How to pull with elbows?

[Ksean95]

I have a very well developed left bicep, and a very undeveloped upper back on the left side. I'm attributing this to pulling with my arms and not my back. Has anyone got any advice about how to pull through my elbows and not my hands?

[Bench905]

This is the equipment forum.

[WitYoChestBoa]

I have a very well developed left bicep, and a very undeveloped upper back on the left side. I'm attributing this to pulling with my arms and not my back. Has anyone got any advice about how to pull through my elbows and not my hands?

Try a hook grip without thumbs and make sure to feel your back contraction at the end of the movement.

[Mortar34]

Make sure you get a deep stretch that you can feel in your lat on the concentric portion, pause, and begin the lift by focusing on and contracting your lat all the way through the movement, ending with pinching your scapula together at the top of the movement. I had the same issues until recently and, for me, it's all about getting that deep stretch in the lat that I can really feel to start things.

Also, experiment with overhand grips that recruit less of the biceps, but focusing on and feeling the lat itself is the key.

[keyboardworkout]

This is the equipment forum.

http://maxagrip.com/products.html

[Yodums]

Think of your hands as hooks, and lead the movement with your elbows. Pretend you're squeezing your shoulder blades and pinching a pencil in between your back.

Pick a weight that allows you to have a controlled tempo. Momentum is unavoidable at heavier weights.

[urbanlifter]

As long as you are not completely ignoring your grip strength altogether, straps are great for getting exhaustion work done on the back. I will do heavier work like deadlifts, single arm rows, weighted pullups unassisted. Then when I hit the lat pulldown machine I strap up and focus on pulling with my elbows and pinching my shoulder blades together, I have made decent progress with this approach.

[chadsalt]

And here I thought this thread was going to be a handicap guy looking for help.......and I find this stupid ****.

[BYOBB]

I have a very well developed left bicep, and a very undeveloped upper back on the left side. I'm attributing this to pulling with my arms and not my back. Has anyone got any advice about how to pull through my elbows and not my hands?

This is the equipment forum.

We can keep it relevant. OP, buy some hanging ab straps for ~$15 and do this:





Use them on your pullup bar at home for leg raises or whatever else you want to do as well.
I have ones that look almost identical to these Perfect Fitness ab straps. These are thoughtfully designed to have the carabiner in the middle of the strap rather than at the end. So if you want to stick these on a pullup, there's no metal on metal action:

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Fitne.../dp/B00G8UGUAK

[Ksean95]

Make sure you get a deep stretch that you can feel in your lat on the concentric portion, pause, and begin the lift by focusing on and contracting your lat all the way through the movement, ending with pinching your scapula together at the top of the movement. I had the same issues until recently and, for me, it's all about getting that deep stretch in the lat that I can really feel to start things.

Also, experiment with overhand grips that recruit less of the biceps, but focusing on and feeling the lat itself is the key.

Without sounding like an idiot, how do you get that deep stretch? I find I can only do it when I round my shoulder forward. Also, by co tracking do you mean tensing?

[Ksean95]

Think of your hands as hooks, and lead the movement with your elbows. Pretend you're squeezing your shoulder blades and pinching a pencil in between your back.

Pick a weight that allows you to have a controlled tempo. Momentum is unavoidable at heavier weights.

I tried doing this today but I still feel I'm using my hands.

[ironwill2008]

I tried doing this today but I still feel I'm using my hands.

Keep practicing this. If one's mind-muscle connection has never yet been established, it sometimes takes a fair amount of time and effort to get there. You'll never build any appreciable amount of upper-back mass until this is accomplished.


Yours is not a unique situation; many posters in the 'exercises' forum have this same issue when first starting out.

[rlundregan]

I found it helpful to drop the weight while learning to lead with my elbows. This is about building your CNS as much as building muscle, so take the time to learn good form.

BYOBB's suggestion for the ab straps is a really good one (repped), in addition to making the question relevant to the Equipment Forum!

I also found it helpful to use a thumbless grip on horizontal rowing movements. I'm not sure why that was helpful for me, or if anyone else experiences that, but it helped me to focus more on my elbows and less on my grip. My hands really are just hooks when I do that, grip is a nonissue.

Ironwill speaks the truth, this is about developing that mind-muscle connection, and it takes most people a while to get it right. Make sure that you are focused on visualizing your elbows driving the movement.