Pull up practice
We get a lot of questions about pull ups and how to do them. Many cannot perform a pull up and would like to.
The pull up is an extremely functional exercise and is also a huge part of the CrossFit Method of training. First of all, there are several different types of pull ups including kipping, dead hang, weighted, and jumping. Each of these have their own place in the CrossFit method of training. Today, I will discuss how to develop the "dead hang" pull up using the assistance of "Woody Bands". The dead hang pull up is used to develop functional pulling strength. You never know, you may be caught in a situation where you’ll need to pull yourself over a ledge or window sill. The pull up may save your life some day.
There are many methods that can be used to develop and build pull up strength. In order to become proficient in the pull up motion, one needs to practice them frequently(daily, and through out the day) using the "grease the groove method"(read the article). Those who have a difficult time performing a pull up on their own will use the assistance of the Woody Band. These bands are available in different sizes and tensions making it possible to progress from a larger band with more assistance to a smaller or thinner band with less assistance. Eventually, of coarse it is the goal to ween off the band completely.
Once one unassisted pull up can be performed, the "grease the groove" (or synaptic facilitation)method should be continued. It is important never to train to muscle Failure, this will be detrimental to the pull up progression.
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