pullups--so close yet so far away

[Grissim Connery]

here's a video i just made trying to explain what might be beneficial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfD4Os91FDs

i did the motions kinda fast in the video, but if you try slowing them down as much as you can (especially the initial front pull), you can really tax the lats and everything else pretty hard.

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

No idea what you mean by roll to inverted

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

Not sure what an inverted tuck to inverted with straight body

i'm probably not using the right terminology. maybe tucked front pull? but basically this, but without the brief static hold at parallel

1:18-1:23
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3QUYsdz-S8&NR=1

for inverted straight body, i was just talkin about this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StZA8ApRnhA

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

I really don't think my hips are what are preventing me from doing a dead hang though.

i didn't mean the strength and mobility actually in your hips, but the ability to move them during a pullup. in order to explain this it would probably be easier to talk about dips. a while ago, crossfit decided to crack down on people doing bullshit dips. this video will give a good idea of what i'm talkin about with hip movement.

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/C...ingDipsPre.wmv

so basically it's legit when you can get your hips to move the full distance, but in the meantime, you can use some of those tricks of rotating around your elbows to help alleviate the full strength required to do the full exercise. then when you're stronger, reduce the raising of the hips until you don't need to use it for the deadhang

[Yael Grauer]

OMG you made a video for me! I feel special. I will totally try that hip thing.

I'm thinking I probably can't do any of the other things you asked if I could do but I'll try.

[Yael Grauer]

hi Grissim,
I tried this at the gym and I can totally raise my hips and do all those crazy things, but it doesn't help me at all with the pull from a dead hang. It's very helpful when not quite at a dead hang but then not really necessary since I can get a pullup from there anyway. LOL. I might be a lost cause. At least I felt like a gymnast for a few seconds.
y

[Blair Lowe]

Perhaps some heavy f'n shrugs. Maybe that will help you break out of the bottom of the dead hang.

I guess if that was the problem support shrugs from standing, on back(BenchPress) may work as well.

But it also made me wonder if it simply when you try flexing the elbow you can't break that instead of the shoulder.

Perhaps work a lot of volume of your not full ROM pullups. How many can you do? Maybe just the ability to flex the elbow.

[Gary Ohm]

That's a good thought. It may be arm strength rather than back or shoulder strength. As bad as it sounds, maybe curls could actually help in this case.

[Rick Deckart]

why would one do curls when one can do pullups, just use enough band tension for example four minis and remove them over the time course

[Yael Grauer]

Blair, I definitely think it's an elbow thing. It is literally like...locked elbows I can't do the pullup, 2 degrees away from locked and I can't do sh**.

Not sure how many not-quite-pullups I can do, I usually end up locking my elbows on the bottom after I do 1. I think I've only done two or three in a row without dead hanging after doing one or getting mad at myself for not having full ROM.

I don't think it's a bicep issue...

I know I am definitely using my lats in all of my pullup attempts these days (had someone check).

[Gary Ohm]

Originally Posted by Peter Puetz

why would one do curls when one can do pullups, just use enough band tension for example four minis and remove them over the time course

If you don't have bands you can do curls. I hate curls but it might be the ticket here as it seems like Yael has tried everything else.

[Yael Grauer]

LOL I hate curls too but whatever it takes. I did some hammer curls as an auxiliary exercise in my last workout.

What kind of numbers we looking at? How much should I be able to curl before I can nix that as my (potential) weak link? I usually weigh around 140-ish (as low as 135 during competition season and never get above 145).

[Gary Ohm]

Originally Posted by Yael Grauer

LOL I hate curls too but whatever it takes. I did some hammer curls as an auxiliary exercise in my last workout.

What kind of numbers we looking at? How much should I be able to curl before I can nix that as my (potential) weak link? I usually weigh around 140-ish (as low as 135 during competition season and never get above 145).

I can't even imagine a hard and fast number for you to shoot for. I would guess just try and incorporate them and try to make gains as best you can and then at some point you'll be able to get your deadhang.

I had another thought. I wonder if any of the trouble is psychological? When I first tried full-on dead hangs, my elbows felt REALLY exposed. Are you doing any lever and planche work? That might help to "wake up" your elbows.

Again, this is all P'DOOMA info here. Take it for what it's worth.