posture.

The Pull-Up: It is tough. With assistance via straps or an assisted pull-up machine, anyone can do at least one. However, it is best to vary the grip on your pull-ups. Do underhand, overhand, or even neutral grip with your palms facing each other. A good pull-upper will pull with his or her back and not with the biceps.

The Row: Depending on the type of row that you are performing, it can be a tough exercise. Most individuals have probably seen the seated row, which has characteristics of someone sculling in crew. This exercise also permits a grip change to target various shoulder girdle muscles. Note: if you would like to avoid an injury such as lateral epicondylalgia, then you want to change your grip n pulling exercises.

Hand-Over-Hand: This type of exercise, which is most often found in tug-of-war, is also seen in single arm pulling exercises (e.g., pull-ups, rows). Single arm pulling exercises help you to know where you might be weak versus double arm exercises that counterbalance your pulling form. For the ladies, pulls help you to wear strapless dresses with confidence. Fellas, because we are so dominant with pushing exercises, the pulling ones help us combat the gorilla look with our shoulders slouched forward. Pulls pull everything back when done right.

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS           TEEM Performance Training           www.teempt.com