Few people are really capable of doing a real Pull Up - using complete Lat recruitment.
Most will pull towards the bar, only reaching over it with their chins.
Some will be able to touch their chest to the bar, but will do so with rounded shoulders at the top - relying on their subscapularis - a habit that will eventually lead to shoulder issues.
Many do not fully depress shoulder blades nor do they retract it before pulling up - a habit that will lead to injury.
The real pull up is very difficult to master:
1. Start in a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. From a complete hang with shoulder blades elevated, while maintaining locked elbows, depress shoulder blades down and retract them together. Your head should elevate between your shoulders as the lats and scap retractors will 'engage'.
2. From the position achieved in stage 1 start to pull up by thinking of bringing elbows to your sides. Do not concentrate on the upper arms. You should also avoid concentrating on the load - as research shows one should concentrate on the working muscles in order to achieve optimal activation, even if you are not interested in body building - this is an essential cue for you: concentrate on your lats.
3. Pull all the way up until your lower chest hits the bar with shoulder blades retracted backwards and shoulder rolled behind. The triceps of both arms should make contact with the lats and there should be a slight pause at this position for 1-3 sec. The come down will reverse the process, going down at least in 4 sec to complete hang.
4. Repeat for the required amount of reps.
Note:
Beginners, most females and generally weak people should concentrate on lat activation work first or will forever rely on their upper arms, Teres Major and Subscap for the Pull Ups and will neglect their Lat development.
Vince Gironda, who was an innovator of many training and nutrition concepts wrote many years ago this description:
THE CHIN UP
by Vince Gironda
I do not think I have seen six men in my life do a chin properly. Don Howorth was one of them. Don pulled up with his chest high and touched his chest to the bar almost as low as his low Pec line. His elbows were drawn down to his sides, touching his lats, and with the chest high and the shoulders down and back, he contracted his lats to the maximum.
If you look up the function of the lat in any Kinesiology book, it will show that the lat – in the fully contracted position – the shoulders are drawn down and back! Round the back and shoulders forward, and you shift to the Teres major muscles. Also, if you do not arch your back to full contraction, you will not develop any of the fibres across the back that attach to the spine. This will give you a flat underdeveloped look with no thickness.
This is how you do the chin: Reach up and grasp the chinning bar, but not too wide…closer than you ordinarily do them, because the lats are partially contracted in a wide grip. Next, stand on a box so that you can jump up into the contracted position and hold at the top for a split second. Now, lower your body and stand on the box (Do singles). Jump up again and touch your low pec to the bar and arch the back. Most important – elbows must touch the sides in the top or contracted position to achieve maximum contraction.
So, enjoy mastering the Pull Ups, good people. It is not such a short journey as most think, but by taking the right path - one will enjoy healthier, stronger upper body in the long term.
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