Pullups - How to really feel it in lats?

[SaintGJR7]

Hi everyone - how are you guys today?

I am doing pullups at the moment in my routine but i tend to feel it more in my biceps. Yes - i know that the biceps do help a lot with the actual pullup movement - but i feel it too much i think in my arms rather than my lats.

I go with a grip about a shoulder witdth apart at the moment with palms facing away.

Thanks guys.

Any tips or tricks would be great.

 

[Double3]

Put your thumbs over the bar.

Pull your elbows though the movement.

 

[huskyguy]

Try a variety of grips, palms facing towards you, away, wide grip, narrow, but the best advice is to keep cranking them out--see how many reps you can do-I love pullups they are a great exercise.

 

[Phil9999]

try gripping wider and really squeeze up at the top. That top squeeze i really feel stresses my lats

 

[SaintGJR7]

Thanks for the quick responses guys.

I do like them too, great exercise, i just tend to feel it more in the bicep.

I already do thumb over the bar and try to squeeze at the top with my lats.

I dont know if im being paranoid or making too much of feeling it in my biceps but, you know, i just want to make sure my lats are being worked as much as possible.

 

[Keeper of Chaos]

all good answers above. first work on focusing on the lats and then once you get that down add weight gradually and they can be a great addition to your workouts for back.

 

[Phil9999]

If you really feel ur not working ur lats enough you could substitute pullups here and there just to make sure.

 

[Phil9999]

im sorry i mean lat pull downs

 

[huskyguy]

Although lat pull-downs are great, pull-ups are still superior to lat pull-downs.

 

[SaintGJR7]

I haven't actually got a pulldown facility to use so that one isn't a possibility.

 

[Winter]

I agree w. putting your hands out wider, maybe a bit further than shoulder width. I never go too far out because it stresses my shoulder a lot and I've heard that you become more prone to injury if you go too far out wide.

 

[losses]

i would suggest negative chin ups! reason... your right your arms will tire before you get a good lat workout in order to combat this just do them in negative form. try going down in more then 3 sec.

 

[Insane_Man]

Rack pulls. Do a search.

 

[Live2Lift!!]

I use widest grip possible. I also use hooks so I pull with my wrists and stretch on theway down.

My stats
38 yo male
215lbs

 

[Double3]

Rack pulls. Do a search.

I'd do a search on rack chins

 

[TopSecret]

What I found works best for me is doing close-grip pullups. I take the V-shape handle from the seated pulley row, throw it on top of the 'ol rack and do them that way. When I go up I alternate moving my head from left to right, meaning on one rep I go to the left and on the next rep I move my head to the right. Using the V-shape handle I really feel like my back is doing all of the work. At the top of the lift I squeeze my back and slowly return back down. My biceps are hardly used in this exercise. Try this and see what you think. I think these are the easiest pullups to do so they will build your confidence in doing the other pullup variations.

 

[DocJ]

I'd do a search on rack chins

Bingo! This is a great version of chins. Also, mentally, think of your hands just as hooks on the bar to keep from falling off, you need to feel like you're driving your elbows into your sides during the movement.

 

[muddytraks]

You see on DocJ's avatar a picture of Dorian Yates above. Yates says his bread and butter exercise for back is underhanded grip heavy bar rows. He didnt even do chins, pulldowns yes but chins no. Mainly heavy bar rows to the beltline.

 

[DocJ]

You see on DocJ's avatar a picture of Dorian Yates above. Yates says his bread and butter exercise for back is underhanded grip heavy bar rows. He didnt even do chins, pulldowns yes but chins no. Mainly heavy bar rows to the beltline.

This is true...he did do undergrip pulldowns occasionally but they weren't in his "bread and butter" back routine.

 

[TopSecret]

You see on DocJ's avatar a picture of Dorian Yates above. Yates says his bread and butter exercise for back is underhanded grip heavy bar rows. He didnt even do chins, pulldowns yes but chins no. Mainly heavy bar rows to the beltline.

Yes, I happen to have that issue of Flex that describes Yate's training routine. He did all of his back exercises, mainly rows and pulldowns, underhand.