vege Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 I've been doing pull ups for the last 3 weeks and I got my sister to make a photo of me today. Don't know what to think about the shot I'm certainly looking a little skinny (I'm working on it, I eat and eat and eat...), but I'm more worried about the form of my shoulders. Am I pulling my shoulders to much backwards? I was looking at those muscled black guys doing pull ups today with me, and their shoulders seemed in totally different position than mine on this photo. They pull their shoulders more forwards and don't have that cramp in neck.But on the other hand, I was searching on the internet and I read that in order to do proper pull ups and prevent injury you should pull your shoulders backwards, like I do. But on the other hand, again, those guys look GREAT and they are FUCKING STRONG, and do 15 or 20 pull ups with such ease... And I also have neck pain, more from the right side.So, my thoughts are: what is a proper pull ups technique? And also, if those guy's "incorrect" technique brings such great physique, I am seriously considering doing my pull ups incorrectly, too!http://a.imageshack.us/img40/5585/img0663au.jpg Uploaded with ImageShack.us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fallen_Horse Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Honestly I haven't heard much debate about shoulder location. From what I have seen, you just want to keep a few things in mind. 1. Use a range of motion that is comfortable, but also gives the greatest length of motion (from a dead hang to your chin above the bar is best)2. Don't jerk yourself up (it's called kipping) unless you are trying to practice for muscle ups.3. Make sure the bar passes in front of your face and down to your upper chest (again, if possible go as high as you can go). I think both of the pictures have great form: http://exrx.net/AnimatedEx/LatissimusDorsi/BWPullUp.gif http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Pullup.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vege Posted August 13, 2010 Author Share Posted August 13, 2010 Thank you, Fallen_Horse,I don't know, I look so cramped. This guy in the video is doing it correctly, i think. My head seems to be dropped down between shoulders too much, I hope you know what I mean. I think that's it: I should extend my neck, instead cramping it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Im Your Man Posted August 13, 2010 Share Posted August 13, 2010 Just do it the way that comes naturally and which dosent hurt your neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonVegAussie Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Here is my form, looks similar to yours except that my elbows are further forward, aligned as if a bar was running across my pecs and they were attached to it. Your arms seem to have less of an angle. From the top my arms would look more like this \_/ whereas yours look flat _-_ I was doing sets of 20 when I took this picture as I got a little obsessed with military training style for a while. http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/POLARBEAR666/Fitness/P9240026.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vege Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 hm, nice observation! thank you! I'm doing pull ups again now, after quitting my gym. I'll use your advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_flaco Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 My head seems to be dropped down between shoulders too much, I hope you know what I mean.I think you are right with this. You need to pull your shoulders down, not back. You could do this before you even start to bend the arms, it's kind of like shrugging in reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonVegAussie Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Vege are you quitting gym to just train at home ? Do you train by just doing bodyweight exercises? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vege Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 actually, I'm quitting the "fancy" gym, which I used to go to until now. It's expensive and too far away from my home. I will use the cheaper gym near my place for basic exercises. They don't have machines, maybe one or two. Just barbells and dumbbells and free-weight training equipment. They will also have kettle-bells classes in the future, and I'm looking forward to this! Near that gym there is also a free open sport-ground with all equipment for pull ups, dips, etc. So my plan is to do compound exercises twice a week in the gym, like dead-lifts and squats, etc. The rest of the time I will follow the Armstrong pull ups program on that sport ground, until winter comes. So it will be compound basic exercises and pull ups - hard core, hehehe:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonVegAussie Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Sounds good... I left my fancy gym and got a powertec leverage gym which I love. It lets me do heavy compound movements and also isolations when I wan't. Then I do dips , chin ups and pull ups on my other bit of equipment. Getting a more hardcore workout than when I was at gym plus I can heat my gym room and crank high voltage music. Watching predator while working out also adds 5 reps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vege Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 oh, this one I am going to use is dead silent, and I actually like it that way. Most of the gyms here are playing stupid techno music that just washes your brain out. I can't focus on exercises when listening to that music. Very nice workout equipment you have! I was never that disciplined to do regularly exercises at home. I need to "go" somewhere to workout, it's like a habit now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vege Posted September 11, 2010 Author Share Posted September 11, 2010 That p90x bar looks great! I found new gym recently and they have a similar thing for pull ups. They also have another one with a thick bar and with handles that move, so you have no choice but to use your thumbs and all forarm muscles in order to control all that, while doing pull ups (i hope you understand my decription ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjs Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 I will use the cheaper gym near my place for basic exercises. They don't have machines, maybe one or two. Just barbells and dumbbells and free-weight training equipment.Oh man I wish it was like that around here. The cheaper gyms are primarily made up of machines with few free weights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashnburn Posted September 12, 2010 Share Posted September 12, 2010 actually, I'm quitting the "fancy" gym, which I used to go to until now. It's expensive and too far away from my home. I will use the cheaper gym near my place for basic exercises. They don't have machines, maybe one or two. Just barbells and dumbbells and free-weight training equipment. They will also have kettle-bells classes in the future, and I'm looking forward to this! Near that gym there is also a free open sport-ground with all equipment for pull ups, dips, etc. So my plan is to do compound exercises twice a week in the gym, like dead-lifts and squats, etc. The rest of the time I will follow the Armstrong pull ups program on that sport ground, until winter comes. So it will be compound basic exercises and pull ups - hard core, hehehe:) Crossfit guys are not pro-machine.. So might be a good thing if you look at it from that angle. Their slogan - Dont use a machine, be one. bodyweightculture.comgymnasticbodies.com Might help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 In my experience soccer posts are too thick to use, though I guess if you have enormous hands it could work. I've recently switched to doing my pull ups & chin ups using a standard diameter scaffold pole. Obviously much thicker than any purpose-made pull up bar & has a smooth surface (as opposed to knurling or the rubberised grip you often get on bars) so makes things much more challenging & hits the forearms harder. I do use liquid chalk to help with grip. Makes me feel like I'm in some kind of Rocky IV-style training montage when I do this exercise (minus AOR soundtrack & sleeveless shirt though obviously) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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