today we're going to answer the following pull-up questions how far apart should our grip be what
should the scapula be doing during pull-ups is it best to arch the lower back or keep a hollow body
position this three-step guide is going to teach you how to troubleshoot your pull-up problems
by the end of this video you're going to have clarity regarding what technique is best for you
today's question do you train pull-ups with a goal of increasing strength or size comment
now because your response directly impacts what technique to use selecting the right grip width
based on your goals is paramount for successful pull-ups there's two major techniques you should
be deciding for your pull-ups shoulder width or wide grip the standard width pull-up variation
is going to challenge the sagittal plane of motion aka forward to back direction you can
see that a shoulder width arrangement encourages the elbows to maintain a more tucked orientation
consequently this type of pulling setup is biasing shoulder extension to a greater extent
take a look at the top of each pull up can you see how the elbows are able to drive back
quite significantly based on the hand placement it's also going to be more conducive to perform
chest to bar reps moving on let's contrast with the other option a wider grip pulling technique
this variation emphasizes challenge within the frontal plane of motion aka side to side the
wider we go with our grip our shoulder position becomes more a b ducted as a result of this setup
our elbows will start to flare out in order to maintain congruence with our shoulder anatomy
going wider is going to inherently limit range of motion strength when pulling up our bony
anatomy constraints force us to settle for chin height reps deciding what grip to use is simple
when you know what your goal is from your pull-up training it's safe to assume those of you watching
are pursuing body weight and calisthenics strength goals a shoulder width grip makes the
most sense for our needs here's why think about specificity of setup and global elbow mechanics
advanced calisthenics generally requires shoulder width elbows in technique it makes sense to train
using a technique that supports our goals at large for those pursuing predominantly
aesthetic physique-based goals there can be value for also incorporating wider grip pulls
bodybuilders have long promoted the use of different techniques to maximize muscle
growth if the goal is increasing back size and you feel the lats working to a greater extent
going wide definitely choose that also there is a definite argument to be made for the benefits
of wide grip from a general variation standpoint employing a range of grip widths is standard
bodybuilding practice doing so is proposed to exhaust the back muscles from alternate directions
comprehensively targeting otherwise dormant fibers the simple fact that you're doing pull-ups with
a growth mindset should be celebrated just keep in mind that over time your goals and
your preferences are going to change so be willing to adapt accordingly it's time to gain confidence
regarding what scapular technique is best during pull-ups once again there's two techniques to
decide between fear pull-ups scapular disengaged or engaged as the name suggests scapular engage
form requires us to remain active during our set the idea is to maintain scapular depression
shoulders actively lowered away from our ears this method ensures our back and rotator cuff muscles
provide active stability with this technique our body is constantly on tension and rigidity becomes
a priority let's contrast this with the other popular technique the disengaged hang the only
difference here is once we lower into a straight arm position we further relax into a passive hang
clearly we can see the obvious increase in range of motion afforded by this option at the bottom of
each rep our body is resting off tension during the transition between reps once again deciding
between the two depends on your priority and goals scapular engaged is a good choice
under the following circumstances reason one you have hyper mobility or experience weakness or pain
with passive hangs a scapping gauge pull-up technique promotes stability and minimizes passive
joint loading because our muscles are remaining active at all times pain inhibition won't be
a problem with remaining engaged reason number two your priority is improving scapular engaged
exercises the muscle up is a perfect example for this objective we want our pull-up training to
reflect the pulling goals we otherwise have in our calisthenics programming if we don't train engaged
and expect to perform engaged this disparity in development relative to wants will be reflected
with subpar output next we're going to consider when it's valuable to choose a scapular disengaged
technique point number one when increasing muscle mass is the main objective disengage for sure
hypertrophy science is quite conclusive regarding range of motion the more the merrier if it
doesn't impact mechanical tension output by relaxing into a passive hang between pull-ups
we're truly getting a full range of motion all the prime mover muscles are getting stretched
to a larger extent when undergoing further shoulder flexion point number two another
reason being if your goals are general in nature with respect to building strength aka not overly
specific the beauty of disengaging is you get to expose the scapula to greater articulation
this added complexity provides the body further movement options
and further educates under wider circumstances as you can see either option has its benefits at the
end of the day as long as if you're using control tempo strict technique and you're not kipping
either option is definitely a winner lastly let's discuss the age-old question what should
the core be doing with pull-ups generally there are two techniques you should consider
the arch body or the hollow body keeping the lumbar spine extended and the chest up
is how we want the posture for arch body we're employing global extension which emphasizes the
posterior chain or back of the body an interesting point is this technique decreases the distance
we need to pull because the chest is raised higher relative to the bar it's easier to achieve full
range of motion when employing an arch i find it useful to squeeze the glutes to increase full body
tension and stability another common technique in calisthenics is the hollow body pulling style
we're using global flexion which biases the anterior chain or frontal integrity of the body
the benefits of rigidity come at a cost we have to pull further from the start to reach the bar
during the hollow method keep the legs tight and forward of the hips this is going to keep the
anterior core braced and on tension you guessed it choosing between the arch or the hollow depends on
a few factors arch body is preferred under the following circumstances 1. if maximum output
regarding reps or weight lifted is important arch as mentioned earlier we get the most global
back and posterior chain muscle recruitment with this method further the technique is
mechanically advantageous meaning performance is prioritized two if you don't care about specific
strength gains and just want to build muscle go ahead and arch progressive overload can be applied
to a larger and faster extent with the arch pull this is because our body will employ the most
mechanically advantageous recruitment strategies to get the job done hollow bodies should be chosen
in the following scenarios one for those of you training muscle ups it makes sense to train
hollow body pulls as we always teach fitness faqs strength gain occurs in the patterns trained if
you're pursuing pulling goals which integrate a hollow body component pull out practice should
reflect this environment two if you find pain when you're arching and hollow body causes no issues
hollow there you have it everyone that's your three-step guide to correct pull-up technique
based on today's video did you learn something new are you gonna change the way you train
calisthenics now or into the future let's have a discussion in the comments section otherwise
go to fitnessfaqs.com for the best calisthenics workout programs and i'll see you all very soon