The BIGGEST Pull-Up Problem (No One Talks About!)

The pull-up is often praised as the king of back development, and some people even think they need no other exercises to train their backs effectively. If you now think that this video brings the effectiveness of pull-ups into question, you are right. But before you jump to conclusion, let us explain why. Pull-ups are not easy. So most beginners, but even intermediates, struggle with one When they do pull-ups, they round their backs and bring their shoulders forward. This is actually pretty common, because it's the easiest way to do a pull-up. With this execution, you make the pull-up a heavily lat-focused exercise, with support of the abs and the chest. So why is this a problem? Well, when you take a look at your back, you will notice that the back consists of many other muscles than just your lats. Besides the lats, the most important muscles of your back are the middle and lower traps, the rear delts, the rhomboids and the erector spinae. All these muscles play an important role for posture as well as for shoulder and back health. So by neglecting them, you are nearly begging for imbalances, pain and injuries. So what can you do about it? If you are a beginner, we suggest to not only focus on pull-ups, but also include other exercises like the reverse ring fly, the rear delt press on the ground, the prone raise or the body row. We prefer the body row, because it's the better all-rounder. But if you have big weak points and imbalances, you can try the other ones as well. If you are already able to do a lot of pull-ups, we suggest to work on your technique. Of course you should also include some of the exercises mentioned before, but it's also possible to hit your rhomboids, traps, erector spinae and rear delts with a pull-up-like motion. For that we suggest the arched back pull-up. This movement is like a mix of a regular pull-up and a row. The goal is to extend your spine and retract and depress your scapula when you pull yourself up. This movement targets nearly your complete posterior chain and is a very good alternative to the hollow body pull-up. Now you might think, why can't I simply extend my upper back and keep the hollow position in my midsection? Well, give it a try and you will notice why this doesn't work that good. The reason for this are the different modes of action of the anterior and posterior muscle chain. The vertebrae of your spine are connected to each other. If you extend your thoracic spine, the lumbar spine and even your pelvis and legs get the impulse to follow this direction. This means it's simply not optimal to let your upper and lower body work against each other in a pull-up movement. However, we still have to tell you that it's not impossible to do. If your strength and technique is on point, you can aim for a straight spine, extended elbows and retracted shoulder blades during a hollow body position. It's still not optimal because it only works if you pull yourself up very quickly and once you lose some strength, you will fall back into the rounded shoulder and spine position. So if you want to target your rhomboids, rear delts and traps, always favor the extended over the hollow body position. How much you extend it is up to you. A slight arch is easier, but the more you arch, the more you will work your erector spinae and your glutes as well. The arch itself is also not a problem for your back because there are only low shearing forces in a hanging position and of course you protect your spine with muscular tension. So what about the hollow body pull-up in that case? Should you quit it completely and only do the arched back version? Well, no. The hollow body pull-up has its purpose. It has the best body alignment to train for muscle ups, typewriter pull-ups, archer pull-ups, one-arm pull-ups and rope climbs. In addition, it's also the best execution to do weighted pull-ups because the hollow body position puts very low pressure on your lower spine due to the straight alignment. If you use a weight belt and do the arched back version, the belt forces your pelvis into a passive posterior tilt. That makes it harder to actively stabilize it and with that increases the shearing forces and the negative influence around your lower back. So what's the conclusion? If you are an intermediate or advanced athlete, we suggest to include both pull-up versions as well as other pulling exercises in addition. Beginners should focus on regular pull-ups and include easier pull exercises like rows to target the muscles that you won't hit with the hollow body pull-up. Alright, now you know how you can adjust your pull-up training to make the most out of it. Of course, we included the same principles in our workout programs you can find on callymove.com. Every program comes as a step-by-step online course designed for different levels and goals. You will know exactly when you have to train, which exercises you have to do and also the correct rest times, sets and reps. If you liked the video, leave a thumbs up, subscribe and activate the notifications. My name is Alex and I see you in the next video.