Dr. Joel Seedman, Ph.D.
With everyone in semi-lockdown quarantine mode, bodyweight training has never been so critical. As a result traditional movements such as pushups, squats, lunges, and pullups are more popular than ever. Unfortunately many folks tend to butcher even the most fundamental bodyweight movements. While I’ve written many articles addressing proper technique for squats, pushups, dips, lunges, and planks, I’ve never devoted an article solely to pullup and chin-up mechanics. So here it is.
See 30+ other unique pullup and chinup variations here.
11 Key Pointers
Although there are many common pitfalls on pullups and chin-ups as well as lat pulldowns (overall mechanics are the same regardless of the variation), it’s probably easiest to first highlight the most important technique pointers for optimal form.
1. Maintain tall postural and neutral spinal alignment throughout. Even the slightest deviation in the cervical spine, thoracic spine, or lumbar spine will disrupt vertical pulling mechanics and compromise shoulder positioning.
2. Keep the shoulders semi-retracted and depressed throughout even at the bottom stretched position. While a slight to moderate amount of elevation and protraction is both acceptable and optimal in the stretched position, too much can compromise form and place undue tension on the shoulders and neck.
3. Aim for approximately 90 degree elbow joint angles in the top position as this maximizes muscle activation of the lats and upper back as well as the arms while minimizing joint stress.
4. Brace your core and keep the stomach pulled in while still keeping the chest out and shoulders back thereby optimizing t-spine extension while limiting lumbar extension.
5. Keep a tall fixed head position throughout the set never allowing it to flex forward or extend back.
6. Dorsiflex your ankles throughout regardless of your leg position as this helps to eliminate energy leaks in the lower extremities and creates full body tension. This includes straight leg pullups, knee flexion, hip flexion, bent leg raise, straight leg raise, and more.
7. Screw the elbows forward. Regardless of the grip or hand placement the elbows need to point somewhat straight ahead throughout rather than directly out to the sides. This helps to engage the entire musculature of the lats rather than just the upper portion regions. It also ensures that the lifter is not pulling from the upper traps and shoulders.
8. Aim for the sternum but don’t touch it. Pulling to the clavicle or neck minimizes activation in the lat muscles, particularly the lower lats, as the shoulders and scapula can’t fully depress and medially rotate towards the spine. Pulling to the sternum not only places the shoulders in the most biomechanically sound position, it requires an incredible amount of lat activation even with relatively light loads.
9. Don’t overstretch in the bottom. Although the arms should fully extend and there should be a natural stretch and lengthening in the lats, the shoulders should not excessively elevate. In other words don’t overstretch or get overly loose at the bottom position.
10. Push during the eccentric phase. Similar to any other movement, lock in the eccentric phase by recruiting the antagonist muscles as this create eccentric-induced co-contraction. For the vertical pulling motion that means firing the shoulders, upper, chest, and triceps particularly towards the end phase of the stretched position. Simply put, it should feel as though you are pushing the bar away from you. This should occur almost automatically simply by achieving the proper position and allowing full elongation
11. Use eccentric isometrics to help dial in your form and body mechanics as these help the lifter have enhanced sense of feel and improved ability to find the optimal positions including 90 degree joint angles. Read more in my book MOVEMENT REDEFINED.
Important Details
Range Of Motion
A highly common training mistake I see in beginners and advanced lifters alike is trying to pull too far and too high on vertical pulling motions such as pullups and lat pull-downs. Rather than trying to touch the bar to your chest or reaching your chin over the bar (both of which can produce dysfunctional mechanics), the goal should be to achieve proper upper back and lat activation by pulling to a position where the bar is approximately in-line with the mid face which will result in approximately 90 degree joint angles at the elbow. Read more about proper body mechanics here.
Using excessive range of motion negatively affects all other components of the pulling mechanics. The natural tendency for many lifters is to achieve maximal range of motion as a means of promoting mobility. Unfortunately, this is actually the very thing that impairs mobility! Exaggerated range of motion produces faulty mechanics and inflammation around the joints, which happen to be the factors that restrict mobility and ROM. Focus on producing optimal and therapeutic 90 degree joint angles and your mobility will actually improve including at end range positions when needed in extreme situations. Read more about mobility and end range training here.
With that said aiming for 90 degree angles on most movements such as squats, presses, pulls, lunges, & hinges, represents the most effective & therapeutic stimulus not only for optimizing functional strength & hypertrophy but also for minimizing joint stress. Yes of course you can go farther but then it’s not longer producing the optimal training stimulus for the muscles and you’re also increasing the potential consequences. Additionally, 90 degrees represents a position where there’s optimal muscle activation, cross bridge cycling, anatomical leverage, osteokinematics, length tension relationship of muscle fibers, elastic energy, proprioceptive feedback, muscle stiffness, co-contraction, motor control, stretch reflex response, reciprocal inhibition, force production, force absorption, and power output as well as transfer to athletic performance via principles of neuromuscular physiology.
Additionally, because the muscles are in the most biomechanically and neuromuscularly advantageous position to absorb force the 90 degree position is also the safest and most therapeutic for the joints and connective tissue. Simply put, when we examine and integrate principles of neuromuscular physiology, biomechanics, muscle physiology, osteokinematics, and functional anatomy we find strong support for the notion that the 90 degree position is optimal for most movements in the sagittal plane including, pullups, squats, presses, rows, lunges, hinges, and more.
Still don’t believe me? Try this inch pullup using smooth mechanics while also maintaining maximal core activation, postural alignment, shoulder packing, & full body tension. Because you eliminate momentum & are forced to maintain high levels of spinal rigidity & perfect posture, you literally won’t be able to break 90 unless of course you sacrifice all of the aforementioned cues & important technique elements not to mention optimal osteokinematics & arthrokinematics. In fact, it really doesn’t matter if me or my athletes perform these with bodyweight or heavy loads, functional ROM terminates at roughly 90 deg every time. To go past this you’ll compensate in some fashion somewhere in your body even if its subtle (i.e. lumbar extension, internal rotation of the shoulder, crowding at the glenohumeral joint, forward head tilt, shoulder protraction & elevation, lack of joint centration & faulty activation patterns).
To maintain maximal full body tension, posture, shoulder retraction & depression, braced core, neutral spine, & tight grip, you won’t be going past 90, not now, not ever. Case closed!
Read more about 90 degree joint angles here.
Where To Aim
Pulling to the clavicle or neck minimizes activation in the lat muscles, particularly the lower lats, as the shoulders and scapula can’t fully depress and medially rotate towards the spine. Pulling to the sternum not only places the shoulders in the most biomechanically sound position but it requires an incredible amount of lat activation even with relatively light loads.
One cue that can be helpful with this issue is to think about pulling your body away from the bar rather than towards it without actually arching your low back. On a side note this cue does not imply that the lifter will touch the sternum but instead this is where he or she is aiming in terms of what’s in-line with the bar. As previously mentioned the bar should be somewhere around mid face height when in the fully contracted top position which is approximately 90 degrees. Any further (such as going past chin level or touching the bar to the chest), and the lifter will sacrifice optimal scapulohumeral rhythm as the glenohumeral joint will be in a faulty position.
Additionally many lifters will sacrifice optimal T-spine position to gain greater ROM at the top. Lack of t-spine extension facilitates a very unstable shoulder joint allowing excessive range of motion and faulty mechanics to take place. This is largely why many lifters touch the bar to their chest when performing pullups and pull-downs. This in no way indicates strong levels of mobility or strength but instead indicates faulty activation patterns and dysfunctional movement.
Overstretching and Collapsing
Although the arms should fully extend and there should be a natural stretch and lengthening in the lats, the shoulders should not excessively elevate. In other words don’t overstretch or get overly loose at the bottom position. Yes there will be slight elevation and protraction but this is much more mild than most coaches preach. In essence focus on fully lengthening and stretching at the bottom while remaining tight and keeping perfect spinal alignment. The moment the shoulders significantly roll up and over, this not only creates faulty mechanics but also places undue stress on the shoulder joint and neck. Simply put, keep the chest out throughout the motion even at the bottom stretched position although it won’t be as exaggerated as the concentric contracted position.
The ideal end range of motion should produce a natural stretch of the mid and upper back, but not an excessive one. Contrary to what many strength coaches advocate, allowing complete protraction of the shoulders and scapula (to the point that the shoulders and spine are pulled out of neutral position) represents a highly dysfunctional and hazardous position.
Unfortunately this is where many lifters make a common mistake of allowing their upper back and lats to stretch so much that the shoulders and upper back round forward. As a result, this no longer engages or stretches the muscles of the lats and upper back simply because those muscles had to disengage. Instead, it stretches the tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue around the shoulder and scapula, which is never advisable.
Besides minimizing activation of the targeted muscles, this also promotes scapular instability and laxity of the shoulder girdle. Whether it's during pullups, rows, presses, pullovers, or other movements, chances are you'll eventually succumb to a shoulder injury as you've ingrained dysfunctional movement and faulty upper body mechanics that are sure to trickle into other aspects of life.
References
For more references & studies see book MOVEMENT REDEFINED)
1. Goto, M., et al., Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res, 2019. 33(5): p. 1286-1294.
2. Bazyler, C.D., et al., The efficacy of incorporating partial squats in maximal strength training. J Strength Cond Res, 2014. 28(11): p. 3024-32.
3. Escamilla, R.F., Knee biomechanics of the dynamic squat exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2001. 33(1): p. 127-41.
4. Matthew R. Rhea, J.G.K., Mark D. Peterson, Drew Masse, Roberto Simao, Pedro J. Marin, Mike Favero, Diogo Cardozo, Darren Krein, Joint-Angle Specific Strength Adaptions Influence Improvements in Power in Highly Trained Athletes. Journal Of Human Movement, 2016. 17 (1), 43-49.
