pullups--so close yet so far away

[Yael Grauer]

So I can do a pull-up, but not from a dead hang. So close yet so far away. I can do a neutral grip pull-up on rings and just about every variation, and I can do a pullup on the Grav without any assistance, no problem. I can even start from standing on the Grav and do that. I can do band pullups, jumping pullups, etc. kipping but not from a dead hang, etc. It's that quarter inch or whatever it is that I can't get. Body rows and all the other variations I've tried to build up to it haven't helped. Is doing band pullups from a dead hang my best bet?

[Gary Ohm]

How about just dead hangs?
Go for time, and when you can hold the full extension for 30 seconds or so give the pullup another try (when you're fresh).

If that doesn't do it, try one arm deadhangs...

I had somewhat the same trouble for a while, and deadhangs helped me out of it. YMMV.

Good Luck

[Kevin Perry]

deadhangs, bands, negatives if your able to.

[Derek Weaver]

It sounds like that stretched out position at the bottom is the issue.

I would usually say bands and maybe negatives, but I'm not so sure.

Maybe one of the ex. phys gurus like Steven Low could chime in here.

[Yael Grauer]

Originally Posted by Derek Weaver

It sounds like that stretched out position at the bottom is the issue.

Yes! It is my Kryptonite!

[Donald Lee]

It sounds like your lats might be holding you back.

I'm not sure what it's called, but you could try just doing reps with bands or on the Gravitron of just retracting your scapula from the deadhang position.

Or, you could mix things up. You could do retract your scapula and hold for 1-3 sec and then do a full pullup or do at least a 1/3-1/2 pullup.

Even while focusing on the bottom position though, I'd still do some full pullup work so you can easily transition back to full pullups once you've fixed your weak point.

[Peter Dell'Orto]

I used to have the same problem, or close enough - I'd be able to do one or two from a dead hang, but then I'd have to cut the ROM very slightly at the bottom in order to keep doing pullups.

I solved this problem for myself by doing pullup shrugs. I'd hang at the bottom (not slack, but at a dead hang). I'd keep my shoulders tight and "shrug" upwards 10-15 times at the end of every pullup workout. So maybe I'd do 3-5 sets of pullups avoiding the "dead hang" at the bottom, then do a set of those shrugs. Each shrug was just a straight-arm pull, tightening up the lats and shoulders.

Now dead hang isn't a particular problem even for repeated sets or long sets.

I'd try that. Can't hurt, since it's just a set of very short range motions with a lot less stress than coming down hard from a kip.

[Allen Yeh]

There was a tnation article from not too long ago where they worked the lats from the "bottom" position of the pullup with a lat pulldown. I tried googling it last night and was unsuccessful.

Here it is:
http://www.t-nation.com/testosterone...ll-up-strength

[Joe Hlasnik]

Originally Posted by Allen Yeh

There was a tnation article from not too long ago where they worked the lats from the "bottom" position of the pullup with a lat pulldown. I tried googling it last night and was unsuccessful.

Here it is:
http://www.t-nation.com/testosterone...ll-up-strength

I was going to post this, it definitely sounds like this is the case for you. I like the deadhnag shrugs I may have to try that and see how I like it.

[Grissim Connery]

i agree with all the deadhang work, and something else i would add is trying to pull your head backwards while in a dead hang. it kinda feels like you're trying to do an FL w/o tightening your core. you forcefully extend your arms as if you are trying to do a KTE, but leave your legs limp. if you do it right, your neck will stay neutral, and you will feel a tightening in your lats that almost makes you want to do a pullup. try doing this for reps, coming back to the deadhang each time. i sometimes rep this out before i do pullup work because it makes my lats activate more at the bottom. if i don't, sometimes my shoulder slip into an impinging feeling everytime i get to the bottom.